Tech

Polestar 3 review: A fast and refreshing alternative to German rivals

Published

6 months ago

June 19, 2024

Admin

There is a cost in a ride quality that’s marginally stiffer than some of the opposition, but frankly it’s pocket change, and this is a fine riding vehicle on the motorway and cross-country.

The Telegraph verdict

I’m not sure I like the thought of a 510bhp, 2.7-ton high-mounted 4×4 careening down a country road near me with the driver fiddling around with the touchscreen – even if the vehicle is monitoring his eye movements.

And before you come over all misty-eyed about it being an electric car, just remember that in this configuration if you consider the electricity used to charge it, the Polestar 3 is producing CO2e at a rate of 41g/km.

For all that, the Polestar 3 seems well engineered and good-looking, it rides and drives well and is as efficient as any of these giant battery SUVs can be. There are better ways of transporting a family of five around, and I’ll be interested to see how the bigger seven-seat Volvo EX90 version of this car is to drive later this year. But, for the moment, the Polestar 3 is a refreshing alternative to the German hegemony.

But is it enough to repair Polestar’s fortunes? In the UK I reckon the company will make more money in the next couple of years selling its spare CO2 emissions to rival car makers than it’ll make out of the Polestar 3 in this form, but in this weird world of battery electric, them’s the breaks. Look out for the rear-drive version arriving in the autumn, though – that might be an altogether better and cheaper proposition.

The facts

On test: Polestar 3 Launch Edition Performance Pack

Body style: Five-door premium EV family SUV

On sale: Orders open now, delivery Q4 2024

How much? From £79,900, £85,500 in Performance Pack spec as tested

How fast? 130mph, 0-62mph in 4.7sec

How economical? 2.7-2.8m/kWh (WLTP Combined), 2.28m/kWh on test

Electric powertrain: Dual permanent-magnet motors, 111kWh / 107kWh lithium-ion NMC battery, 250kW DC charging

Electric range: 349 miles (244 miles on test)

Maximum power/torque: 510bhp/671lb ft

CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 41g/km (well-to-wheel)

VED: £0

Warranty: Three years or 60,000 miles on vehicle. Battery warranted for 8 years or 100,000 miles to have more than 70 per cent of its original charge capacity