They say three is the magic number but, to be honest, that’s not always the case. In Hollywood, the third instalment of a film franchise is quite often dreadful – who even remembers Home Alone 3? Exactly. In social settings, three is such an awkward number, it’s gained its own ‘third-wheel’ moniker, and in the car world, three is the exact number of children required before you need to consider practicality above all else. In short, three is often disappointing, awkward and problematic but not in the land of Polestar, it seems.
For the all-electric Swedish car maker that started life in 2017, three is the name given to its latest SUV and, well, the third car to come from the marque to date. What that represents on the road is a £76,000, five-seat SUV with 390 miles of WLTP range. Sound familiar? Well, yes. While most new premium SUVs stem from a similar recipe – enter the Audi Q8 e-Tron, BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV – the Polestar 3 manages to sidestep most of its competitors with clever styling and a surprising performance that’s coupled with a stunning interior.
Despite its 2.6 tonne weight and carrying capacity, the Polestar 3 doesn’t feel overbearing. Its neat and stylised packaging makes the 3 feel a lot smaller on the outside, as does its low roof line and squat stance, while maximising space on the inside. It’s a natural progression from the Polestar 2 saloon, with familiar styling cues like the flush front ‘grille,’ which features a new ‘smart zone,’ neat surfaces, crisp lines and plenty of glass.
Moving the game on, the Polestar 3 features discrete aerodynamic elements, such as a front wing buried in the bonnet and a rear wing extending from the rear of the roof. Not just for show, they help the 3 achieve its impressive 390-mile range, channelling air around the car to reduce drag and boost efficiency.
Initially, there’s only two ‘launch edition’ cars to choose from: the long-range dual motor, all-wheel drive and the option for a Performance pack (an extra £5,600), both of which feature a 107kWh usable battery. From that, the standard car gets 483bhp, while the Performance pack adds another 27bhp, more torque and optimised air suspension, 22-inch alloys and a touch of Polestar’s trademark gold trim, which adorns items such as the seatbelts and brake callipers. While the gold is a surprisingly effective visual touch, there’s more than enough power on the standard car for most. Polestar has also promised a slightly cheaper, single motor version in the near future, so hold off if you’re looking for one that comes under £70,000.
While it sets itself apart on the outside, the interior is the Polestar 3’s party piece, as you’d imagine with a car born and bred in Sweden. Inside, it’s sparse but chic with lots of quality, recycled materials giving texture to the comfortable and spacious cabin. Alongside the recycled plastic and aluminium, you’ll find new textiles such as MicroTech, a renewable vinyl and recycled polyester textile that uses pine oil rather than crude oil in its manufacture.
For cars featuring the wool upholstery, it’s fully traceable, made entirely from animal welfare-certified yarn. And for the Nappa leather option, it’s animal welfare-traced and comes from Scottish automotive leather makers Bridge of Weir Leather. In short, Polestar is a brand that takes sustainability more seriously than most of its peers, and as much is clear when you step inside the 3.
For more of the Swedish carmaker, read our review of the Polestar 2...
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