The new Polestar 3 is a minimalist SUV for the electric age
The Polestar 3 features sustainable materials for the cabin and 482hp as standard
Only a handful of companies remain with no crossovers or SUVs in their lineup. Last night saw Polestar, the all-electric performance carmaker from Sweden, take its name off the list as it released its first-ever SUV – the Polestar 3.
As the name suggests, the Polestar 3 SUV is the brand’s third vehicle. Adopting the SUV structure indicates the brand’s intentions to target the mass market with an all-electric offering. And unlike other electric offerings boasting about four-digit horsepower output in their brochures, the Polestar 3 bets on a minimalist Scandinavian design, a cabin built with sustainable materials and the fitment of heightened safety and driver assistance systems as its USP.
Boxy, a traditional Volvo design trait, is not how one would describe the Polestar 3. The dual-blade LED headlights and the distinct sloping roofline make the car stand out. Being an EV, the presence of a rear width-stretching light bar is evident, but Polestar has adopted an elegant, Scandinavian design. Complementing the minimalist design, the Polestar 3 deploys a host of aerodynamic channels across the exterior. A front aero wing integrated into the bonnet, an aero wing integrated into the rear spoiler, and rear aero blades help the SUV cut through the air more efficiently, aiding range.
Polestar has been vocal about sustainability and being environment-friendly. The same gets substantiated when it comes to the Polestar 3’s cabin. Customers can choose between three materials for interior upholstery – Animal Welfare Nappa Leather – produced according to strict animal welfare standards, a vegan leather alternative made from renewable vinyl and recycled polyester called MicroTech and Animal welfare wool.
The cabin’s design is minimalistic, with two screens from the dashboard and a rich yet environment-conscious wood/recycled aluminium decks up the rest of the panel. The central screen is a 14.5-inch unit powered by Android Automotive OS, and a relatively tiny 9-inch anti-reflective driver display is placed behind the steering wheel. A 25-speaker 1610W Bowers & Wilkins sound system handles the in-car audio, with a couple of those speakers being embedded within the headrests.
Being a luxury electric offshoot of parent company Volvo, Polestar adheres to the tradition of providing a plethora of safety features. The Polestar 3 gets a digital army comprising five radar modules, five external cameras and twelve external ultrasonic sensors as standard. Positioned across the car, these sensors and cameras work together with the help of an NVIDIA DRIVE core computer, a Polestar first, to enable advanced driver-assistance safety features and driver monitoring by cameras placed inside the car. An optional Pilot Pack, available by the second quarter of 2023, further integrates an additional control unit comprising LiDAR sensors, three cameras, and four ultrasonic sensors that scans the car’s surroundings more extensively, aiding the autonomous driving systems of the Polestar 3.
The Polestar 3 was launched with a dual electric motor configuration with a power bias to the rear. The car can decouple the rear electric motor entirely to save energy and be powered by the front motors alone. The standard power output is rated at 482hp (or 360kW) and 840Nm torques, but an optional Performance Pack hikes it up to 509hp (or 380kW) and 910Nm torques.
A 111 kWh battery pack resides under the floor of the Polestar 3 to provide up to 610kms of range. The car further comes equipped with bi-directional charging, allowing future potential use for vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities.
Polestar launched the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor configuration for EUR 89,900 (or $87,537). Orders commence online from October 12th for all initial launch markets comprising North America, Europe and China. Deliveries for the same can be expected from Q4 2023.
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