The Polestar 3 faces tough competition from the likes of Audi, BMW and Porsche, so is this premium electric SUV heading in the right direction?

Polestar 3 review

December 6, 2024 Matt Allan

The Polestar 3 faces tough competition from Audi, BMW and Porsche, so is this premium electric SUV heading in the right direction?

Polestars are a bit like buses. You wait ages for one, then two come along at once.

After being a one-car brand for four years, the Swedish firm has recently launched two new models aimed at quite different audiences.

There’s the sporty, performance-focused Polestar 4, which you can read about here. And there’s this, the bigger, more practical Polestar 3.

If the sleeker 4 is going after the Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron, the boxier 3 is squaring up to the Cayenne, Q8 e-tron and BMW iX in the fast premium electric SUV world. Those are some serious rivals but, as the Polestar 2 has shown, there’s space for a newcomer even among the big boys.

Polestar 3 design, interior and technology

The Polestar 3 is a big beast – 4.9m long by 2.1m wide and with a 2.98m wheelbase. But it carries its size well thanks to Polestar’s stripped-back design language and some soft lines. The gentle curve of the bonnet and slimline frontal area help with that, as does the unusually low roofline, which gradually drops to meet the upswept rear quarter panel top, stopping it looking big and boxy.

Polestar originally spun out from Volvo and has maintained a similar stripped-back Scandi-cool approach to interior design. In the Polestar 3 that manifests in an elegant single-piece dashboard and clear, unfussy styling, all finished in high-grade and sustainable materials. There’s no superfluous flourishes, just a calming and elegant environment.

But there’s a catch. There are virtually no physical buttons or switches anywhere. Everything is controlled via the 14.5-inch touchscreen or unmarked touch controls on the steering wheel. Those steering wheel buttons are a prime example of style over substance. It might look all sleek and ‘quiet’ but it’s a pain in the backside to use. I’m sure you’d get familiar with it eventually but it isn’t intuitive or user-friendly.

The all-screen approach to vehicle controls is also flawed. The portrait screen has a selection of arbitrary shortcuts locked to the bottom that you can’t change. Elements such as the sound system and Google Assistant have been given a space but driving mode adjustments haven’t. Like the Polestar 4, if you want to change a driving setting in this ‘performance’ car it takes multiple screen presses.

While the system looks good and is responsive, simple tasks are overly complicated. When opening the boot and glovebox is controlled via a screen, you have to think the obsession with buttonless interiors has gone too far.

That really is my only bugbear with the interior, though. As well as using beautiful materials, it is hugely spacious. Even with the driver’s seat at its full extent, there’s plenty of space for another adult behind it. The dropping roof only creates headroom issues if you’re over six foot, but leg and shoulder room are exemplary and you can accommodate three adults in the back – not always a given even in apparently large SUVs.

All that passenger space means the boot isn’t huge for such a large vehicle. At 494 litres it’s smaller than those of its rivals, and the 32-litre frunk is really just big enough for charging cables.

Battery, motor and performance

The Polestar 3 comes with one battery and three motor choices, offering two- or four-wheel drive.

Orders are open for the long-range single-motor version but deliveries won’t begin until early summer 2025. In the meantime, customers can get their hands on the long range dual motor with or without the performance pack.

Without it, the 3 still produces 483bhp and 620lb ft, allowing it to get from 0 to 62mph in five seconds flat. Ticking the Performance Pack box boosts power to 510bhp and torque to 671lb ft, which shaves 0.3 seconds off the standard acceleration test.

It also knocks more than 40 miles off the maximum range, taking it from 390 in the regular long range dual motor to 349 miles in Performance Pack cars. The single-motor version will cover 438 miles before it needs charged, which can be done at 250kW, taking the massive 107kWh battery from 10-80% in 30 minutes.

I drove the Performance Pack version which feels every bit as quick as you’d expect. The motor setup is rear-biased for a ‘sportier’ feel but the onboard systems do a great job of balancing all that power and torque to slingshot this big SUV forwards.

The steering has the familiar sharpness of an electronically assisted setup, meaning the 3 changes direction quickly and grips well through its massive 22-inch wheels. Torque vectoring at the rear lets you duck in and out of corners with agility at odds with its size but, while it’s pacey and direct, there’s no escaping that size. You sit high up and you’re very aware of that as the body leans through tight corners.

Despite the Polestar’s adjustable dual-chamber suspension it doesn’t have the control or poise of the petrol-powered Cayenne.

You can jump between three degrees of suspension stiffness – comfort, nimble and firm – but none totally controls the roll and in ‘firm’, the ride is too stiff for UK roads. Dialled back to comfort, and the Polestar 3 feels happier, acting as a rapid but smooth long-range machine that strikes a balance between Volvo’s super-soft approach and the overly-rigid German approach.

Polestar 3 price and specification

Polestar 3 prices start at £69,900 for the rear-wheel-drive model, rising to £75,900 for the long range dual motor. The Performance Pack is £81,500.

That adds 22-inch forged alloys, Swedish gold trim as well as the extra power and bespoke chassis tuning. Every version gets a panoramic roof, three-zone climate control, heat pump, powered tailgate and more cutting-edge safety kit and driver assistance systems than you can shake a stick at.

If you’re quick, you can bag a preconfigured launch edition with the Pilot and Plus options packs thrown in for free. That saves you £7,300 and adds everything from lane change assist and a head-up display to soft-close doors, heated rear seats and a Bowers and Wilkins sounds system with speakers in the headrests.

Verdict

The Polestar 3 is a brilliant car in so many regards.

It looks sharp and modern, and the interior is beautifully crafted and massively spacious.

The drivetrain, too, is a success. It offers the right level of performance to compete with the big names in the segment, while offering the kind of range that dispels any lingering anxiety. While it gives away a little dynamically to those rivals, it’s still pleasant and responsive to drive, as well as being hugely refined.

In fact, the only downside, small boot aside, is a poorly thought out interface that leaves you fighting with a touchscreen to make even basic adjustments.