It is the age-old dilemma of any automaker: how to make a vehicle that appeals in multiple markets. Not only in appearance and style, but also in the way it drives.
As Steve Swift – big name of the director of automotive engineering at Polestar – recently told me, “America likes a very smooth car, while China is like America only with bells on. They can withstand an incredible amount of shaking that Europeans, and in particular the UK, would never tolerate. “
So what’s the answer? Shock absorbers trick, if you believe the company. The Polestar 2 is available with a set of Öhlins bypass valve units (for £ 5,000, among other upgrades) and we’ve covered that before. With 22 “clicks” to vary the shock settings, Matt Saunders thought the car was tuned too hard when he first drove one last summer.
Since then, Polestar has overridden the settings. These original launch cars were fixed at eight in the front and rear, while customer cars are now softer and at 11.
Recently, we were able to discover the whole range of settings, from two / three (front / rear) up to 18/20. As you might expect, they look like completely different cars, one stiff and tense both on the racetrack and on the road, the other with more play and a sense of movement. This means that the same 2 has, in theory, the possibility of pleasing the Chinese and us.
The key is that neither of them feels out of control. Even at the ends of their settings, the shocks don’t vibrate or float the car, and they give the 2 a feeling of confidence and cohesion.
If it was me, I would have cut them right away. The ride comfort is better in 18/20, so they are more suited to the pitted and weird asphalt of this country.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-16 09:01:22
