Polestar, a couple of years back, gave its engineers a unique challenge: to design a Polestar 2 optimized for the harsh winter conditions in the company’s home of Sweden.
The result was the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle, a one-of-a-kind concept inspired by the performance and capabilities of winter rally cars.
The popularity of the original concept persuaded Polestar to dream up similar concepts based on the newer 3 midsize SUV and 4 compact crossover, which have joined the original 2 in an expanded Arctic Circle collection that Polestar will formally introduce during the 2025 F.A.T. Ice Race at Austria’s Zell am See on Feb. 1. Audi also plans to use the event for a rugged Q6 E-Tron concept, complete with portal axles.
The Polestars aren’t quite as extreme as the Audi, though they have rally experience behind them. Joakim Rydholm, Polestar’s head of driving dynamics, is a rally veteran with multiple Swedish rally podium finishes under his belt, and he was deeply involved in the development of the Arctic Collection.
Common upgrades include a raised ride height, three-way adjustable Öhlins dampers, OZ Racing wheels, Pirelli studded tires, Recaro bucket seats, and Stedi driving lights.
There were also some accessories added to make life a bit easier in the snow, developed with companies that already offer parts for Polestar cars or are planning to. The accessories include things like roof racks, snow shovels, skid plates, and, in the case of the 3 SUV, some snow ladders.
Polestar has not indicated whether it plans to put any of the vehicles in the Arctic Circle collection into production, though elements from the concept may make it onto future models or be offered via Polestar’s stores.
