MADRID, Spain — Polestar has catered to a distinct segment audience since taking a seat on the carmaker table in 2017. Things began small: It’s been operating as a one-model brand for the past couple of years. While the two set a high bar, it’s not in a position to push the tuner-turned-manufacturer into the mainstream alone.
Backup has arrived. Unveiled in 2022, the Polestar 3 will plant the flag within the oh-so-important (and oh-so-lucrative) SUV segment. It also blazes the trail that the subsequent additions to the range will follow, each when it comes to design and technology. For a lot of, this big EV shall be the face of Polestar.
I’ve already driven the three on a test track in Sweden. Now it’s time to hit the open road.
Just like the segment-bending Polestar 4, the three illustrates how Polestar plans to steadily distance itself from Volvo. It’s built on the identical modular SPA2 platform because the EX90, which shall be sold alongside the XC90 for a minimum of just a little while, however the two SUVs appear and feel different. They’re cousins slightly than siblings. The three is marketed because the sportier of the 2, so it contains a more swept-back silhouette, a lower roofline and only two rows of seats. The EX90 is boxier, taller and available with a 3rd row.
The concept wasn’t to completely sever ties with Volvo. “We prefer to keep just a little little bit of a bridge to Volvo as a family because there may be rather a lot to achieve,” Maximilian Missoni, head of Polestar’s design department, told me. Drivers are inclined to trust Volvo, especially in terms of safety. “The connection to Volvo is thing; it sets Polestar other than many other newcomers that don’t have this type of trust.”
Up front, the Thor’s Hammer daytime running lights form a link between the 2 corporations. There’s loads of unique Polestar DNA, though. The three doesn’t hide its armada of sensors; it proudly shows them off. The panel positioned between the headlights — where you’d likely discover a grille if the three used, say, a straight-six — features lines indicating the position of the varied sensors that power the electronic driving aids.
In a way, that is Polestar’s heritage. The Polestar 1, its first model, ushered on this labeling system with a cool, transparent panel within the trunk. It explained the aim of the large orange wires linked to the battery.
You get a stronger whiff of Volvo-ness from the driving force’s seat. The three-spoke steering wheel, the digital instrument cluster, the dashboard’s overall layout and the floating center console look just like what you discover within the EX90. Polestar stresses that it went to significant lengths to distinguish its software, nevertheless. While the infotainment system stays Android-based and displayed on a 14.5-inch touchscreen, the brand designed its own user interface loaded with proprietary fonts and icons.
About 85% of the three’s infotainment system is shared with the 4. The most important difference is that the three’s touchscreen is portrait-oriented while the 4’s is landscape. Ruben Rodriguez, the corporate’s head of UX design, told me that’s since the 4 is aimed toward younger buyers who will appreciate the additional functions, like a split-screen mode. In contrast, 3 buyers will prefer the top-to-bottom display.
This software relies on tiles and illustrations to obviously convey information, which is sweet considering the long list of functions packed into the screen. Beyond the same old, similar to entering an address into the navigation system or changing the radio station, the touchscreen is your point of contact to open the glovebox, select whether the door mirrors fold mechanically or adjust the steering column.
Rear-seat passengers will likely feel the urge to send Polestar a heartfelt “thanks” card after an extended trip. By detouring a three-row configuration, designers had the liberty to maneuver the rear bench back to carve out a generous amount of legroom. Storage capability takes successful, nevertheless: There’s 21.1 cubic feet of cargo space (including 3.2 cubes under the ground) with the second-row seats left up, and 49.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. It’s not hard to search out a rival with an even bigger trunk. Staying within the (prolonged) family, the XC60 offers more trunk space, yet it’s about eight inches shorter than the Polestar 3.
At launch, the Long-Range Dual-Motor shall be the one variant of the three available. Its name is simple: Power comes from two electric motors (one per axle) that draw electricity from a 111-kilowatt-hour nickel-manganese-cobalt battery. The system’s output checks in at 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, though the optional Performance Package bumps those figures to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft, respectively. While the three isn’t light — it weighs between 5,696 and 5,886 kilos depending on the way it’s configured — the large amount of power unlocks hot-hatch-like acceleration: Polestar quotes a 4.8-second 0-60-mph time for the usual 3 and 4.5 seconds for the Performance model.
Nonetheless, there’s no shortage of electrical cars that post the form of horsepower and torque figures that were par for the course within the supercar segment a decade ago. And, most of them use the identical basic drivetrain configuration — a single-speed transmission for every motor and a heavy battery under the cabin — so that they all have some similar driving characteristics. That is where the three stands out from the pack.
It’s all within the rear axle: Polestar added a dual-clutch torque-vectoring differential to dial in sharper handling. It’s not merely a marketing gimmick. This method makes a giant difference on a twisty road, where the three handles like a nimbler automotive. It’s not, say, a Volkswagen GTI, nevertheless it’s way more engaging to drive than its weight and proportions suggest. Top-of-the-line-driving EVs in the marketplace is a 192.9-inch-long SUV built by an organization few had heard of 10 years ago – how’s that for beating the chances?
Several other aspects come into play, including a low center of gravity and a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution that allow the three to take a corner without excessive body roll. You may as well configure the steering (Light, Standard and Firm) and the adaptive air suspension (Standard, Nimble and Firm). Fooling around with these profiles makes a perceptible difference in how the three behaves. Nearly every latest automotive offers driving modes or profiles, but they’re often not as nuanced as we’d like them to be.
Brakes? They’re there, they usually’re huge — we’re talking four-piston Brembo calipers up front — but you likely won’t use them often. The pads only are available contact with the rotors at 0.3g’s of braking force. Below that, the regenerative braking system slows the three by itself. The pedal feel is average. It’s not great, nevertheless it’s not overly video game-like, either. You’ll be able to one-pedal-drive your way down the road by choosing two levels called Low and Standard, respectively (it’s also possible to turn the system off).
The Eau de Volvo scent returns on the highway, where the three cruises in comfort and relative silence, though there’s wind noise coming from the door mirror area. The driving aids work as advertised, and the three is notably capable of fixing lanes by itself with a flick of the turn signal. The rear axle that orchestrates the quantity of power assigned to every rear wheel on a twisty road goes offline for efficiency’s sake on the highway to save lots of range. Going straight at 65 mph, you don’t feel that the rear wheels aren’t powered. I’m told the system reengages them almost immediately if needed.
Polestar notes that the three’s 400-volt electrical system is able to 250-kilowatt charging, which may take the battery from 10% to 80% in half-hour. The brand is working on faster charging — it built a prototype able to charging from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes — however the technology isn’t ready. The three gets an EPA-estimated 315 miles of range, though the Performance Pack lowers that figure to 279.
With a fresh approach to design, a pleasant interior and fascinating handling, the three should allow Polestar to shed its new-kid-on-the-block status. It’s different enough from the Volvo EX90 to face out in a crowded segment, nevertheless it’s also similar enough to handle concerns that motorists may need about buying a automotive from a young brand.
On sale now, the 2025 Polestar 3 starts at $74,800, including a $1,400 destination charge. Adding the Performance Pack increases that figure to $80,800. Note that the model will not be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit since it’s in-built Chengdu, China. Polestar will begin constructing the three within the Volvo plant near Charleston, South Carolina, sooner or later in 2024, so American-made cars could qualify. Within the meantime, the automaker points out that buyers who lease the three can claim the complete $7,500 tax credit.
And, hang tight if you happen to want a less expensive 3: there’s a rear-wheel-drive model due out later in 2024.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
