Polestar 3 is the SUV for the electric age…

That’s what it says here in the press release. Whether we actually need yet another electric SUV on the planet is open to some question. My main takeaway from spending a good few hours driving one is that opening the glove box is not simply a matter of pressing a button on the box. No, the button is on the screen. I won’t go on about this right now. Indeed, I never had any need to open the glove box, so my outrage at the inconvenience of it all is quite possibly misplaced.

Here is some film…

Whether we are in the electric age or not, is open to some more questioning and you can look forward to a review soon of the Polestar 4 and an overall examination of just where we are now in relation to the whole electrical experiment.

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I think that the 3 looks all very sophisticated. subtle and minimal and all those things we are supposed to like about Scandinavian design. Officially the press release tells me that ‘Polestar 3 premieres a new aerodynamic profile where strong focus has been placed on retaining the hallmarks of an SUV, including a powerful and wide stance. This has been led by subtle yet effective aerodynamic optimisation – including a front aero wing integrated into the bonnet, an aero wing integrated into the rear spoiler, and rear aero blades’.

It is still a great big SUV though, even if it does seat five. Overall a nice place to be with some classy trim options.

As standard, Polestar 3 features a total of five radar modules, five external cameras and twelve external ultrasonic sensors to support numerous advanced safety features. The SmartZone below the front aero wing collects several of the forward-facing sensors, a heated radar module and camera, and now becomes a signature of Polestar design. Inside, two closed-loop driver monitoring cameras bring leading eye tracking technology from Smart Eye to a Polestar for the first time, geared towards safer driving. The cameras monitor the driver’s eyes and can trigger warning messages, sounds and even an emergency stop function when detecting a distracted, drowsy or disconnected driver.

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Yes it caught me out a few times when I was looking elsewhere. You can turn it off of course. Was I drowsy or disconnected? My final story might answer that question.

Polestar 3 has a dual-motor configuration and a power bias towards the rear. The standard car produces a total of 360 kW and 840 Nm of torque. With the optional Performance Pack, total output is 380 kW and 910 Nm. Adjustable one-pedal drive is included, as well as an electric Torque Vectoring Dual Clutch function on the rear axle – an evolution of what was first developed for Polestar 1. A decoupling function is also available for the rear electric motor, allowing the car to run only on the front electric motor to save energy under certain circumstances.

I preferred it when the gearbox was set like a traditional automatic, much more familiar for me, whereas the one pedal control is the way it is supposed to be for pure efficiency.

Advanced chassis control is provided by dual-chamber air suspension as standard, allowing Polestar 3 to adapt between comfort and dynamic suspension characteristics, and the car can adjust its active damper velocity electronically once every two milliseconds (500 Hz).

 Our goal was to offer the performance and precision that define all Polestar cars, without compromising the comfort of the daily drive,” says Joakim Rydholm, Polestar’s chief chassis engineer. “To do this, we used new components like the adaptive air suspension to engineer the ‘Polestar feeling’ for this type of car.”

He was very pleased about the way it handled and it was certainly less dead than some contemporary electricity cars. If you didn’t know it was electric then this would fool you into thinking that you are in command of a premium, petrol, SUV.

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A 111 kWh battery pack provides Polestar 3 with generous driving range of up to 610 km WLTP, 390 miles or 349 with the performance pack . The lithium-ion battery features a prismatic cell design housed in a protective aluminium case with boron steel reinforcement and liquid cooling. A heat pump is included as standard, helping Polestar 3 utilise ambient heat for climate- and battery preconditioning. Polestar 3 is also equipped for bidirectional charging, enabling future potential for vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities.

Standard equipment on Polestar 3 is extensive, with few options for easy configuration and simplified production logistics. All versions include air suspension, a full-length panoramic glass roof, all-LED lighting inside and out, retractable door handles with proximity sensing, and 21-inch alloy wheels. The Plus Pack and Pilot Pack are fitted as standard for the first model year and include a raft of premium, luxury and convenience features like a 25-speaker audio system from Bowers & Wilkins with 3D surround sound and Dolby Atmos capability, soft-closing doors, a head-up display and Pilot Assist.

The price range is £69,900 – £88,800.

A Polestar 4 review will be next followed by an overall thinkpiece with added old cars to see what Free Car mag make of the whole Electricity Era we find ourselves in.

See you next time.

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