Electric range and quiet comfort, Polestar 3 SUV targets the sweet spot

Reviewed: ad hoc news Accessory & Components desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-18, 01:58. Details in the imprint.

Polestar 3 is the kind of electric SUV you picture gliding silently onto a hotel driveway, all crisp edges, slim lights and a cabin that smells faintly of new textiles rather than leather. The proportions are muscular but tidy, the stance low for an SUV. Inside, the large portrait screen dominates without feeling like an arcade machine.

How the drivetrain feels

In its Long range Dual motor version, Polestar 3 delivers up to 360 kW (489 hp) and 840 Nm, with the Performance Pack lifting that to 380 kW and 910 Nm. The big SUV does not lurch off the line violently; it builds speed with a smooth, confident shove that suits long trips more than traffic-light duels.

The 111 kWh battery (107 kWh usable) supports DC fast charging up to 250 kW, so a 10-80 percent top-up can be done in well under 35 minutes at a suitable charger. On the European WLTP cycle, Polestar quotes up to around 628 km of range for selected versions, though real-world motorway figures will sit lower, especially at German autobahn speeds.

Chassis, comfort and everyday use

Air suspension with active dampers is standard, constantly adjusting the ride to balance comfort and body control even on broken tarmac. From the driver’s seat, you feel a firm but not harsh setup - the car stays impressively flat in curves for its size, yet still filters out the worst potholes with a muted thump.

Rear-axle torque vectoring helps rotate the car into bends, giving the tall body a surprisingly agile feel on winding country roads. At the same time, acoustic glass and careful sealing keep wind noise low at motorway speeds, so conversations between front and rear passengers remain easy without raised voices.

Interior, software and materials

The cockpit centers on a large, 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen running Google built-in, including Google Maps and the Play Store. Voice commands via Google Assistant work reliably in daily use, which means you rarely need to stab around the screen for basic functions once you get used to it.

Polestar uses a mix of textile and vegan materials as standard in Polestar 3, with optional leather for those who insist, but the overall impression is clean and technical rather than plush. The floating center console, slim air vents and frameless mirrors all support that quiet, Scandinavian aesthetic that makes slipping into the car after a long day feel calming rather than overwhelming.

Space, practicality and charging habits

At just under five meters in length, Polestar 3 offers generous room for four adults plus a child in the middle rear seat, with a flat floor helping legroom. The boot is wide and usefully square, and a small front compartment handles charging cables so they do not dirty the main cargo area.

Bidirectional charging hardware is part of the concept, even if software features like full vehicle-to-grid support are expected to roll out gradually with over-the-air updates. For now, the most tangible benefit is the car’s planning around charging stops, with Google Maps routing that can precondition the battery before high-power DC sessions.

Positioning and price point

Polestar places the 3 above Polestar 2 in both size and price, aiming straight at premium electric SUVs from German and American rivals. In its European home markets, list prices start noticeably above high-equipped mid-size crossovers, signaling that Polestar sees this as a flagship family car rather than a mass-market workhorse.

Equipment levels, however, match the ambition: dual-motor all-wheel drive across the board, advanced driver-assistance systems with LiDAR available in a tech pack, and a high-quality audio system help justify the premium feel. For buyers, the decisive question will be whether they prefer this quiet, understated design to more extrovert competitors in the same bracket.

Context for investors and stock

For Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC, Polestar 3 is strategically important because larger, higher-priced SUVs usually offer better margins than compact models and open the door to markets such as the US Sun Belt and affluent parts of Europe. The company underlines that the model is a pillar of its move from niche volumes toward a broader premium portfolio.

Shares of Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (US7311052010) trade in the United States, where the stock remains closely tied to sentiment around premium EV demand and the group’s progress on funding and production scaling.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.