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The Polestar 3 is a full-size SUV with a big battery and, if you’re gentle on the accelerator, a claimed maximum range that tops 400 miles. It also benefits from fast charging, a roomy and stylish interior packed with plenty of kit as standard, and an on-road poise that will please keen drivers.
It’s not a sports car by any stretch of the imagination, but the 3 goes well and feels composed, even nimble, for its size. It also rides much better than the stiffly-sprung Polestar 2, which is particularly apparent on UK roads.
Polestar’s interior tech is among the best, but some buyers might be frustrated by the lack of physical controls for the cabin temperature and mirror adjustment, while others will admire the clean and tidy Android interface. Optional extras are bundled into packs, which can make things expensive (especially if you just want the incredbile Bowers & Wilkins stereo with Dolby Atmos), but the 3 still feels like good value compared to rivals from the better-known German brands.
How we tested
We’ve spent a lot of time in Polestar 3s on various events, including driving it on a frozen lake in Sweden. More importantly, we’ve tested it on roads from the Cotswolds to the Midlands, taking it on motorways, country lanes and through urban streets and into car parks. And we’ve tested all the tech, measured up the space and crunched the numbers to check on running costs.
Independent rating: 8/10
- Pros: Fun to drive, rides well, spacious interior, fantastic Bowers & Wilkins audio
- Cons: Lack of physical controls can be annoying, no seven-seat option
- Price range: £69,910 to £81,510
- Battery size: 111 kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 438 miles
- Miles per kWh: 3.5
- Maximum charging rate: 250 kW
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
Polestar’s biggest car yet, the 3 is a full-size SUV with an equally large 111 kWh battery pack. The new Long range, Single motor Polestar 3 has the greatest range, at a claimed 438 miles, the least power (still a plentiful 295 bhp is sent to the rear wheels) and a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds. The mid-range Long range Dual Motor model has four-wheel drive and a total power output of 483 bhp, a claimed maximum range of 395 miles and a 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds.
The flagship Polestar 3 Long range Dual motor with Performance pack has 510 bhp and hits 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, but has the shortest range, at 352 miles. To learn more about the electric cars that go the furthest, check out our guide to the EVs with the longest range – which includes both the Polestar 2 and 3.
All three variants of the Polestar 3 have an impressive maximum charge rate of 250 kW, and when connected to an equally powerful charge they’ll fill from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes, or from zero to full in 11 hours using a home charger.
What pleases most about all three versions is how nice they are to drive. The ride quality is firm, but never uncomfortable – think of it as communicative rather than annoying. The new Long range Single motor car does without the adaptive dampers of the Dual motor models – it tries to do a fair job of replicating the ride and handling combination of the more expensive cars, but marginally falls short. We prefer the Dual motor cars – check on the price difference to see if it’s worthwhile upgrading as sometimes there are ‘seasonal offers’ with around £4,000 off which makes the upgrade something of a no-brainer, even though you do miss out on a bit of range.
Refinement is top-notch, too, while performance is good. And although this is a big, heavy SUV, the handling is tidy; there’s plenty of grip and meaty-feeling steering. We’d be very happy to cover long distances in a Polestar 3.
Interior, practicality and boot space
The Polestar 3’s cavernous interior has seating for five (not seven, unfortunately) and is a masterclass in minimalism.
Volvo fans may recognise some of the switchgear, which is no bad thing – the Polestar 3 shares its SPA2 platform with the new Volvo EX90. Polestar are leaders in sustainability and the 3 is fitted with recycled ‘WeaveTech’ fabric as standard. Nappa leather is available as an upgrade with the Pilot and Plus packs; the latter also includes active noise cancelling to reduce road noise, a head-up display, heated rear seats (on the fronts are heated as standard) and an upgraded sound system.
Rear leg room is especially impressive and the materials used match the up-market price tag of the 3. However, the sloping roof line robs a little rear headroom and at 484 litres the boot is fine but not particularly impressive for a car this big. A 32-litre frunk under the bonnet is big enough to store your charge cables but little else. We love the panoramic glass roof and the airiness it brings to the cabin, though.
Technology, stereo and infotainment
Polestar’s minimalist approach to interior design means everything is on the huge, 14.5-inch touchscreen. This includes temperature controls, and even the wing mirrors and steering wheel can only be adjusted by diving into the touchscreen then fiddling with buttons on the steering wheel. It can take a little getting used to – and never stops being annoying when you want to adjust a mirror while parking. Otherwise, the operating system is clean, responsive and fairly intuitive – and there’s always Google’s voice control to help with some of the functions or bringing up menus.
As it’s an Android Automotive system, you just log in with your Google credentials and you have access to Google Maps, Google Assistant, the Play store and other apps like Spotify too, which streams music over the car’s 5G connection. The driver gets their own 9-inch display for speed, gear, battery percentage and local speed limits, plus directions for the navigation system. We much prefer this two-screen approach to cars with a single, central display like the Tesla Model 3 and Volvo EX30.
The Polestar 3 has a 10-speaker, 30-watt sound system as standard, but we would heartily recommend upgrading to the 25-speaker, 1,610-watt system by Bowers & Wilkins, which boasts 3D Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos. Feed it some high-quality tracks (ideally through Tidal) and it’s seriously impressive – it’ll make you fall in love with some of your favourite tracks once again. Annoyingly, that upgrade is only available if you pay for both the Pilot and Plus packs, which increases the total price by £7,300.
Prices and running costs
Even at over £70,000 or £80,000, the Polestar 3 feels like good value compared to some of its equally-large rivals. It isn’t the most efficient EV around, but the over-three miles per kWh we saw while driving means close to 400 miles could just about be possible. Fill the battery cheaply at home (and ideally at a reduced rate during the night) and running costs will be much lower than an equivalent sized petrol or hybrid car.
The new Long range Single motor car is appealing – not least for its 438-mile range. But with Polestar often running ‘seasonal offers’ we’ve seen the price difference drop to as little as £2,000 to upgrade to the Dual motor car, with adaptive suspension and a big boost in performance.
Be careful with high-speed public chargers, though. They are expensive, and since it can fill its very large battery at up to 250 kW, the Polestar 3 could land you with a surprisingly big charging bill in just a few minutes. Make sure you don’t leave it plugged into an expensive charger for any longer than you really need.
Polestar 3 rivals:
FAQs
How long does it take to charge?
Even though the Polestar 3 has a big battery, its maximum charge rate of 250 kW means it can fill from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes, when you use an equally powerful charger. Plug into a wallbox charger at home, and to fill the battery from almost empty will take about 11 hours.
How much does it cost – is it worth it?
Starting at £69,910, this is the most expensive Polestar yet, But when you remember that it’s a full-size SUV with strong performance, good range, fast charging and a premium interior, that starts to seem like good value. That said, adding on Polestar’s optional extras can get expensive, and we’d avoid the increased power of the Performance pack in favour of more range.
Does Polestar replace batteries for free?
Polestar includes battery warranty for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. This covers faults in battery performance, such as if the state-of-health of the battery falls below 70 percent of its original capacity. If that happens, Polestar says it will replace the battery at no cost.
The verdict: Polestar 3
The Polestar 3 is one of our favourite premium electric cars. We love the way it drives, the premium interior, the space and the tech on board. And you can have it with the best audio system we’ve yet heard in a car. The new Long range Single motor car with an impressive 438-mile range is a great addition to the 3 line-up, although we marginally prefer the Long range Dual motor model – especially with a Bowers & Wilkins audio upgrade.
