Polestar 3 Review & Prices

Say hello to the Polestar 3, an electric SUV with a big focus on cool Scandinavian styling, ultra safe technology and a conscious effort to be as eco-friendly as possible.

If you’re thinking that sounds very Volvo, that’s because it kind of is; the 3 shares much of its make-up with the forthcoming Volvo EX90. It’s a bit like a pair of twins, then. Both similar in almost every way, but dressed in different clothing so people can tell them apart.

As well as its Swedish sibling, the Polestar 3 will be competing against other premium electric SUVs such as the BMW iX, Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. It has its work cut out, then.

Up front it looks typically SUV-like, with chunky front bumpers and a high bonnet line. The headlights are a slimmer version of Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights, while above the windscreen you can see the prominent home for the cameras and Lidar sensors, which create a 3D image of the world around the car in preparation for autonomous driving.

Spin around to the rear and take in that sloping roofline, and it’s tough to compare the 3 with many other cars. It’s a bit like a coupe-SUV but retains tall body lines and a big rear window. It’s all in the name of aerodynamics, with the aim to make the 3 as slippery as possible and therefore more efficient.

Speaking of efficiency, the Polestar 3 has a massive 111kWh battery pack with an official range of 379 miles. It can be charged at speeds of up to 250kW, which means topping up from 10-80% should take about half an hour. Going from 0-100% on an 11kW home charger would take 11 hours.

There are two dual-motor options, with the first having 489hp and 840Nm of torque to get it from 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds. The Performance Pack gets 517hp and 910Nm of torque with a 4.6-second 0-60mph time, though the extra oomph drops the range to 347 miles.

Inside, there’s a minimalist design with a wide, narrow dashboard and large portrait-orientated touchscreen in the centre. Materials have been selected for their ‘sustainability credentials,’ so you get animal welfare-certified leather, for example.

Unlike the EX90, the Polestar does not come with seven seats, and because of its sloping roof the boot isn’t quite as big. The 3 has a capacity of 484 litres with the seats up, compared with 650 litres in the Volvo (which also has a decent 310 litres with seven seats in place). The 3 is also a bit less practical than the iX (500 litres) and Audi Q8 e-tron (569 litres).

Prices for the Polestar 3 start at around £80,000 and you can add about £6,000 for the Performance Pack. Standard kit includes 21-inch alloy wheels, Pilot Assist (essentially an advanced adaptive cruise control), wool upholstery and a Bowers and Wilkins sound system. Performance Pack cars get 22-inch alloy wheels and a sportier suspension set-up, so expect it to handle better at the expense of comfort.

As soon as we get behind the wheel we’ll publish a full review. In the meantime, if you like the sound of the Polestar 3, you can take a look at the latest Polestar 3 deals or browse used Polestar stock. You can also sell your current car through carwow, too.