2024 Polestar 3 Revealed As ‘Fully Loaded’ $84,000 Electric SUV

The Volvo spin-off brand Polestar debuted its first all-electric SUV Wednesday at a live-streamed event in Gothenburg, Sweden. Fittingly, the Sweden-based company’s third vehicle was revealed as the Polestar 3. It looks like a bigger, more muscular version of the compact hatchback Polestar 2.

The base dual-motor version with a 111 kWh battery good for 300 miles of estimated range is chock full of tech and advanced features like internal radar sensors for pet or children detection, a driver monitoring sensor and a panoramic glass roof. It starts at $83,900, not including a $1,400 destination charge.

The interior is still clearly Polestar with the familiar Android Automotive OS operating system that puts Google directly into the car and onto the 14.5-inch center touchscreen. At the reveal, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath described the five-seat cabin as “spacious and luxuriously airy.” The midsize SUV is 192 inches long.

Precept Roots

Polestar’s Precept concept car influenced the design of the 3, which is based on a shared new EV platform with Volvo. Like the Precept, the 3 is focused on sustainable materials in the seats like a bio-based MicroTech vinyl-like material, and animal welfare-certified leather and sourced wool. There are also vegan options for the leather and wool. A flax-based material subs in for carbon fiber components throughout.

The Polestar 3 leans on its Volvo connection more so than the 2, especially when comparing the new SUV to Volvo’s electrified SUVs like the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge.

What’s Included (and What’s Not)

The 3 is launching with Pilot and Plus pack extras included. That means a head-up display and parking assistance and a 25-speaker audio system from Bowers & Wilkins, a heated steering wheel and other comfort features. 

A LiDAR-enabled Plus pack with equipment from Luminar and NVIDIA will be available to order (pricing was not shared) later next year, which will give more information about the car’s surroundings and prepare it for future autonomous driving capability.

Beyond the included packs, the base 3 comes with LED lighting, retractable door handles, air suspension that adjusts, the glass roof and 21-inch alloy wheels. There’s a 1.13 cubic-feet front trunk, or frunk, and nearly 50 cubes of trunk space with the back seats down. The roof can hold up to 220 pounds.

It features a safety package with five cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. A “SmartZone” on the front houses many of the sensors. 

Performance Boost

The SUV comes with 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque for a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds. But with an extra $6,000 Performance pack those numbers bump up to 517 hp, 671 lb-ft and 4.6 seconds to 60 mph. The max speed is 130 mph. It can tow 3,500 pounds and comes with Brembo brakes.

The performance add-on includes bigger 22-inch wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires and “Swedish gold” detailing throughout the vehicle.

How Much Will the Polestar 3 Cost? When Will it be Available?

The launch version starts at $83,900 with the Plus and Pilot packs included. An additional Performance Pack boosts is available for $6,000. A LiDAR-infused Pilot Pack will be available as an add-on starting in quarter 2 next year. 

The Polestar 3 will eventually be made in the U.S. at Volvo’s Ridgeville, South Carolina plant—a first for the Chinese-owned company with manufacturing facilities in Chengdu China. New North America-based production requirements for a federal tax credit for EV buyers certainly prompted additional manufacturing stateside.

North America, Europe and China deliveries are expected by the end of 2023. 

Online orders opened Wednesday for the Polestar 3.