Polestar 3 will be, together with the upcoming Polestar 4, the brand’s most important models.
Polestar 3 enters a really tough segment consisting of cars that Audi Q8 e-tronBMW iX, and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
The new model wants to combine exhilarating driving characteristics with substantial doses of premium feeling.
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Polestar 3 needs to be a real star to save the brand. Photo: Polestar An athletic piece
At first glance, it is impossible to miss the clear Volvo connections. The headlights are reminiscent of Thor’s hammer, as Volvo’s lighting signature is called, and overall, the Polestar 3 looks like a Volvo XC60 that has taken anabolics.
The Volvo elements also continue on the inside where the seats, the symbols on various buttons, and the infotainment system are all taken directly from the sibling brand.
The Polestar 3 is a well-designed creation and its athletic exterior gives an insight into what is hidden under the hood. Inside, you are met by an instrument panel in the form of a 9-inch screen and a vertical infotainment screen of 14.5 inches.
The material choices are of high quality and the entire interior feels robust. There are clear luxury elements, and the chairs are insanely comfortable. The luggage compartment is smaller than the competitors.
The infotainment system is easy to use but we experienced quite a few bugs during our test, which can be attributed to the cars we tested being pre-production cars.
It is a Google-based system that works as expected. The navigation is thus in the form of Google Maps, which is a very welcome feature. Too many functions have, however, been dedicated to the screen itself.
The result is that decidedly basic functions – such as opening the glove box – are done via the screen. However, there are shortcuts to, for example, turning off the speed violation warning. Rear-view mirrors and steering wheel are also adjusted via the screen.
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The interior is stripped back history. (Photo: Polestar)The driver in the center
In terms of driving dynamics, the first thing you notice is the air suspension, which enhances the feeling of luxury. The Polestar 3 is comfortable in normal mode, although it is stiffer than many of its competitors.
All-round visibility is good, which also applies to the rear, despite the low roofline. In city driving, the Polestar 3 is easy to maneuver and feels smaller than it is.
When you leave the city center and head out onto the highway, the Polestar 3’s more luxury-oriented ambitions emerge. Noise levels in the cabin are low – partly due to the Spanish capital’s marble-smooth tarmac – and it’s dangerously easy to cruise up to speeds that will be hard to defend against the local sheriff.
After a number of miles on the Spanish highway network, it was time to head up into the mountains. During the presentation of the Polestar 3, the brand said that “if you don’t have a car that makes you want to take a detour home, you’ve chosen the wrong car”.
There are thus high demands on the experience behind the wheel of the Polestar 3. The brand describes the 3 as “an SUV that feels like a sports car”, which sets the bar high and feels rather exaggerated. ‘
Driving pleasure is therefore supposed to be its parade branch. However, setting the “sport mode” via the infotainment screen requires far too many clicks. There is no regular sport mode, but all parameters – steering, dampers, throttle response – must be set individually, manually by the driver.
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Polestar 3 focuses a lot on driving pleasure. (Photo: Polestar) With a focus on sportiness
In more active driving, the first thing you notice is the steering. It feels very natural with decent feedback and it is clear when you start to reach the car’s dynamic limits and the road to the limit is gradual.
In other words, it is the car that stops before the laws of physics come into play, a must for a cart that weighs a whopping 2.7 tons. The weight in particular is something Polestar has managed to hide well and the new sporty SUV is perceived to be much more nimble than the technical data suggests.
The clearest sign of the enormous weight is actually the acceleration, which is far from as explosive as one would expect from a performance SUV with over 500 horsepower. The plate in the carpet is not met with a particularly shocking experience, but the power is distributed incredibly linearly.
However, the most impressive thing about the Polestar 3 is the suspension and it handles rough and uneven country roads with flying colors.
It is never the case that you flab behind the wheel of the Polestar 3 and you will not choose the long way home for the sake of it. But it feels surprisingly playful and never gets overly harsh, which is beneficial for normal road driving.
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The back seat is perfectly fine. (Photo: Polestar)Exteriorly, Polestar has succeeded well with 3. (Photo: Polestar)Polestar 3 is more important than ever
Polestar 3 feels a bit like a cross between a Tesla and a Porsche, for better or for worse. Purely driving dynamics, it really impresses and the feeling of luxury is palpable. It doesn’t offer the same interior refinement as a Porsche, but it’s more a question of the contrast between something Scandinavian and German. However, the clear Volvo connections intrude on the feeling of exclusivity.
On the whole, however, the Polestar 3 undoubtedly has the qualities required to become a success story in terms of driving dynamics and feel. It enters an incredibly tough segment of discerning buyers, but offers something different enough to be appealing.
With their third model, Polestar has shown that they know how to build a car, but it’s about consumers really wanting to try something new.
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Polestar 3 is experienced as surprisingly nimble. (Photo: Polestar)First impression of Polestar 3: 4/5
Engine: An electric motor on each axle, 517 horsepower, 910 newton meters
Transmission: 1-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 4.7 sec
Top speed: 210 km/h
Electrical range: 561 km
Weight: 2,584 kg
Dimensions (length/width/height): 4900/2120/1614 mm
Award: From SEK 1,030,000