Polestar 3 mdash everything we know so far Tom s Guide
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Price: From $85,300
Power: 510HP, AWD
Battery range: 379 miles (WLTP); TBA (EPA)
0to 60 mph: 4.7 seconds
Smarts: Luminar LIDAR, semi-autonomous highway piloting, Android Automotive OS The race to carbon-neutral has been cranked up another notch. Amongst a growing field of electric SUVs, Gothenburg's brightest are poised to unleash the long-awaited Polestar 3 upon a climate-conscious clientele - and we've got all the electrifying details. Boasted as the company's first SUV, Polestar have done its homework on this one. Referring to the U.S. as "no longer an export market, but a home market," the Polestar 3 will be the first Polestar vehicle built in America. This is to reduce delivery times, environmental impact, and, importantly, the 3's price in line with competitors. Speaking at the reveal (opens in new tab) event in New York, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath did not stutter: "We are not a virtual company waiting to build factories and sell cars; we are an actual company already building and selling cars around the world. We will build in America for Americans."
Speaking of which, Polestar promises that the car's infotainment system will be powered by the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a cloud-connected car platform. The goal is to offer high-definition displays, premium sound and seamless connectivity. However, Nvidia will provide the brain for the more high-profile features, which we'll get into later. Other interior features include a Bowers and Wilkins 3D surround sound system, with Dolby Atmos and 25 speakers. Just in case you really needed immersive audio in your car. On top of that there's a panoramic glass roof, a head-up display, metallic décor made from 80% recycled aluminum, and an infrared windshield that promises insulation from the elements and reduce noise from the road outside. (Image credit: Polestar) Upholstery comes in two options, the vegan "bio-attributed MicroTech" and "Animal welfare wool." The MicroTech is made from renewable vinyl and recycled polyester textiles, while the wool is sourced from farms that "a progressive approach to animal welfare and material production." It's also possible to upgrade to Nappa leather, which again come from responsible sources. This upgrade also adds ventilated seats with a massage function - but it's not clear if those two features will be available with vegan-friendly material. As for cargo, you can expect 17 cubic feet in the trunk, which includes 13.9 cubic feet of actual trunk space and an additional 3.1 cubic feet under the floor. Fold the rear seats down and that total increases to 49.8 cubic feet. The Polestar 3 also offers a 1.1 cubic foot frunk for smaller loads. The back seats also look pretty roomy, with more leg room than you'd get on a commercial airliner - low as that bar actually is. In fact the whole car seems pretty spacious, whereas the Polestar 2 has always felt a little compact for taller people like myself; that's the benefit of opting for the SUV design. The downside is that you'll only be able to fit up to five people inside. You'll have to go to Volvo if you want seven.
Polestar 3 - everything we know so far
By Tom Pritchard Contributions from Asher Baker last updated 14 October 2022 Here's what we know about the Swedish-designed, American-built SUV (Image credit: Polestar) Polestar 3: SpecsRelease date: Q4 2023Price: From $85,300
Power: 510HP, AWD
Battery range: 379 miles (WLTP); TBA (EPA)
0to 60 mph: 4.7 seconds
Smarts: Luminar LIDAR, semi-autonomous highway piloting, Android Automotive OS The race to carbon-neutral has been cranked up another notch. Amongst a growing field of electric SUVs, Gothenburg's brightest are poised to unleash the long-awaited Polestar 3 upon a climate-conscious clientele - and we've got all the electrifying details. Boasted as the company's first SUV, Polestar have done its homework on this one. Referring to the U.S. as "no longer an export market, but a home market," the Polestar 3 will be the first Polestar vehicle built in America. This is to reduce delivery times, environmental impact, and, importantly, the 3's price in line with competitors. Speaking at the reveal (opens in new tab) event in New York, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath did not stutter: "We are not a virtual company waiting to build factories and sell cars; we are an actual company already building and selling cars around the world. We will build in America for Americans."
Polestar 3 Price and availability
(Image credit: Polestar) Polestar has officially announced that the Polestar 3 will start at $85,300, which gets you the Long Range Dual motor model. A version of that car with a "Performance pack" is also available, with prices starting at $89,900. Those prices make the Polestar 3 significantly more expensive than the Polestar 2, which starts at $45,900 in the U.S. The goal here seems to be to offer a luxury SUV, which will command a much higher price and a different customer base. Notable competitors include the Tesla Model X, which starts at $120,990, and the $65,990 Tesla Model Y - the latter of which has proven incredibly popular. Other luxury SUVs include the $71,300 Jaguar I-Pace, the $84,100 BMW iX and the $54,975 Mustang Mach-E. So the Polestar 3 is not cheap, and that high price tag means it won't be eligible for the federal EV tax credit under the new rules. Those are set to cap the price of eligible SUVs and trucks to $80,000. Pre-orders for the Polestar 3 are open now, and deliveries are currently scheduled to begin in Q4 of 2023. Initial production is set to begin in mid-2023 at a Volvo Cars facility in Chengdu China. U.S. production won't commence until sometime around mid-2024, taking place at Volvo's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Deliveries from the U.S. facility will begin shortly after.Polestar 3 Design and interior
(Image credit: Polestar) Polestar has previously and oh-so boldly proclaimed that the 3 "will define the look of SUVs in the electric age." Now that we've seen the car unveiled in full, we can kind of see what it means, though there is the usual serving of bluster and self-hype in there as well. The profile of the Polestar 3 is very similar to other SUVs. After all there are so many ways you can design an SUV-sized vehicle to maximize aerodynamics. You have the curves and the channels to guide air around the car, and boost driving efficiency, as well as the now-commonplace flush door handles. On top of this Polestar has implemented a frameless side mirror design, which it claims makes them 30% smaller and further improves aerodynamics. I'm also happy to see that there's also a rear windshield wiper, with Polestar not following the trend of removing this in an attempt to further reduce drag. Look even closer and you'll see the Polestar 3 does have all those futuristic flourishes that make a Polestar a Polestar. You can see some similarities to the Polestar 2, but a lot of things have changed. One notable redesign is the rear light bar at the back of the Polestar 3. It's still a full-length bar, with the angular design from previous Polestars. But it's been flipped this time round, and the bar is right below the rear window rather than halfway down the trunk. Polestar did something similar to the front headlights. Compare them side by side with the Polestar 2's headlights and you can see some similarities. But the design is now more angular and cut down than before. Also gone is the fake grill at the front, replaced with an array of cameras and sensors for the autonomous driving systems. (Image credit: Polestar) Glance at the inside of the Polestar 3, and you can see that the automaker is really leaning into the luxury side of things. The most prominent feature is the 14.5-inch vertical display in the center console, described as an "evolution" of the 11.5-inch unit from the Polestar 2, alongside a 9-inch driver display. The car is set to run on Android Automotive OS once more, and promises to offer over-the-air updates to continually improve both the software and the car itself.Being linked to Google means that the car's own route-planning, which accounts for battery level and recharge needs, is powered by Google Maps. So no dealing with awkward of straight-up terrible navigation systems when you drive long distance.Speaking of which, Polestar promises that the car's infotainment system will be powered by the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a cloud-connected car platform. The goal is to offer high-definition displays, premium sound and seamless connectivity. However, Nvidia will provide the brain for the more high-profile features, which we'll get into later. Other interior features include a Bowers and Wilkins 3D surround sound system, with Dolby Atmos and 25 speakers. Just in case you really needed immersive audio in your car. On top of that there's a panoramic glass roof, a head-up display, metallic décor made from 80% recycled aluminum, and an infrared windshield that promises insulation from the elements and reduce noise from the road outside. (Image credit: Polestar) Upholstery comes in two options, the vegan "bio-attributed MicroTech" and "Animal welfare wool." The MicroTech is made from renewable vinyl and recycled polyester textiles, while the wool is sourced from farms that "a progressive approach to animal welfare and material production." It's also possible to upgrade to Nappa leather, which again come from responsible sources. This upgrade also adds ventilated seats with a massage function - but it's not clear if those two features will be available with vegan-friendly material. As for cargo, you can expect 17 cubic feet in the trunk, which includes 13.9 cubic feet of actual trunk space and an additional 3.1 cubic feet under the floor. Fold the rear seats down and that total increases to 49.8 cubic feet. The Polestar 3 also offers a 1.1 cubic foot frunk for smaller loads. The back seats also look pretty roomy, with more leg room than you'd get on a commercial airliner - low as that bar actually is. In fact the whole car seems pretty spacious, whereas the Polestar 2 has always felt a little compact for taller people like myself; that's the benefit of opting for the SUV design. The downside is that you'll only be able to fit up to five people inside. You'll have to go to Volvo if you want seven.