The Polestar 3 was first seen in late 2022. But the first units will not be delivered until this summer. Was the Polestar 3 worth the wait?
Polestar decided earlier to postpone the start of production of its large electric SUV. The reason: at the last moment the electronics did not seem to work perfectly. That has now been fixed, so that we can finally drive our first test kilometers in the area of Madrid.
The Polestar 3 is a nearly 5-meter long electric SUV that has shaken off the traditional SUV (p)lumsiness. Next to competitors BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron, the Polestar 3 looks much less heavy thanks to its low nose section, elegant shapes and stylishly sloping roofline.
That sloping roofline makes the Polestar 3 a pure 5-seater. EV buyers who need more seats to accommodate the whole family will have to look to Volvo for the Volvo EX90which is on the same electric platform.
Polestar certainly did the right thing by delaying the market debut of the Polestar 3 and not burdening the customer with half-hearted, glitchy software, as you are bombarded with electronic gadgets.
“You can even open the glove compartment by pressing an icon on the screen.”
Centrally on the dashboard, the standing screen demands attention. With this control panel, you can operate almost all functions, from the exterior mirrors to the degree of deceleration during regeneration, from the shock absorption to switching the overzealous fatigue assistant on and off, and from the seat ventilation and heating to the navigation. You can even open the glove compartment by pressing an icon on the screen.
Entering the route to your destination works via Google Maps, and is just as easy in the Polestar 3 as on your smartphone or at home behind the laptop. Polestar has put a lot of energy into a logical menu structure and intuitive operation of all systems. For example, the most important functions are clearly grouped on the configurable main screen, and you can quickly and easily call up all submenus.
Air suspension is standard
The Polestar 3 comes standard with excellent seating seats, as well as an air-sprung chassis. Because Polestar has fitted thick insulation mats around the electric motors and in the wheel arches, driving noises are neatly kept outside even at high speeds.
It goes without saying that the driving comfort of the Polestar 3 is of a high level. The excellent tuning of the chassis must be emphasized. The sometimes annoying movements of other top-heavy SUVs (the Polestar 3 weighs 2600 kg) are perfectly controlled by the air suspension of the Polestar 3, regardless of the selected driving program.
Of course, you feel the rear end sink a little deeper into the springs when you give it full throttle in the softest setting, and bumps in the road surface are more noticeable when you have opted for more firmness. However, when you keep up the pace on a winding road, you rarely get the feeling that you are driving a car weighing 2.6 tonnes. The brakes also easily shake off those 2600 kilos. Kudos to the driving characteristics of the Polestar 3!
Polestar 3: two electric motors, 489 hp
And the performance is also (very) good. The Polestar 3 has two electric motors, which together generate a power of 489 hp. If you opt for the Performance package, then even 517 hp goes to all four wheels. With or without that Performance package: the difference in sprint power of both power variants is not big. Whether you shoot to a hundred in 5.0 seconds or in 4.7 seconds, you are still lightning fast.
The energy for all thrust is supplied by a 111 kWh battery. Polestar gives a range of 631 km (WLTP), with the Performance package this remains 561 kilometers. Although the on-board electrical system of the Polestar 3 works with a voltage of 400 volts, fast charging is still possible with a maximum charging capacity of 250 kW. A (cheaper) variant with a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive will be added to the range at the end of this year.
Polestar 3 (2024) test conclusion
When a manufacturer decides to delay the start of production, there is a risk that the initial interest in the new model will have evaporated before it even reaches the showroom. And indeed: after we had seen the Polestar 3 at the end of November 2022, it had almost disappeared from our retinas.
But Polestar has done well to further refine the 3, particularly its complex electrical system. The electric SUV that the Swedish brand is now putting on the road, a year and a half after its unveiling, is a particularly impressive car.
Text: Igor Stuifzand
Read the full Polestar 3 review in Auto Review 07/2024.
Source: www.autoreview.nl
