POLESTAR has three models in its all-electric Polestar 2 line up, but if you want the best you have to go for gold.

The top-of-the-range 469bhp, all-wheel-drive Polestar 2 with the £5,000 optional Performance Pack is distinguished from its siblings by adding gold Brembo brake calipers, bright gold seat belts and even gold dust caps on all four tyres.

It hits the gold standard too when it comes to performance, rocketing to 62 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds - compared to 4.5 seconds if you choose not to have the extra power.

And with performance like that this car is rapidly making a name for itself and proving a credible alternative to electric cars from both Tesla and Porsche.

The Polestar 2 is one of those rare cars that looks like a sleek saloon but in affect is a five-seater fastback with generous luggage space beneath its powered tailgate.

As well as the performance pack Polestar offers a variety of other options including the Plus Pack (£4,000) - also fitted to the car driven here - which includes a full-length glass sunroof, a Harman Kardon audio system, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and a wireless smartphone charger.

Then there's the pilot pack at £2,150, which adds everything from 360 degree cameras - to make parking simple - and cross traffic alert to warn you of moving cars as you back out of a parking space. as well as adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning.

Adding all the options pushed the price of my test car to a hefty £61,000 but if that's too much for your budget the Polestar 2 range starts from £43,150.

The lower priced models are front-wheel-drive and come with a single electric motor. But by opting for a twin electric motor model - one fitted to each axle - you get four-wheel-drive to better handle the exceptional power this car has.

With all electric cars the torque is instant. Floor the accelerator in this version of the Polestar 2, however, and you are literally pushed firmly back into your seat as the car heads for the horizon at warp speed. And it's best to warn rear seat passengers beforehand, or you will get roller-coaster-like screams.

As with a lot of electric cars you can programme it for one-pedal driving so you can accelerate, decelerate, or stop using just the accelerator. It's a style of driving you have to adjust to if it's your first experience, but you soon get the hang of it and the bonus is you get more regenerative braking to boost your battery range.

The Swedish car company says the dual motor version will cover up to 301 miles on a single charge but of course that depends upon how you drive it and the tendency is to make the most of the power beneath your right foot so I would say that's on the optimistic side.

Usefully you get a constant readout of how much power you have left but I found it somewhat disconcerting to find that the range showing on the screen immediately in front of me was often at odds with the range on the centre screen. On one occasion I was being told it was 220 miles by one screen and 160 by the other.

If you suffer from range anxiety it doesn't help. Especially as for some the jury is still out when it comes to buying an electric car.

Certainly you are on to a winner if you have a home charging point and use that most of the time. but when charging on a commercial charger at a service station it can be a different matter.

Adding 200 miles to the Polestar at an Instavolt charging point, for example, cost £46 (including 20 per cent vat), more than it would cost to travel the same distance in a number of petrol or diesel cars.