Swedish brand’s first electric SUV has a range of 379 miles, priced from £79,900
- 2023 Polestar 3: design and interior
- Powertrains, performance and range
- What does this mean for car buyers?
- Long Range and Performance models
- Range of up to 380 miles
- Available to order now with a price from £79,900
The Polestar 3 has been unveiled as the Swedish brand’s first-ever SUV. Like the smaller Polestar 2, this new model is all-electric, though thanks to a larger battery, the 3 offers a range of up to 379 miles in Long Range Configuration – rivalling the likes of the Tesla Model Y Long Range.
The Polestar 3 is priced from £79,900 in the UK for the standard Long Range car, with the more-powerful Polestar 3 Performance costing around £5,500 extra. Order books are open for buyers now, although production isn’t expected to start until early 2023.
2023 Polestar 3: design and interior
While previous Polestar models have struggled to differentiate themselves visually from their Volvo siblings, the new Polestar 3 adopts the brand’s latest styling language. The front of the car is characterised by a set of ‘T’-shaped headlights that are reminiscent of the brand’s polar star logo, while the rear is illuminated by a full-width light bar.
Like many electric cars, the Polestar 3 has a sloping roofline and flush door handles to improve aerodynamic efficiency, while plastic body cladding along the wheel arches and doors creates a more rugged 4×4-esque look.
The Polestar 3 gets the brand’s latest interior which comprises a minimalist design and a full glass roof to enhance the feeling of space. Polestar has been calling for other automakers to focus more on sustainability; the brand practices what it preaches with a mix of sustainable MicroTech fabrics and animal welfare-certified leather for the upholstery.
Dominating the centre of the dashboard is a giant 14.5-inch infotainment screen; this runs Google software and Polestar claims it will receive over-the-air updates throughout its life cycle. There’s also an eight-inch display behind the steering wheel for the driver, with buyers able to specify the optional ‘Pilot Pack with LiDAR’ which adds extra cameras and sensors, opening up the possibility for autonomous driving in the future.
Open the rear hatch and you’ll be greeted by 484 litres of space, which is 15 litres less than the BMW iX offers. On a brighter note, the Polestar 3 gets a 32-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet, which is perfect for smaller items, charging cables or a couple of shopping bags.
Powertrains, performance and range
Despite trying to differentiate itself from the Volvo brand, the Polestar 3 utilises the same SPA2 platform as the next-generation Volvo XC90. Polestar hopes to make the 3 feel different to drive, however, concentrating on sportiness with a modified suspension setup and more power.
Speaking of power, the new Polestar 3 is being offered in two configurations: Long Range and Performance. The standard Long Range model gets a dual-electric motor setup which produces 483bhp and gets the car from 0-62mph in five seconds.
If that isn’t fast enough, the Performance model uses a tuned version of the same setup with a monstrous 510bhp – more than a Tesla Model Y Performance. Getting from 0-62mph takes just 4.7 seconds, while the Polestar 3 Performance will carry on to a top speed of 130mph.
Both cars use identical 111kWh (107kWh useable) battery packs, with the Long Range model able to travel up to 379 miles on a single charge. Performance models will only be able to do 348 miles before needing to be plugged-in, although this is still significantly more than the equivalent Kia EV6 GT. With all cars getting access to 250kW charging speeds, owners will be able to top up their Polestar 3 from 10-80% in just 30 minutes when connected to a compatible public rapid charger.
What does this mean for car buyers?
Starting at around £80k, the Polestar 3 is significantly more expensive than its main rivals from Tesla and Kia when it goes on sale. However, Polestar positions itself firmly as a luxury brand, and the 3’s interior already looks to be a step up from rivals – namely Tesla, which is infamous for its often questionable build quality.
Electric SUVs are all the rage at the moment, so we expect the Polestar 3 to sell well, despite its high cost. This could be make or break for the brand, though, as the smaller Polestar 2 could never come close to matching the likes of the Tesla Model 3 in terms of sales.
Keyword: 2023 Polestar 3 SUV is a luxurious rival to the Tesla Model Y