2024 Polestar 3 review: First Aussie drive of the luxury EV that proves Polestar deserves to survive

September 29, 2024September 28, 2024 Bruce Newton 1752 Views 3, ev, polestar, SUV

There’s a sense of chaos about Polestar.

In its short life the Scandinavian electric vehicle specialist owned by Chinese giant Geely has suffered through new model launch delays, fallen short of sales targets, tanked on the stock market, lost huge amounts of money and is now going through a major overhaul of its global management (that last upheaval undoubtedly driven by issues one, two, three and four).

It’s enough to have various analysts and experts predicting it will be folded back into its former parent Volvo or even wither away.

And then along comes the Polestar 3 and you realise what a shame it would be if Polestar did disappear. Our first drive on Australian roads indicates it’s that good.

2024 Polestar 3 price and equipment

Of course, the last thing the world needs right now is yet another $130,000-plus large electric SUV. We already have the BMW iX brick, Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS blobs, the ageing Audi Q8 e-tron and forgettable Lexus RZ450e vying for the few customers actually prepared to spend that sort of money on these sorts of cars.

But the Polestar 3 tries to be different and better and in large part succeeds.

Its exterior style intentionally sacrifices some functionally for a svelte low-roof form that appeals at a glance and impresses with its detail. Yet it’s so big and wide and its wheelbase so long there’s no shortage of interior space.

In fact, there is room for a third row of seats, but that family-friendly feature was preserved for the Volvo EX90, which was developed on the same mechanical and electronic platform as the Polestar 3.

The interior is also suffused in high-quality and usually recycled or sustainable materials, overlaid by a generous amount of luxury, technology and safety equipment.

Bear in mind the two dual motor ‘Launch Edition’ models that debut the Polestar 3 in Australia in fact have more standard equipment than will be offered in 2025. There are thousands of dollars of gear going on to the options list next year including a rather loud and impressive Bowers & Wilkins 25-speaker stereo.

Mind you, if you’re shopping in this space, an extra $10,000-$15,000 spend maybe doesn’t worry you.

2024 Polestar 3: What we think

For all the advantages they offer, EVs struggle to match the connected driving experience of an internal combustion vehicle.

The big EVs, with their substantial weight and digitised drivelines tend to be best at point and shoot. The intense acceleration in a straight-line is the experience that stands out.

Well, at an astonishing 2.6 tonnes, the Polestar 3 certainly fills the brief when it comes to weight and with the capacity to reach 100km/h from rest in five seconds or less courtesy of the immense thrust of its dual motors it is certainly quick.

But with its giant 111kWh battery pack sitting low between the axles, with adaptive air suspension working on both ends of the car and with a new BorgWarner dual-clutch rear differential apportioning drive across the rear wheels, the Polestar 3 is more three-dimensional than any of its rivals.

It kinda creeps up on you. At some point the realisation strikes you’re whisking along a winding seaside road at an impressive rate and enjoying it. The car is in sync with the road and you are in sync with the car. Sure, it points and shoots, but it also grips and steers with a level of connection that’s surprisingly unexpected.

I mean, this thing has Volvo roots … somewhere.

That’s something that becomes more apparent when cruising. It is well-rounded enough to suggest it will be entirely useable in the urban crush or on the school run.

So what’s not to like? Well, predictably, being so heavy this thing sucks lots of juice. We were averaging 26kWh/100km during our open road testing with highs steepling over 30kWh/100km.

For Polestar, a brand built on sustainability and environmental friendliness, this is a bit of a stick in spokes.

More prosaically it also means the range claims are optimistic. But the battery is so big you should still be getting 400km-plus on the open road and maybe 500km in town.

Then there’s the amount of focus on conducting basis functions through the touchscreen. Like, why do we have to adjust exterior mirrors in such a multi-step process? Annoying!

However, for the most part it must be said Polestar has tried and succeeded to bring a calm and orderly process to its Android-based touchscreen interactions. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

2024 Polestar 3: Verdict

The breadth and depth of the Polestar 3’s versatile capability is what makes it stand out from luxury EV rivals.

If I had the good fortune – and substantial fortune – to choose one of the many luxury electric SUVs to live with, this would be it. It’s the pick right now.

This is not the first EV to be launched that feels like the best and brightest worked on its creation and development, but it is deeply impressive they came up with a such a vehicle when there is so much turbulence and uncertainty within the business.

It’s a great argument for why Polestar should survive its challenges and hopefully thrive.

SCORE: 4.0/5

2024 Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor Launch Edition specifications
Price: $132,900 (plus on-road costs)
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, large SUV, AWD
Range: 628km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 111kWh (107kWh usable
Battery warranty: 8 years
Energy consumption: 19.8-21.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Motors: 1 front and 1 rear permanent magnet synchronous, 360kW/840Nm.
AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 250kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 5.0 seconds

2024 Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor with Performance Pack Launch Edition specifications
Price: $141,900 (plus on-road costs)
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, large SUV, AWD
Range: 561km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 111kWh (107kWh usable)
Battery warranty: 8 years
Energy consumption: 22.1-23.0Wh/100km (WLTP)
Motors: 1 front and 1 rear permanent magnet synchronous, 380kW/910Nm.
AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 250kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 5.0 seconds