POLESTAR has enjoyed something of a roller-coaster ride since it first emerged 20 years ago.

Originally a vehicle to go touring car racing, in 2009 the brand became the official partner of Volvo and began making hot-rod versions of the Swedish brand’s cars. When Volvo swallowed Polestar everyone assumed it would become to Volvo what M-Sport is to BMW and AMG to Mercedes.

Two years after the buy-out, Volvo shocked the world when it announced Polestar would become a standalone electric car brand, manufactured at a new purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China (home to Volvo’s parent company, Geely).

Since then it has gone on to produce the Polestar 2 hatch, the 3 mid-size SUV and the Polestar 4 coupe-SUV mash-up.

In the UK, the Polestar 2 has had to do most of the heavy lifting - building the brand and grabbing sales from other EV disruptors like Tesla and BYD.

It’s been successful, too, consistently out-performing sales targets and establishing Polestar as a brand in its own right. Last year, it received some updates to keep it fresh, the most important of which saw the maximum claimed range-to-empty increase from 341 to 406 miles. That’s very impressive.

On a full charge, our test vehicle claimed 363 miles of range, but that was in sub-zero weather when battery life always takes a hit. I’d say the 400 mile claim could be achievable in the summer months.

Of course, the cheapest model falls somewhat short of those figures. The entry-level standard range single motor model makes do with a 69kWh battery that’s good for up to 339 miles of range in perfect conditions. It also gets a more powerful motor which produces a hefty 268bhp, a substantial increase over the original 228bhp.

You’ll need to pony up for the long range single motor version if you want the reassurance of that 400 mile figure. But your money also buys you more poke - almost 300bhp - which makes the Polestar 2 something of a flier.

The dual motor variant gets even more power (416bhp) but less range (368 miles). For people with more money than sense, there’s also a performance package which lifts power of the dual motor version to 469bhp and slashes the 0-62mph time to a Porsche-bothering 4.0 seconds flat.

Under the watchful eye of UK-born design chief Peter Horbury, Volvo successfully shrugged off its ‘boxy’ style and embraced Scandi chic. Cars like the XC90 showed it was possible for a premium brand to attract buyers without copying the Germans.

That same effortless cool has rubbed off on Polestar.

Despite its almost minimalist exterior, the Polestar 2 somehow manages to look sporty and interesting. It’s a hard job to pull off a new family look for an emerging automotive brand without resorting to familiar tropes, but, somehow, Polestar has done exactly that. Anyone with a passing interest in cars would know a Polestar when they saw one.

It’s the same inside. Naturally, the cabin is dominated by a large touchscreen interface that’s the first automotive outing for Google OS.

Using one of the world’s most successful tech companies to design your infotainment is a smart move, because Google knows what makes a good touchscreen user experience.

The system is snappy and logical. Polestar has specified a decent processor, so there’s no irritating lag when you stab or swipe with a digit and the graphics are crisply rendered. If you don’t like using the touchscreen you can use the Google voice assistant. Google maps and Spotify are present and correct. So is YouTube and my daughter was most impressed when I allowed her to watch amusing cat videos while we sat in a car park. You can also get Amazon Prime Video as an app. If you’re watching a vid, the screen cuts out when the car is moving.

And just to show we live in a democracy, Apple CarPlay is baked-in, too.

The eagle-eyed might note that the volume knob comes from the Volvo XC90 but, otherwise, the Polestar’s interior feels bespoke.

A word about the seats which do follow Volvo tradition in being wonderfully comfortable over many miles. This is a car in which you’d be happy to cover more than 350 miles in one go.

It’s quick, too, but not in a hot hatch way, and the strong brake regeneration makes it very smooth to drive in town. Out on the open road it feels planted and confidence-inspiring. The motor doesn’t intrude into the cabin, except when you really summon up its power. The ride is mature and it copes well with potholes and broken road surfaces.

Interestingly, having given Polestar a leg up these past few years, Volvo is now moving away from the marque, reducing its shareholding this year as the two companies go their own way. Geely now becomes Polestar’s steward as it seeks to make its way in the world.

But having driven the Polestar 2 I can’t help but wonder if Volvo hasn’t been a bit too hasty. The two marques feel distinctly different and Polestar probably has a better chance of finding younger buyers because it’s not hidebound with the ‘Volvo estate’ image its former sister company still labours under.

Even better, Polestar 2 can now travel up to 22% further, consume up to 9% less energy, and charge up to 34% faster, thanks to hardware upgrades including larger batteries and new motors. It’s also supremely comfortable, good-looking and enjoyable to drive.

What’s not to like?