Polestar 3 (2022 - ) Electric review

Starting at around £75,000 the Polestar 3 is a jump up in price from the Polestar 2 but you get a lot for your money. Indeed, the Polestar 3 shares foundations with the considerably more expensive Volvo’s EX90 so looks decent value for money, all things relative. Other style conscious electric SUVs likely on your shopping list might include theBMW iX, Audi Q8 e-tron or the more expensive Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV against which the Polestar can easily hold its own. You’ll be able to keep costs down if you can top-up at home and company car drivers will also benefit from the Benefit In Kind advantages for as long as they last.

As this is an all-new model it’s too early to make a judgement on reliability, but sharing parts with Volvo should help give confidence. So far as a brand Polestar has established a reasonably good reputation from customers, winning Most Loved Car at our New Car Awards in 2022 for the Polestar 2. We did experience some software glitches on our initial drive in the Polestar 3 but these were pre-production cars and a later go here on UK roads suggests they have been addressed. From there customer Polestar 3s will then receive regular over-the-air updates. Each car comes with three years of scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance included and will be covered by a three-year or 60,000-mile general warranty with eight years of cover for the battery.

The Polestar apple hasn’t fallen far from the Volvo tree when it comes to safety tech, which is mainly a good thing. Cameras and sensors monitor the inside and outside of the car, the former keeping an eye on sleepy drivers while, like Tesla, you can keep the climate control on and the car cool if you’re parking with pets aboard. There isn’t the space to deep-dive on every safety feature but, rest assured, the car will bong or intervene across a huge range of potential accident scenarios ranging from low-speed parking knocks to more serious ones like turning across oncoming traffic at junctions. An even more sophisticated sensor array known as LiDAR in the jargon expands the reach of the systems even further and futureproofs the car for autonomous operation as and when that becomes possible – this is available with the optional Pilot Pack. All of which makes basic frustrations like having to take eyes off the road to delve into fiddly menus just to operate basics like lights even more annoying.

The Polestar 3 has been designed to maximise comfort and space for five occupants, so unlike the Volvo EX90 it will not be available as a seven-seater. While the boot remains large, Polestar has borrowed a bit of space to increase rear legroom. The vibe is minimalist, Scandi chic and there’s a range of different textiles and materials to choose from, each with their own sustainable credentials. Whether you go for soft, environmentally conscious Bridge of Weir leather, animal welfare-certified wool, or recycled polyester upholstery, the Polestar 3 has a premium feel. While on the outside Polestar has tried to disguise the sheer size of the 3, inside you’ll be in no doubt this is a big car. Active air suspension automatically helps smooth out the road surface, and you can choose to prioritise performance or comfort.

Just like Tesla, Polestar really wants you to think of it as a tech brand and this is at the forefront of the Polestar 3’s design. A ‘SmartZone’ replaces the traditional front grille advertising the front sensors proudly on the outside, while the interior is dominated by a large infotainment screen in the centre of the car. This Google powered system will look very familiar to Android users, but wireless CarPlay is also available for those who prefer an Apple interface. All controls for the car are via this screen, including the climate controls making them more challenging to change on the move, but there is a “Hey Google” voice assistant to help. While navigating through various menus and submenus for driver and car setting can be fiddly, owners will be able to save their seating, steering wheel, and mirror positions in a profile so they’ll only need to do this once. We did like the way Polestar has added moving graphics within the setting menu to show what each feature controls. Additionally, the driver gets a nine-inch display behind the steering wheel, so unlike the Volvo EX30 you have information in your line of sight. Opting for the optional Plus Pack adds a head-up display to project navigation and speed warnings onto the windscreen too. This Pack gives you extras such as a crystal-clear Bowers & Wilkins sounds system, heated rear seats, steering wheel and wiper blades and soft-close doors to add to the plush feel of the car. Regardless of the packs you choose, all Polestar 3s will come with a heat pump as standard to help maximise range when it gets cold.

We drove the Long Range Dual Motor Polestar 3 with the Performance Pack giving us more power than the standard version. Acceleration was effortless and smooth, hiding the weight of the car well as it glided round corners even if you do rather notice it when trying to slow down. Depending on your preference you can customise the weight of the steering, with more effort to contrive a sense of sportiness or less for low-speed driving. In all settings we found it a little vague, however, which can be a little unsettling in something as fast and heavy as this. There’s also the option of one-pedal driving bringing the car to a stop when you take your foot off the accelerator. While the WLTP was 349 miles, we think you’re more likely to achieve 260 to 290 miles with the Performance pack and slightly more with the standard model, so if range is your priority it’s worth waiting for the Single Motor version coming soon.