Polestar 3 all-electric SUV priced for Oz

POLESTAR has opened the order books for its Polestar 3 all-electric SUV in Australia after receiving almost 7000 expressions of interest since the model’s unveiling in October of last year, with initial deliveries in the first quarter of 2024.

The Polestar 3 will be available in Long Range Dual Motor and Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack guises, priced from $132,900 and $141,900 plus on-road costs respectively – almost double the amount asked for an entry level Polestar 2 fastback.

Polestar says the vehicle will be offered with an extensive list of equipment, “with a few options for easy configuration”. Standard-fit on both variants will be air suspension, a panoramic glass roof, LED lighting inside and out, retractable door handles with proximity sensing, and 21-inch alloy wheels.

Additionally, vehicles sold over the first 12 months will include Polestar’s Plus Pack and Pilot Pack as standard, adding items including a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins 3D sound system, soft-closing doors, head-up display and the Pilot Assist suite of active safety and driver assistance tech to the deal.

GoAuto understands that Polestar will roll out more affordable Polestar 3 variants – likely to have rear-wheel drive and smaller battery packs – once the high-end launch models are established in the market.

Both launch variants feature a rear-biased dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain configuration. In the Long Range Dual Motor, outputs are listed at 360kW and 840Nm, the Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack upping the ante to 380kW and 910Nm.

In addition to the dual-mode air suspension, variable one-pedal drive, electric torque vectoring (on the rear axle) and efficiency-aiding rear axle decoupling are standard on both models.

The Polestar 3 is powered by a 111kWh prismatic lithium-ion battery pack that offers 610km of range (560km with the Performance Pack) under WLTP criteria.

Recharging takes as little as 30 minutes using a 250kW DC rapid charger to get the battery pack from 10-80 per cent or 11 hours from 0-100 per cent using an 11kW AC charger.

The vehicle is also equipped for bidirectional charging, which Polestar says will enable “future potential for vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities”.

Beyond the hardware, Polestar says the 3 is its first vehicle to feature centralised computing thanks to its Nvidia Drive core computer. The ‘brain’ of the car processes data from the 3’s multiple sensors and cameras to enable what Polestar says are “advanced driver-assistance safety features and driver monitoring”.

Further collaborations with partners including Zenseact and Smart Eye provide the Polestar 3 with the latest semi-autonomous driving technology which “integrates seamlessly” with the central computer. Among the Polestar 3’s sensing capabilities are five radar modules, five external cameras and 12 external ultrasonic sensors.

Australian customers are also able to add the optional Pilot Pack with Lidar technology, three additional cameras and four ultrasonic sensors to provide “real-time data about the car’s surroundings, especially in the long-range field”.

Vehicles ordered with a Lidar sensor are expected to arrive from Q3 next year and will be further future-proofed against advances in crash avoidance and autonomous driving technology made available through over-the-air (OTA) software updates.

The interior of the vehicle is also replete with sensors, monitoring driver behaviour and whether children or pets have been left inside the car. Rather than simply alerting the driver that someone or something is still in the car, the technology is linked to the climate control system to prevent the likelihood of heat stroke or hypothermia.

Polestar’s latest infotainment system builds on the well-received unit offered in the Polestar 2 and is said to provide “immersive in-vehicle experiences” with its high-definition displays, premium surround sound set-up and “seamless” connectivity.

Further, Polestar says it will continue its sustainability push, enabling consumers to trace the source of the minerals used in the construction of their vehicle and its battery, and also offering vegan-friendly upholstery options. 

“Polestar 3 is a highly anticipated addition to the Polestar range in this market. Last year, SUVs represented 53 per cent of new vehicle sales in Australia, a tally that has more than doubled since 2010,” said Polestar Australia head Samantha Johnson.

“We know Australians want more electric vehicles that are ‘fit for purpose’ and with Polestar 3 we will deliver just that – a new, premium benchmark for driving excellence, technological integration, and sustainability for the electric age.”

2023 Polestar 3 pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.