Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar on Wednesday unveiled its first all-electric SUV, the Polestar 3.
The Polestar 3 is a fully electric, five-seat “performance SUV” that melds signature Scandinavian minimalism into an aerodynamic profile and a sustainable interior. Polestar said the e-SUV’s design language was inspired by the Polestar Precept, and the rear looks strikingly similar to a Honda CR-X.
The Polestar 3 features a dual-motor configuration and will be available in two trims — Long Range and Performance. It will pack quite the punch, with the Performance trim delivering 517 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque. Even the Long Range version will offer 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque.
Polestar advertises a 0-60mph time of 4.6 seconds and 4.9 seconds for the Performance trim and the Long Range trim, respectively.
Both cars will have a 111 kWh, 400-volt battery under the hood with an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles for the Long Range trim. Going up to the Performance trim will bring the range down slightly to an EPA-estimated 270 miles. According to Polestar, charging the Polestar 3’s battery from 10% to 80% will only take 30 minutes at a 250 kW fast charger.
“Polestar 3 is a powerful electric SUV that appeals to the senses with a distinct, Scandinavian design and excellent driving dynamics,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.
“It takes our manufacturing footprint to the next level, bringing Polestar production to the United States. We are proud and excited to expand our portfolio as we continue our rapid growth.”
Polestar designed its latest EV as a luxury vehicle through and through. The automaker selected materials for the car’s interior based on sustainability credentials and designed a cabin that screams premium aesthetics and luxury tactility.
Polestar also made quite a few trips to the tech candy store for the Polestar 3. The all-electric SUV is equipped with an NVIDIA DRIVE core computer running software from Polestar’s parent company, Volvo. It also has a 14.5-inch center display and Android Automotive OS for its infotainment system, which is powered by a next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform from Qualcomm.
Polestar started rolling out next-generation Apple CarPlay earlier this year, so the Polestar 3 will likely have support for that as well.
The Polestar 3 comes with a cutting-edge Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) that incorporates tech from Luminar, Zenseact, Smart Eye, and other partners. Both trims also come with dual-chamber air suspension and active dampers as standard for advanced chassis control.
In fact, Polestar touted several luxury features that come standard on all Polestar 3 trims. These include a heat pump, bidirectional charging to enable vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities, and much more.
The Polestar 3 starts at $83,900 USD and tops out at $98,100. Production will begin at Volvo’s factory in Chengdu, China, in mid-2023.
Polestar expects to make the first customer deliveries in North America, Europe, and China in Q4 2023. Secondary launch markets in Asia and the Middle East will get deliveries in 2024, but Polestar is yet to finalize the exact timing.
Polestar is also looking forward to bringing production stateside with the Polestar 3. The automaker will start manufacturing the Polestar 3 at Volvo’s Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant towards the middle of 2024.
Polestar’s CEO said at the beginning of this year that the company plans to grow its EV sales tenfold by 2025 — introducing new cars is definitely the way to get there.
