“It’s like an entirely new car!” Flagship electric Polestar 3 SUV adds power, speed and range but cuts prices
EV specialist Polestar continues to accelerate its new model roll-out, confirming pricing and specifications for an upgraded version of its flagship large electric SUV, the Polestar 3.
The changes include major technology upgrades led by an 800-volt electrical architecture, faster charging more powerful drivetrains and cheaper prices ahead of its Australian arrival in mid-2026.
The revised five-door five-seat Polestar 3 range will start from $116,700 before on-road costs for the Rear Motor (previously Long Range Single Motor), representing a $1720 reduction compared with the previous entry price ($118,420) while also adding the previously optional Plus pack as standard across the range.
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It brings features such as a Bowers & Wilkins sound system with headrest speakers, head-up display, soft-close doors and active road-noise cancellation.
The 2026 Polestar 3 Dual Motor (previously Long Range Dual Motor) dips $1620 to $131,100 and the addition of the $9000 Plus pack improves value dramatically.
The 2026 Polestar 3 Performance (previously Long Range Dual Motor with Performance pack) is priced at $146,700, whereas its predecessor was $144,420 excluding Plus pack.
The update comes as Polestar accelerates its product rollout, recently confirming an all-new Polestar 2 will arrive earlier than expected in 2027, following a Polestar 4 wagon and ahead of the Polestar 7 compact SUV as the brand works to expand its global line-up and rebuild momentum.
“The upgrades to Polestar 3 are so extensive, it’s like an entirely new car,” said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller.
“With this upgrade we continue to deliver on our commitment to add value for our customers through over-the-air software and hardware updates.”
The update marks one of the most significant changes yet for the Polestar 3, with the introduction of an 800-volt electrical system enabling DC fast-charging speeds of up to 350kW.
Polestar says the change cuts the 10–80 per cent charging time to as little as 22 minutes — more than 25 per cent quicker than before — while also delivering efficiency gains of up to six per cent on the WLTP cycle.
Alongside the new electrical architecture, Polestar has introduced updated lithium-ion batteries supplied by CATL.
The Rear motor variant uses a 92kWh battery pack, while Dual Motor and Performance versions receive a larger 106kWh pack.
Performance has also been increased across the range thanks to a newly developed permanent-magnet synchronous rear motor.
Combined with an asynchronous front motor, the upgraded powertrain now delivers up to 500kW in the Performance variant, up a significant 120kW from the old model.
The Dual Motor produces 400kW (up from 360kW) and the entry Rear Motor 245kW (up from 220kW), with acceleration from 0–100km/h ranging from 6.5 seconds for the base model to 3.9 seconds for the Performance version.
WLTP driving range is claimed to reach up to 635km depending on the variant.
Polestar says the revised rear motor also shifts the power balance towards a more rear-biased set-up, while the front motor now features an automatic disconnect function designed to improve efficiency during steady-state driving.
The update also includes a major upgrade to the vehicle’s computing hardware. The Polestar 3 replaces its previous NVIDIA Xavier processor with the newer NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin system, increasing computing capability from around 30 to 254 trillion operations per second.
Polestar says the more powerful system allows faster processing of sensor data and improved management of safety systems and battery performance.
Existing Polestar 3 customers will be offered the hardware upgrade free of charge through a retrofit at authorised service centres.
Active air suspension remains standard on the Performance version but becomes optional on the Dual Motor model.
Design updates include two new exterior colours — Storm and Krypton — as well as new interior trim options including Bio-attributed MicroTech in Nebula and Nappa leather in Dune. An electrochromic glass roof that can adjust transparency is also now available as an option.
The Polestar 3 competes in Australia’s growing premium large electric SUV segment against models such as the BMW iX, Audi Q8 e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
The upgraded Polestar 3 is now available to order in Australia ahead of first local deliveries expected in the middle of 2026.
| 2026 Polestar 3 | Rear motor | Dual motor | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 245kW | 400kW | 500kW |
| Torque | 480Nm | 740Nm | 870Nm |
| 0–100km/h | 6.5 sec | 4.7 sec | 3.9 sec |
| Top speed | 210km/h | 230km/h | 230km/h |
| Range (WLTP) | up to 604km | up to 635km | up to 593km |
| Consumption (WLTP) | 17.6–21.6kWh/100km | 19.1–23.4kWh/100km | 20.6–23.4kWh/100km |
| Battery | 800V lithium-ion | 800V lithium-ion | 800V lithium-ion |
| Battery capacity | 92kWh | 106kWh | 106kWh |
| AC charging | up to 11kW | up to 11kW | up to 11kW |
| DC charging | up to 310kW | up to 350kW | up to 350kW |
