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Staggered-width wheels carrying summer time efficiency tires. A entrance aero wing and pass-through rear spoiler. Outstanding rear haunches and broad flared fenders. A properly tapering roofline. Gold Brembo brake calipers. A badge that claims how a lot horsepower it makes. All attributes that might sometimes be related to a sports activities automobile, and but I’m describing an electrical SUV from a Volvo spinoff model. It’s the Polestar 3, the third mannequin, largest providing and first true crossover from the Chinese language-owned Swedish firm.
Sadly, it was raining for almost all of our drive day, the place we took implausible mountain roads from Jackson, Wyoming via Swan Valley, Idaho to Alpine, WY, and again once more. We acquired to pattern two completely different variations of the Polestar 3, each of which wore 22-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero summer time tires. Whereas the vehicles felt completely surefooted even when the rain was snow and slush as we went again down the mountain into Jackson, I didn’t get to actually really feel out the Polestar 3’s dynamic capabilities, a disgrace as the three is being pitched as a performance-focused competitor to crossovers just like the Porsche Cayenne. Nonetheless, it was a stunning drive in what I discovered to be a beautiful new entry into the posh SUV section, one which stands out particularly in case you’re a design lover.
Full disclosure: Polestar flew me out to Jackson, Wyoming, put me up in a pleasant lodge and fed me scrumptious meals so I may drive the Polestar 3. The climate on our drive day sucked, however consuming Cowgirl Cosmos on the Million Greenback Cowboy Bar that night time made up for it.
After I first noticed the Polestar 3 on the world reveal within the fall of 2022 I used to be fairly blown away. To me it’s a spectacular design no matter section, not only for an SUV. The three is the primary Polestar mannequin not nonetheless tied to Volvo’s design language, and although there are positively nonetheless some throughlines, it has a definite identification. A Polestar spokesperson described how the three was designed to attraction to all types of “humanoids,” that means a robotic or alien may discover it as attractive as people will. (Sure, actually.) At 193 inches lengthy and 64 inches tall the Polestar is about an inch shorter in each size and peak than a Cayenne, and its 117.5-inch wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer. The Polestar’s stance is implausible from each angle, particularly with the 22s, and I particularly love the form of the floating D-pillar and the way it informs the define of the rear window and taillights.
I believe the inside is gorgeous, too. The familial resemblance with its Volvo EX90 sibling is a little more apparent inside, because the Polestar makes use of the identical 14.5-inch central touchscreen and 9-inch digital gauge cluster, and different bits like the middle console and window switches are additionally shared. There are greater than sufficient distinctive touches and considerate particulars to make the Polestar really feel distinct, like higher door sections and speaker grilles that echo the form of the outside facet skirts. A lot of the inside supplies are recycled, with surfaces utilizing recycled polyester textile and flax fiber, carpets created from used fishing nets and headliner created from water bottles.
The Polestar 3 shares its SPA 2 platform, twin electrical motors and 400-volt, 111-kWh battery pack with the EX90, however with bit extra energy. As normal the three’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup places out 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, 87 hp and 52 lb-ft greater than a base EX90. Add the $6,000 Efficiency pack and output is upped to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft, 7 hp greater than the EX90 Efficiency. The traditional 3 will hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds whereas the Efficiency model takes simply 4.5 seconds, and each are restricted to 130 mph. (That makes it only a tenth off a V8 Cayenne GTS.) Driving the Efficiency model of the Polestar 3 earlier than the usual one revealed barely a distinction in real-world pace; each have brisk acceleration that feels extra keen than within the EX90, with fast responses which might be sporty sufficient.
If you’d like the longest vary, you’ll have to go for the usual Lengthy Vary mannequin, which the EPA charges at 315 miles with the out there 21-inch wheels, or 310 miles with the bottom 20s and 287 miles with the non-compulsory 22s. Select the Efficiency pack, and the EPA vary goes all the way down to 279 miles. That places the Polestar 3 within the coronary heart of the section, and its 250-kW fast-charging functionality is fairly good too, providing 30-minute cost instances to go from 10 to 80 p.c. The displayed vary felt fairly correct all through the cold-weather drives, with a Efficiency mannequin displaying 260 miles of vary with a 96-percent cost and a Lengthy Vary saying 130 miles at 53 p.c. An ordinary warmth pump and local weather preconditioning will assist in wintery climates, too.
There are three settings for the steering firmness (the heaviest is my favourite and the lightest is simply too mild) and three settings for the dual-chamber air suspension’s semi-active dampers (I appreciated the center Nimble setting essentially the most). No matter configuration the Polestar 3 rides very properly, even on these enormous wheels, and it corners flat with exact steering. The three has an ideal 50:50 weight distribution, and Polestar says its middle of gravity is even decrease than the Polestar 1’s. You’ll be able to select between Vary or Efficiency drive modes, plus you may put the soundness management right into a Sport mode.
The three’s electrical rear axle has a trick torque-vectoring dual-clutch system that may speed up the surface rear wheel to show extra sharply, as an alternative of regular simulated torque vectoring that brakes the internal wheel. It will possibly additionally disconnect the rear motor whereas cruising on the freeway or underneath low hundreds for improved effectivity. Due to the climate I didn’t actually get to really feel out its capabilities, however it was a satisfying automobile to drive via the canyons nonetheless.
You may also select between three settings for the regenerative braking, the strongest of which provides true one-pedal driving that’s very easy to make use of easily, whether or not you’re driving within the metropolis or going rapidly on street. And in case you want them, each Polestar 3 has Brembo brakes with 4-piston calipers and 15.7-inch discs within the entrance and single-piston calipers with 15.4-inch discs within the again.
That Efficiency pack additionally provides distinctive 22-inch wheels that I don’t assume look as cool because the non-compulsory 22s on the usual 3; each have the identical measurement tires at 265/40 up entrance and 295/35 on the again. (20-inch wheels come normal, whereas staggered-width 21s are non-compulsory.) Except for the additional energy and wheels, the one different objects are particular chassis tuning, tweaked torque distribution, and gold accents for the brakes, valve stem covers and seat belts. It’s most likely not definitely worth the upcharge until you really want these further few tenths.
An upside to the gross climate was having the ability to spend extra time taking within the Polestar 3’s cabin and person interface. Whereas not as quiet because the Rolls-Royce–like EX90, the Polestar 3 is extraordinarily quiet inside, with the broad tires being the one actual producer of noise that reaches the cabin. Chalk a number of the quietness as much as the Polestar’s 0.29 coefficient of drag, flush window glazing and intelligent aero options. Regardless of the small rear window and thick D-pillar visibility isn’t too unhealthy out the again, and the view out entrance is nice.
As regular, Polestar has a number of the greatest seats within the enterprise, particularly with the $5,500 Nappa leather-based improve that provides air flow and a implausible therapeutic massage operate. It seems greatest within the Zinc shade, as that mild grey can be discovered on the decrease dashboard and door panels. Polestar additionally provides wool seats for $1,100, although they solely are available in black, which is disappointing. With the out there 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system you get two audio system in every entrance seat headrest, which work with the lively noise canceling and Dolby Atmos spatial audio tech to provide you a real surround-sound expertise.
There’s a ton of room within the again seat, and the usual panoramic sunroof and sloping roofline don’t appear to chop into the headroom. With the rear seats up the cargo space has 21.1 cubic toes of space for storing and an extra 3.2 cubic toes underneath the ground, and in some trims the false flooring could be partially folded and positioned into built-in notches to double as a bag holder and cargo divider. There’s additionally a 1.1-cubic-foot coated storage space within the frunk.
Through the drive I acquired in a spirited dialogue with my drive associate Mack Hogan, former Jalopnik intern and present InsideEVs deputy editor, concerning the Polestar 3’s nearly utterly buttonless person interface. He actually didn’t like the way it took at the least two faucets of the display screen to activate the entrance defroster because the climate acquired unhealthy; I don’t thoughts that in any respect, as hitting the 2 touchscreen buttons received’t require you to actually transfer your hand or look away for greater than a cut up second, no extra annoying than an precise button could be. I don’t care in any respect that your mirrors and steering wheel are adjusted utilizing the display screen and steering wheel buttons, as a result of if I owned the automobile, I’d nearly by no means contact them.
The steering wheel controls are adaptive, so up/down and left/proper buttons can management completely different features relying on what factor you’ve toggled on, like controlling the facet mirror changes or your adaptive cruise management comply with distance. However on our drive the buttons are very restricted in scope — as an example, they’ll’t management audio quantity or skip tracks, which Polestar says will come quickly with an over-the-air replace. OK, yeah, that’s fairly ridiculous. Not less than the amount knob on the middle console is distinguished and satisfying to spin.
I discover the Polestar’s Android Automotive–primarily based infotainment system to be nice to have a look at and simple to make use of, although, with a superb font and graphics and menus which might be properly laid out. A lot of the dwelling display screen is taken up by the superb native Google Maps, and the map may also be projected within the driver show with extra instructions within the out there head-up show. Beneath the map are configurable widgets that present just lately performed media, and under which might be a row of modular buttons that change primarily based on just lately used apps or the driving state of affairs. On the base of the display screen are local weather controls which might be at all times current, which open up small pop-ups or the total local weather menu.
This is precise minimalism finished proper, a extra genuine design-forward method than the minimalist-to-a-fault cabins of Teslas. The dearth of buttons and switches opened Polestars’ designers as much as create a very calm, heat house that also has sufficient detailing to not really feel sparse or boring. As a complete the Polestar 3’s design feels authentically Scandinavian, reminding me of recent Swedish structure and industrial design. It might really feel at dwelling on show at Copenhagen trend week, utilized in an Ikea advert unfold, or being pushed by a personality in a Danish crime present. The Polestar 3 is simply plain cool.
Final month Polestar started manufacturing of the three on the Charleston, South Carolina manufacturing unit that additionally builds the Volvo EX90 (and used to construct the Volvo S60 sedan), however a small quantity of China-built 3s have been introduced over to the U.S. earlier than the latest tariffs have been enacted, so these would be the first to achieve buyer arms. The primary Polestar 3s would be the Launch Version spec, which begins at $80,300 together with vacation spot, $990 lower than an EX90. Identifiable by its gold brakes, the Launch Version comes normal with the Plus package deal that prices $5,500 on the non-LE fashions, which provides 21-inch wheels, the B&W sound system, a head-up show, soft-close doorways, that fancy cargo flooring, heated wipers, a cabin air-quality sensor, an infrared windshield, energy adjustment and reminiscence for the steering column, a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats.
For now each Polestar 3 comes with the Pilot pack, although finally that may most likely be non-compulsory as properly, bringing the automobile’s base worth under the present $74,800 for the usual Lengthy Vary. The Pilot pack will get you a 360-degree digital camera system that’s advantageous however not superb, entrance and rear parking sensors with parking help, and the Pilot Help system that features adaptive cruise management with steering help that works at as much as 93 mph, plus computerized lane modifications. Later in 2025, you’ll be capable to spend $5,000 on an upgraded Pilot pack that provides LiDAR from Luminar, extra cameras and an extra Nvidia pc for extra superior future driver-assist tech, together with hands-free operation.
Additionally normal on each Polestar 3 are 4 USB-C ports and a wi-fi charger, 8-way electrically adjustable heated entrance seats, three-zone computerized local weather management, full LED lights with welcome sequences, an influence tailgate with hands-free opening, heated frameless mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and a 10-speaker sound system. Different normal security options embody automated emergency braking with bike owner and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, a driver-monitoring system with eye monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping help, visitors signal recognition, post-impact braking, rear collision warning and braking, an occupant detection system and extra. And in contrast to the EX90, which depends on a digital key that didn’t work properly, the Polestar comes with a keycard and a standard keyfob along with the digital possibility.
That pricing and have set put the Polestar 3 in a reasonably aggressive spot. The fabulous however much less sporty BMW iX, which is analogous by way of measurement, vary and efficiency, begins at $88,425 earlier than choices. A dual-motor Mercedes-Benz EQE500 SUV begins past $90k, and whereas the bigger Rivian R1S prices about the identical because the Polestar to start out, its worth (and efficiency) rapidly enhance if you would like something however the base trim. Then there’s the Porsche Cayenne, which begins within the six figures if you would like a V8. In opposition to the Volvo EX90 I believe the Polestar comes out as the higher purchase too, although the Volvo does have a 3rd row of seats.
Polestar expects the three will likely be its greatest vendor, although the corporate isn’t publicly making any projections on the way it must do to be thought-about a hit. The South Carolina plant could make as much as 150,000 vehicles per 12 months, and the EX90 is prone to be the amount vendor, particularly as Volvo has precise dealerships to promote its vehicles out of, versus Polestar counting on Tesla-like showrooms and on-line gross sales. The Polestar 3 is perhaps a tough promote to some, because it doesn’t have any actual headline-grabbing stats or options, and certainly its interface will delay tech-averse patrons. However for many who need a performance-leaning electrical SUV that places design first, the Polestar 3 may simply win you over.
