Polestar brings its first electric SUV to Australia

Swedish-based car maker Polestar is one of a very few all-electric brands to enter the Australian market, and after selling more than 5,000 units of its well received Polestar 2 electric fast-back, it is now launching its second EV into the market – a high premium electric SUV called the Polestar 3.

The first delivery of the Polestar 3 will be made this coming weekend, and it has been pitched as an electric luxury performance SUV that makes the most of Scandinavian minimalist design to justify a starting price of $132,990, before on roads.

The Polestar 3 comes at a pivotal time for the car company, given the leadership changes at its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, and following a slump in its share price that has largely been caused by a slump in sales caused by a slower than expected rollout of the Polestar 3, and the model that will follow, the smaller Polestar 4 electric SUV.

The release of its second all electric car in Australia comes as the company seeks to broaden its manufacturing base, with factories to open in the US, South Korea and possibly Europe, and adding another model, the Polestar 5, that will take its total offerings to four by the end of 2025.

It’s also testing out a new retail model in Australia, with the launch of a new showroom and its new Australian headquarters in Sydney.

“It’s an amazing time for us, both here and internationally, to see the expansion of the brand portfolio, a shift in the retail model, and some management changes,” Polestar Australia CEO Scott Maynard says.

The Polestar 3 will come in two dual-motor long-range variants, with the top-spec car including a Performance pack that has plenty to offer, and which will start from $141,900 before on roads. A further single motor variant will be offered next year, with the local price of that variant to be announced soon.

The Polestar 3 is a big car – it comes in at 4,900 mm in length and has a long wheelbase of 2,985 mm, which gives it plenty of space inside.

It is also heavy, coming in at 2.6 tonnes, thanks largely to its 111 kWh 111 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack, which delivers a 5 second sprint from 0-100 km/h (4.7 seconds in the performance version), and range of 628 km WLTP,  for the entry level model and 561 kms for the performance version.

When it comes to efficiency, the Polestar 3 long range dual-motor energy consumption is rated at 19.8-21.8 kWh/100 km while the performance pack variant increases that to 22.1-23.0 kWh/100 km.

It will also offer bi-directional charging for V2G capability – once that protocols have been agreed – which means it will be one of the first non-Chademo vehicles in Australia to have this future-proofed technology equipped from the factory.

As standard, both variants of the car come with dual-chamber air suspension that helps adjust the suspension feel between comfort and dynamic. Active damping is also provided which helps the Polestar 3 adjust its dampers at speeds of up to once every two milliseconds.

This powertrain also helps the new Polestar SUV deliver a very respectable braked tow rating of 2,200 kg. For comparison, the very popular Tesla Model Y is rated at 1,600 kg.

Another important feature of the Polestar 3 is the inclusion of one-pedal driving. This was first introduced in the Polestar 2 by the brand and has been updated for the larger SUV to provide an overall better driving experience.

On the outside, the SUV’s exterior styling is similar to the Polestar 2, but it has some new highlights such as the design of the front LED lighting and the aerodynamic elements such as the front wing.

Given the big focus on design, the minimal interior complements the sleek exterior. Many of the key materials featured on the inside are sourced with sustainability in mind.

These materials deliver a great level of luxury feel to the inside of the Polestar 3 while providing a lower carbon footprint than the Polestar 2 did back in 2020 when it was officially launched. This is quite significant given that the Polestar 3 is much larger than the Polestar 2 sedan.

Staying on the inside, the main portrait infotainment screen is powered by the powerful Snapdragon platform and includes Google’s Android Automotive system that includes EV-friendly features like trip planning within navigation.

With this infotainment system, the layout has followed the minimal design elements seen in other parts of the car. This system will also improve with time and new features added thanks to over-the-air (OTA) updates that the car comes with.

The Polestar 3 also features:

• a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system
• Soft-closing doors
• Head-up display
• Pilot Assist

That’s a lot of technology packed into the first SUV from the company, helping it compete with vehicles from traditional luxury car makers who have mainly focused on their ICE products in the past.

The Polestar 3 is one of a number of new products from the brand and this SUV along with two other models by the end of 2025 will help elevate the brand. Other new models to follow include the Polestar 4 SUV and the very sporty Polestar 5 sedan.

Polestar 3 will be produced in multiple continents with Australian-supplied vehicles manufactured in Chengdu, China. The same vehicle will also be produced in North America for the US and multiple other left-hand-drive markets.

Test-drives of the new Polestar 3 have also started and we look forward to bringing our impressions of what the Polestar 3 is really like on Australian roads.

Find all available EV options on our EV Models page and the latest sales data here.

Image: Polestar Australia