Skip to the main content
Polestar 2

Insider’s 2020 Car of the Year Award

It’s a misconception that a prize can only go to one recipient. In fact, it’s often the opposite. Nobel Prizes, Oscars, Booker Prizes, and others are routinely shared. This isn’t Highlander. There can be more than one.

Side view of a white Polestar parked on concrete with a lake in the background.

However, there are cases where it’s a little out of the ordinary. It’s a deviation from the norm for two cars to win a Car of the Year award, for instance. And if the winners happen to constitute the entire line-up of one manufacturer, it’s unprecedented. As befitting Polestar’s guiding star status, both Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 have taken Insider’s Car of the Year award, the first time an EV and hybrid have done so. “We want to applaud Polestar,” states the global news publication. “Not only because it is an exciting new brand, but because it's a brand that's committed to building and selling low- and emissions-free vehicles that are attractive and reasonably attainable.”

Polestar 1 took the top spot due to its exceptional driving characteristics and timeless design. A “ferociously good grand-touring car,” in the words of reviewer Matt DeBord, Polestar 1 also demonstrates staying power. “Advancements in manufacturing and battery technology have given us a contemporary plug-in hybrid that is not only mighty and fast, but will also age gracefully in the coming decades,” says reviewer Kristen Lee.

Polestar 2 has equal claim to first place due to its Android operating system, unique design, and well-rounded performance. “We found the Polestar 2 to be highly capable and downright pleasant to drive,” says Insider. “It was not difficult for us to imagine a buyer becoming easily enamored with its looks and everyday comfort and usability.” Kristen Lee, when reviewing Polestar 2, made sure to emphasize that the understated design is what truly distinguishes it. “It draws your eye because it doesn’t look like anything else currently on the road,” she claims.

Insider’s Car of the Year award, like many others, can be shared. Polestar 1 has won, and Polestar 2 has, too.

Related

Scandi design meets Sydney Harbour: Polestar’s place at Concours d’Elegance

Concours d’Elegance. From French, the term loosely translates to "competition of elegance," a fitting name for one of Australia’s most prestigious motoring events, celebrating the pinnacle of automotive excellence. Amongst the classic cars on display, a noticeable change is evident. Two cutting-edge electric cars, Polestar 3 and 4, stand in contrast to the vehicles that traditionally populate the event. For Sydney-based industrial designer David Caon, they stand out because they represent the new era of luxury emerging in the automotive space – one that is shifting toward intelligent, sustainable and unique design.

The art of innovation: how creativity shapes the future of design

The art world is a catalyst for free thinking and new ideas. It challenges conventions, pushes boundaries, and invites us to reimagine the world around us through the use of materials, colours, and forms in unexpected ways. For Maria Uggla, Polestar’s Head of Colour and Material, the world of art is rich with inspiration, and is one of many areas from which she draws from to inform her work. Travelling from her home in Sweden to the Melbourne Art Fair in Australia, she sees not just an opportunity to explore artistic expression from the other side of the world, but a chance to gather inspiration that could help shape the next generation of Polestar’s sustainable automotive materials.

Man standing on frozen lake with cars and large tipi in background

Beyond the Road: Sergio Marques

The frozen lakes of Northern Sweden may seem a world away from the sun-drenched vineyards of Portugal, but for Sergio Marques, home is wherever his Polestar takes him. And for one weekend in late February, that home was Jokkmokk—reindeer and Northern Lights territory.