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And that’s number three

At Polestar, they love minimalism. You see that right away when you see a Polestar parked or when you crawl into it. But even the model names are short and to the point, clean and uncluttered. The brand’s third model is simply called “3. The automaker is expanding its lineup to a total of six models over the next four years. What they are called we don’t have to explain to you.

Polestar 3

The first new model that will appear on Dutch asphalt is the Polestar 3. It can be ordered immediately and will be on the market in the fourth quarter of 2023. It is the brand’s first model with higher legs. It shares the platform with the EX90, Volvo’s electric XC90 successor. Then again, that is the only thing the two cars have in common, because with the 3, Polestar wants to finally stand on its own two feet. Indeed, for the Polestar 1 and 2, the brand was allowed to use Volvo’s concept sketches, but the three was designed entirely in-house.

Front wing

The Polestar 3 is sporty and aerodynamically designed. It even has a front wing. Not one like the one on a Formula One car, but still it is fair to call it a front wing. In fact, it sits at the beginning of the hood and acts like an airplane wing. The air flowing under it accelerates, so it glides past the car faster and causes less turbulence.

SmartZone

Other notable things up front include dual blade headlights – which you will see on more future Polestar models – and a SmartZone. This smart zone at the front of the Polestar 3 houses all the sensors for the driver assistance systems, such as cameras and a radar system. Later, a LiDAR system will also make its appearance on the 3. LiDAR works similarly to radar and is a technology that determines the distance to an object or surface through the use of laser pulses. These reflect on objects in front of the car, allowing it to create a 3D map and understand what is in front of it.

Fast SUV

Design and performance, that’s what they care about at Polestar. Design should do something to you. Preferably positive, but negative is also allowed. As long as you get hit. An exciting driving experience is just as important, according to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. Two electric motors, with a combined system output of 489 hp and 840 Nm, should take care of that. Most of the power goes to the rear wheels, so that should be fine, we suspect. The SUV shoots from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5 seconds. If you still don’t think that’s fast enough, you can check the Performance Pack. Then Polestar cranks up the power to 517 hp and a staggering 910 Nm. A 0-100 sprint is then completed in just 4.7 seconds. More than fine performance, for a 4.9-meter-long SUV. The top speed is 210 km/h.

Range

In the bottom is a battery pack with a capacity of 111 kWh. Net of that, 107 kWh remains, which on paper should allow you to get 610 kilometers. If you choose the Performance Pack, 50 kilometers will be deducted from this. Charging can be done at home or at a public charging station with 11 kW. Pass a fast-charging station, and the electric SUV can handle a hefty 250 kW. That’s 100 kW more than many other electric cars – like the Polestar 2, for example – can handle. Only Tesla, Porsche, Hyundai and Kia charge at this level. With the right fast charger, the battery pack is back to 80 percent in 30 minutes.

Scandinavian

The sleek design continues in the interior. Here, too, you get Scandinavian minimalism. Durable materials play a major role. They are so proud of this at Polestar that they even wrote on the seats the material type, origin and CO2 emissions of the upholstery.

google

Technology is also abundant. As standard, you get two screens: a digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, which runs Android Automotive. Polestar was the first brand to market cars with this Google system. Meanwhile, more and more brands are following suit. It makes sense, because the sheer amount of processing power and available apps – such as Google Maps, Google Assistant and Spotify – make it arguably the best system available today.

What does the Polestar 3 cost?

The Polestar 3 starts at 89,900 euros. For that money, you get a version that is thick with stuff. Things like air suspension, a panoramic roof, LED lighting inside and out and a Bowers & Wilkons audio system with 25 speakers are all included in this price. The only thing you actually have to pay extra for is an electric tow bar. You might want to get that one because the SUV can tow up to 2,200 kilograms. Not bad for an EV. For the Performance Pack, Polestar charges 6,600 euros. Besides extra power, for this money you also get a set of 22-inch wheels, an additional driving mode and gold accents here and there.

Although Polestar won’t confirm it yet, you can assume that lower starting price variants, with less power and a more compact battery pack, will hit the market later. If you want to see everything about the Polestar 3, check out our first introduction to the car below.