The Polestar 2 will be the first car in the world with a truly future-proof software setup, meaning that not only will it be cutting-edge upon release, it will update often and automatically. How many people would ever buy a smartphone if they knew it would never update or improve? Polestar believes that people should have the same requirements of their cars. The Polestar 2 comes with an Android-based operating system that’s always connected to the internet and receives over-the-air updates just like your smartphone.

The Polestar 2 also features apps, services, and technologies that people already use every day on their smartphones (such as Google Maps and the Google Assistant) which are designed and adapted specifically for an in-vehicle experience. Thanks to the Google Play Store, those apps you use on your phone are also on hand in your car: stream playlists or podcasts, get real-time traffic and weather updates, stay in touch with your nearest and dearest, and more.

It will also come equipped with other features sorely missing in automotive UI. The first of which is a digital voice assistant that is as helpful as it is conversational: Polestar 2 comes with an embedded Google Assistant. From optimising the temperature to picking a song, the Google Assistant lets you control things with your voice, leaving you free to focus on driving. With significant advancements in machine learning, language understanding, and speech recognition, the Assistant can understand and respond to you naturally.

The second feature is something being used in cars all over the world, but on a secondary device. With more than one billion users worldwide, it was a natural choice to make Google Maps the pre-installed navigation app for the Polestar 2. With Google Maps built-in, we’re able to offer useful features like real-time traffic information and location hours while removing the need to consult a phone while driving.

This is all part of the overarching idea that this car is a seamless integration into modern life. Not only is it packed with the most current tech, it will stay current. No more having to remain content with outdated software. Retro has its place, of course, but that place isn’t in a Polestar.