Polestar’s lineup expands with the new SUV named Polestar 3. With room for five people on board, it is offered in two versions, with a maximum range of 610 kilometers WLTP. The first deliveries are expected in the last quarter of 2023, with manufacturing in China and the United States.
This time it is good; the Polestar 3 is here! A promise is a promise: on October 12, 2022, the Polestar 3 was revealed, the third model and first SUV in the Swedish manufacturer’s range. A model all the more awaited as the manufacturer, which we recall is the cousin of Volvo and also belongs to the Chinese giant Geely, that the announcements and teasers had multiplied in recent weeks. Photos here, autonomy there.
FROM 2023 IN EUROPE
The presentation of this model is also very scrutinized in the French market since Polestar is no longer in a quarrel with Citroen and DS, which accused him of a brand logo too close to theirs. So the Polestar 3 should also arrive on our roads. But for that, we will have to wait. A lot. Because the first examples will be produced from mid-2023, for deliveries expected from the last quarter of the same year.
Fortunately, Polestar did not content itself with showing only a few pictures like some of its competitors. No, here we know the technical specifications, the power, the battery, the versions… Which we present to you without further delay.
POLESTAR 3 DESIGN
Let’s start by looking at the owner. And we have to admit that this Polestar 3 is relatively large: 4.90 meters long, 1.62 meters high, 2.12 meters wide (including mirrors), and a wheelbase of 2.98 meters, that’s almost as much as a Volvo XC90 in length, and as high and wide as a Model Y from Tesla.
However, the Polestar 3 almost manages to hide its dimensions thanks to its soft and slender design. Sure, it plays the SUV game with its protected wheel arches, side skirts, and 21-centimeter ground clearance, but it has the fluidity of the 2020 Precept concept with that receding roofline what marketing departments like to call an “SUV-coupe” misleadingly. But not at Polestar.
At the front, we find lights inspired by the same prototype, a signature that we should have on the following brand models, while at the rear, the light strip on the total width recalls, in thinner, that of the Polestar 2. It also helps to establish this SUV visually.
As we see in the teaser images, aerodynamics also plays a significant role. An optimization, especially on the hood, lets the air in under an integrated spoiler. The rear spoiler does the same. However, with a Cx of 0.29, it’s not as good as a Tesla Model X (0.24) or a BMW iX (0.25).
READ MORE: Polestar 3: electric SUV with a long-range relies on comfort
THE LATEST ANDROID AUTOMOTIVE BONE
On the inside, Polestar has paid attention to the choice of materials and whether they are sustainable. Thus, certified leather for animal welfare, organic MicroTech upholstery, or traceable wool is juxtaposed. We know that Polestar is particularly invested in these approaches, which help reduce the carbon footprint. And a life cycle analysis (LCA) will be published on the vehicle, allowing transparency on the environmental balance of the production of the Polestar 3 throughout its show.
Let’s stay inside, but this time on the technology side, with a 14.5-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, which embeds the latest version of the Android Automotive operating system. This evolution of the system found in the Polestar 2 integrates Google Maps, the Google voice assistant, but also, for those who have iPhones, Apple CarPlay wirelessly. Over-the-air (OTA) updates are part of the system evolving.
Note that the infotainment system is powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit platform, which enables high-definition displays, premium surround sound, and advanced connectivity throughout the vehicle, among other things.
A word about the cargo capacity of this Polestar 3, which offers a 32-liter front trunk and a rear trunk whose ability goes from 484 liters to 1411 liters once the rear seats are folded.
ONE BATTERY, TWO VERSIONS, FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
Based on an all-new electric platform shared with Volvo, most likely for its upcoming electric EX90, the Polestar 3 SUV features a 400-volt architecture and a 111 kWh gross (107 kWh usable) lithium-ion battery with Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) technology signed CATL. A single battery but two motors to take advantage of four-wheel drive. And that’s on both versions: Long Range Dual Motor and Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR SAFETY
The Polestar 3 is richly equipped: with air suspension, a panoramic glass roof, LEDs inside and out, retractable door handles, and 21-inch wheels.
Thank you, Volvo! But beyond that, the family SUV is loaded with technology, significantly improving safety. Thus, we can count, as standard, five radar modules, five external cameras, and twelve external ultrasonic sensors. An NVIDIA Drive computer manages the whole thing, the actual brain of the car, which uses artificial intelligence to address the safety functions, both to assist the driver and to monitor him.
Among the new technologies announced is the one that allows detection of the slightest movement, even of less than a millimeter, if there is a person or an animal on board, and thus triggers the air conditioning to avoid being either too hot or too cold. The SmartEye technology monitors the driver’s eyes via cameras and triggers alerts via messages, sounds, or even an emergency stop if a problem is detected. This technology is highlighted by Volvo and explained in detail for its future EX90.
THE PRICE OF THE POLESTAR 3
As you may have guessed, this high-end Polestar 3 will not be cheap. We have already talked about a price of around 75 000 euros. Possible, but probably on a later version that is a little more basic because the first announced price is 88 600 euros in Belgium. And count 95,200 euros for the Performance Pack.
POLESTAR 4 IN 2023, AND POLESTAR 5 IN 2024
The new Polestar 3 SUV will be produced in mid-2023 in the brand’s factory in China and the United States. The Swedish company should continue to expand its range in the years to come, with a smaller SUV in 2023, called Polestar 4, and then the Polestar 5 in 2024, an elegant 4-door GT sedan directly derived from the Precept concept. Before the arrival of the sublime Polestar 6 coupé-cabriolet.