The Polestar 3 is the first crossover SUV from the electric performance brand spun off of parent company Volvo. The brand’s third model is also its most distinct as Polestar carves out a new personality from its shared DNA. It’s the enthusiast’s take on the forthcoming Volvo EX90, with Polestar benchmarking the Porsche Cayenne. When it comes to electric performance SUVs, the Polestar 3 doesn’t have much company except for the Tesla Model Y and forthcoming Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV AMG.
We won’t know until we test it next year, but on looks alone it’ll be the most gorgeous electric SUV on the market. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
The electric SUV is new from the ground up, though it shares the same dedicated electric vehicle platform as the forthcoming Volvo EX90 three-row SUV. Unlike the Volvo, the Polestar 3 has five seats and is built to maximize performance, not utility.
The Polestar 3 adopts traditional SUV cues but smooths the ends, roof, and body sides to optimize aerodynamics. Flush door handles and window edges mimic the fuselage of an airplane, but it’s the steep, flat, front end that embodies this duality between sport and utility. The front panel houses a “smart zone” of driver-assist hardware, with cameras, radars, sensors, and washers to clean them as well as an available heating coil to keep the panel free of snow and ice in winter. Just beyond that, where the panel meets the hood, is an inverted airfoil or wing with three open slots that shuttles air over the hood and raked windshield, as well as sucks down air to reduce turbulence in the rear, which also has an integrated wing.
The rear looks more traditionally like an SUV with a tall liftgate, but the greenhouse sits on broad shoulders that are especially muscular in the rear. Aero blades flank the lower bumper to channel airflow for efficiency around the chunky rear. It rides on 21-inch wheels, though 22-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires are available to stand out and eat into efficiency.
A horizontal light bar cinches the rear, and it’s made up of 168 LED lights with different welcome and start up sequences. The light signature up front is equally nuanced. Instead of the usual Thor’s hammer of a Volvo, Polestar reorients its star logo into a pickaxe of daytime running lights. Two illuminated dots on either side add some curiosity, and the LED headlights have adaptive high beams standard.
Inside, Polestar aims to outdo Volvo with an even cleaner take on its characteristic spartan Swedish design. A single band of vents with a subtle light bar separates the soft upper lip of the dash with a hard lower lip made of available black ash. The clutter-free dash houses a 14.5-inch touchscreen mounted like a tablet that might be the only design misstep. It looks tacked on, not integrated as part of the original design. Every function is housed within, except for a tuner dial in the console. The console also has cup holders covered by a sliding door.
Mounted to the steering wheel column is a low, wide, 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster, similar to the Volkswagen ID.4 but bigger, brighter, and better. The cluster is meant to enhance the low dash that affords clean sight lines. The buttons on the steering wheel for driver-assist and infotainment are blank, so even that is stark and clean. Run a thumb on it and the icon appears in the cluster, then press the button to activate that function. This enables Polestar to upgrade features via over-the-air updates.
Performance promise
Luxury meets performance in the Polestar 3. The Polestar 3 launches with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system with a rear-drive bias. Efficient permanent magnet motors power each axle, but Polestar didn’t disclose the size of each motor. Together, they put out 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque, though a $6,000 Performance Pack boosts output to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque. With the Performance Pack, the 0-60 mph time drops from 4.9 seconds to 4.6 seconds, and the top speed is capped at 130 mph.
We expect it to hustle, even with a curb weight that ranges from 5,696 lb to 5,886 lb. That makes stopping all the more important. Standard equipment includes 15.8-inch vented front brakes with four-piston Brembo calipers painted gold, just like the seatbelts. The standard self-leveling dual-chamber air suspension should help balance that weight, and adaptive dampers can adjust every 5 centimeters of roadway at speeds of about 55 mph to constantly respond to road conditions and driver inputs. Torque vectoring with a dual clutch on the rear axle promises agility at low speed and more stability at high speed. An off-road mode raises the suspension nearly two inches from a standard ground clearance of 8.3 inches, and the self-leveling helps balance a max towing capacity of 3,500 lb.
Battery capacity and charging
The Polestar 3 uses a 111-kwh battery pack (107-kwh usable) supplied by CATL and has an estimated range of 300 miles, though the Performance Pack lowers the range to 270 miles. The rear motor disengages at cruising speeds for increased efficiency, and one-pedal driving is standard. A heat pump is also standard to aid HVAC and for preconditioning the battery on cold days. Bi-directional charging has the future potential to charge other electric cars in distress or even power the home or campsites as needed.
The Polestar 3 has a 400-volt architecture, but Polestar optimizes DC fast-charging times by accepting a charge capacity of up to 250 kw. That rate charges the battery from 10-80% in 30 minutes. At home with Polestar’s 11-kw onboard charger, a Level 2 240-volt source rated at 48 amps can charge the battery to full in 11 hours.
Interior space
The Polestar 3 seats five, and because it shares a platform with the EX90 three-row SUV, the lack of a third row translates to a roomy second row. Polestar didn’t disclose specs, but in our walkaround two 6-footers sat comfortably stacked front to back. Toe room beneath the front seat might be cramped if front-seat riders prefer the lowest seating position. The fixed glass roof eats into some head room on the side. The 60/40-split rear seats have an armrest with a pass-through for longer items, but the seats fold flat to expand the cargo space to 49.8 cubic feet. A small 1.1-cubic-foot front trunk complements a rear cargo area of 17.1 cubic feet, with a hidden floor that adds a few more inches of depth or can store your charger.
How much does the 2024 Polestar 3 cost?
The Polestar 3 costs $85,300, including a $1,400 destination fee, for now. As recent trends have proven, especially regarding electric vehicles, pricing can change in a year. It’s very well equipped, including a 14.5-inch touchscreen that runs on Google’s Android operating system, heated front and rear seats, a hands-free tailgate, and a suite of driver-assist features. That includes a surround-view camera system, automatic emergency braking front and rear, blind-spot monitors, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control that can restart from a stop.
For the first year, the Polestar 3 includes the Plus and Pilot Packs, with features such as a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a heated steering wheel, and a head-up display. The Performance Pack adds $6,000.
Where is the 2024 Polestar 3 made?
The first few models will be imported from China as Polestar ramps up North American production of the Polestar 3 in parent company Volvo’s Charleston, South Carolina factory. Polestar targets domestic U.S. production in mid-2024, and eventually it will supply every market except China.
