2024 Polestar 3 family to grow: More affordable 650km-plus Single Motor model and hi-po ‘Beast’ incoming

May 15, 2024May 15, 2024 Toby Hagon 11574 Views BST, polestar, polestar 3

The Polestar 3 large luxury electric SUV due to start deliveries to customers in Australia in September will soon be more affordable – and go further on a charge.

The Sino-Swedish electric vehicle specialist is also looking at a higher output version that could adopt the BST – or “beast” – branding.

It’s all about broadening the appeal of the brand’s flagship model.

“Later this year the single motor version of Polestar 3 will become available,” confirmed Brent Ellis, Polestar’s global head of product PR. “It will be rear-wheel drive and all the details about that will be announced a few months from now.”

Product manager Andreas Andreen suggested it would use the same rear motor already employed for the Dual Motor models.

That motor makes up to 200kW and 490Nm and is claimed to be “stronger” than the front motor used on Dual Motor variants.

It’s unclear whether the torque vectoring system that is standard on the rear motor of the Dual Motor Polestar 3s will make its way to the two-wheel drive model.

That mechanical torque vectoring system performs two main roles: As well as apportioning drive between the left and right rear wheels, it can also completely disconnect the rear motor, temporarily turning the Polestar 3 into a front-drive SUV.

Andreen says that’s all about efficiency, with the front motor consuming slightly less electricity than the motor out back.

He also says the Single Motor Polestar 3 will utilise the same 111kWh battery pack offered in the Dual Motor models.

Combined with less weight for better efficiency it should stretch how far you can drive on a charge beyond the Dual Motor’s maximum 628km of WLTP range. Think something closer to 650km.

The Polestar 3 is currently priced from $132,900 plus on-road costs for the Long Range Dual Motor, as it’s officially called.

A Performance pack that ups the peak power from 360kW to 380kW sells from $141,900 before costs.

It’s unclear how much the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor will sell for, but something closer to $110,000 seems logical, especially if the company were to lighten the list of standard equipment offered on the Dual Motor.

That would add appeal for Polestar’s flagship model, although it still keeps it in the rarefied $100K-plus luxury air that accounts for around 10 per cent of all electric car sales in Australia.

“Of course that can be investigated,” said Andreen when asked whether the company thought there was a market for a more potent version of the Polestar 3.

“I can’t go into those details.”

At the other end of the scale, Polestar is looking to further boost the performance of the 3.

Such a vehicle would likely use the BST sub-branding that is said to denote “beast”.

Polestar has done BST versions of the 2 – although they were never sold in Australia – and has previously said it wants to do future iterations on other models.

One thing you won’t see in the Polestar 3 is a third row of seats, something that could rule it out for larger families chasing a seven-seat SUV.

Polestar design chief Maximillian Missoni says it’s about positioning the car as a premium competitor to the likes of the Porsche Cayenne (which is due to go all-electric for the next generation due in 2026) and BMW iX rather than treading on the toes of the EX90 soon to arrive from sister-brand Volvo.

“EX90 is the one with three rows,” said Missoni.

Polestar will also launch the smaller and cheaper Polestar 4 SUV in Australia at about the same time as 3 launches here.