Polestar, the Swedish high-performance electric vehicle brand, has comprehensively improved its flagship SUV, Polestar 3, for the 2026 model year. This model represents a significant technological leap forward for the Polestar 3 and its SPA2 platform, with the introduction of an 800-volt electric architecture that enables significantly faster DC charging, with a peak rate of up to 350 kW, allowing a 10-80% battery charge to be achieved in just 22 minutes, more than 25% faster than before.
The new architecture also offers improved efficiency of up to 6% according to the WLTP cycle. It supports the integration of new lithium-ion batteries from supplier CATL: a 92 kWph battery pack for the rear-motor version and a 106 kWph battery pack for the dual-motor and high-performance versions.
All Polestar 3 models now benefit from a new, in-house developed permanent magnet synchronous rear motor, delivering increased power. When paired with an asynchronous front motor, the new configuration offers up to 670 hp of total power in the High Performance version. The front motor now features automatic decoupling when not needed, just like the dual-motor versions of the Polestar 2.
This architecture includes an improved battery size for the base rear motor, and active air suspension, now optional for the dual motor, remains standard on the High Performance model. These trim levels are also expressed through the seat belt design: all black for the rear motor, black with a Swedish gold stripe for the dual motor, and all Swedish gold belts for the High Performance version, reinforcing their position as the most potent expression of Polestar 3.
The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin processor replaces the previous Xavier unit, increasing processing power from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second.
Customers can customise their cars to their liking. The new Climate Package includes heated rear seats, a steering wheel, and front wipers. A new Prime Package option bundles the Pilot, Plus, and Climate Packages with rear privacy glass. The Bowers & Wilkins Polestar audio system, featuring headrest speakers and active road noise cancellation, is now available as an option and included in the Plus Package.
On the exterior, a new Storm colour has been added, a dark grey metallic that replaces Thunder. The door text graphics have been updated to reflect the selected model’s trim and a larger Polestar 3 script. Inside, the standard upholstery has been upgraded to Microtec in Pew Charcoal, complemented by reclaimed aluminium trim, which was previously an optional feature.
