Polestar 3 2024 review

The problem with the value equation for any EV is that they are still, mostly, too expensive, so a starting price of $132,900 for the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor does make you suck your cheeks in like a man standing somewhere very cold and attempting to breathe.

A Polestar 2 starts at close to half that much, and then you’ve got the 'Performance Pack' option, which I would recommend if you like fun, which takes that price to $141,900. 

The Polestar 3 has a starting price of $132,900.

Yes, you are getting a very European-feeling car - although all that eco-friendly material they have to use for seats and so on does make the interior feel slightly less sexy to the touch - rather than the bare-bones offering we’ve come to expect from the company that stole Scandinavian minimalism; Tesla.

Still, regardless of which version you choose, you do get an excellent 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with of 1610 Watts of power as standard. 

The Polestar 3 features eco-friendly material throughout the cabin.

While it looks svelte from a distance, the Polestar 3 feels plenty spacious inside, with one of those huge glass roofs that all EVs seem to have fitted as a matter of course, vastly improving the sense of light and airiness for rear passengers, who also get plenty of leg and knee room.

I was actually driven back into town from our ice-driving experience in the back of the vehicle and, even with 18 layers of clothing and snow boots on, I felt comfortable.

The boot space is reasonable at 484 litres, but it’s well short of something like a Porsche Cayenne, which Polestar considers a competitor, and which offers at least 620 litres.

The Polestar 3 feels plenty spacious inside.

I guess eventually we’ll all get used to the fact that electric cars simply make producing big power and torque figures look easy, but I still find it remarkable that what is ostensibly a family SUV like this offers almost a Newton Kilometre of torque.

The new Polestar 3 is offered with two motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear for ice friendly all-wheel drive. 

Power distribution is constantly controlled by computers for optimal delivery.

The new Polestar 3 is offered with two motors.

The Performance Pack version of the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor makes 380kW/910Nm, which is enough to fire it to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds (it might take a bit longer on snow and ice).

Even the entry-level model packs a potent punch, with 360kW/840Nm, which pushes it to 100km/h from a standing start in five seconds flat.

As usual with EVs, it’s not just the off-the-line shove that impresses, it’s the fact that ample torque is always on hand for overtaking, or power sliding.

The entry-level Polestar 3 reaches 100km/h from a standing start in five seconds flat.

Polestar claims a range of 610km for the Long Range Dual Motor model, or 560 km for the more potent and power-hungry Performance Pack version. 

I can tell you you won’t get anywhere near that far if you’re abusing the batteries by running the car in sub-freezing conditions.

On a 250kW DC charger, the Polestar 3 can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent within 30 minutes.  

On a 250kW DC charger, the Polestar 3 can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent within 30 minutes. 

Or with an 11kW AC charger, it would take up to 10 hours to fully charge its 111kWh lithium-ion 400-volt battery. 

It's also worth pointing out that the Polestar is set up for bi-directional charging, or Vehicle to Grid (V2G) as it's also known.

This means it can supply power back to the grid, power your home or even run an appliance on a road trip. Like a washing machine, or disco lights, perhaps.

On a 250kW DC charger, the Polestar 3 can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent within 30 minutes.  

The Polestar 3 is yet to be crash rated, but it comes with nine airbags - driver and front passenger, dual side, dual inner-side, dual curtain and driver's knee.

The Polestar 3’s advanced safety features include a 'Driver Maintenance System' with 'Driver Alert Control', 'Lane Keeping Aid', adaptive cruise control and 'Pilot Assist', as well as a 'Blind Spot Information System' and 360-degree and rear-view cameras. 

The Polestar 3 has four internal radar sensors to detect if a child or pet has accidentally been left in the car.

The Polestar 3's 'Road Mitigation' feature can help steer the car back into the centre of its lane if the vehicle strays off the road. Plus, a driver monitoring camera system uses eye tracking to trigger warnings if it detects a distracted or drowsy driver.

It also four internal radar sensors to detect if a child or pet has accidentally been left in the car, and if they have it will activate the climate control and keep the temperature at a safe level.