- After the Polestar 1 coupe and the Polestar 2 liftback, it’s time for the third album: the 2024 Polestar 3 SUV.
- Packing a 107.0-kWh battery, the dual motor Long Range model may get up to 300 miles on a charge, according to EPA estimated figures.
- The Performance package drops that range down to 270 models, but increases the output to 517 horsepower and 671 lb-ft of torque.
- Standard, the 2024 Polestar 3 makes 489 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque.
- The 2024 Polestar 3 goes on sale later next year, with prices starting at $85,300 with two extra packages — the Pilot and Plus packages — included as standard equipment for the first model year.
Another electric SUV joins the fray: Meet the 2024 Polestar 3.
The Swedish performance EV maker has been teasing its next model for the past few weeks, and we now have more details from the car’s launch in Copenhagen. This is arguably the brand’s most important model yet, since it’s competing against heavyweights like the Tesla Model Y. Fortunately, the on-paper specs look promising, with a dual motor setup that manages up to 517 horsepower and 671 lb-ft of torque.
According to Polestar’s published figures, that sort of grunt is good enough to slingshot their SUV to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. There is a caveat, though: You’ll need the $6,000 Performance package to get that level of power. As standard, the 2024 Polestar 3 manages 489 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque — still good enough for a 4.9-second 0-60 time. The car’s top speed, either way, is 130 mph.
Measuring out to 193.0 inches on a 117.5-inch wheelbase, the 2024 Polestar 3 measures out slightly longer than the Tesla Model Y, and a bit shorter than the Model X.
What sort of battery do you get in the 2024 Polestar 3?
Under the sheet metal with the dual synchronous electric motors, you get a 107.0-kWh (usable capacity) battery pack. Polestar says it’s targeting an EPA-rated range of 300 miles, or 270 if you spring for the Performance package to get that extra power. The Polestar 3 uses a 400-volt electrical architecture and can also disconnect its rear motor to save energy in favorable driving conditions.
Thanks to the car’s body shape, Polestar managed a decent drag coefficient of 0.29. That’s not as aerodynamically efficient as the Tesla Model Y’s 0.23, but that is slightly better than the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s 0.30.
Using a 250 kW DC fast charger, the automaker says its SUV can charge up from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Among the plethora of onboard features, it’s also equipped with bi-directional charging. Beyond its plug-and-charge capability, it can also return power back to the grid.
Tech features
Naturally, the 2024 Polestar 3 brings a host of technology features, including through the “Pilot” pack that will be standard equipment for the first model year. That adds in things like a head-up display, the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving suite, but that’s hardly the end of the story. The “Plus” package adds in a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, a heated steering wheel, electrically adjustable steering column and soft-close doors.
From the middle of next year, there will be another Pilot Pack that includes a lidar system. you’ll also get three more cameras and four ultrasonic sensors that “enables enhanced 3D scanning of the car’s surrounding” and “helps prepare the car for autonomous driving”. The 2024 Polestar 3 is the brand’s first car to house an Nvidia Drive computer onboard, serving as the “AI brain” for the car’s sensor and cameras to both assist and monitor the driver. On the latter point, the car houses radar sensors that detect sub-millimeter movement to prevent drivers leaving kids or pets behind. The system, Polestar says, is linked to the climate control system to prevent heat stroke or hypothermia.
The 2024 Polestar 3 even has an eye tracker from Smart Eye, which is the core of the car’s driver attention monitoring and will watch out for distracted or drowsy drivers. Ignore the system’s warnings for too long, and the car will come to an emergency stop on its own.
A 14.5-inch infotainment system is standard fare, running on the Android operating system with Google apps built in, like we saw with the Polestar 2.
How much will the 2024 Polestar 3 cost?
Before getting into the price, a few key details worth noting for the new Polestar 3. It uses a battery sourced from Chinese firm CATL, which also supplies batteries to BMW, Ford and Tesla. Production for “initial launch markets” will also start at a plant in Chengdu, China, which will disqualify this car from eligibility for the revamped $7,500 tax credit under this year’s Inflation Reduction Act. At least, that will be the case at first.
Starting in mid-2024, North American Polestar 3s will be manufactured in Volvo’s Ridgeville, South Carolina factory. So, depending on how Polestar navigates the new legislation’s component sourcing requirement, it may eventually be eligible for the tax credit, but at least not for its first couple model years.
When it goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2023, pricing for the 2024 Polestar 3 will start at $85,300 for the base car. The Pilot and Plus packs come standard for the first model year, so the major added expense will be the $6,000 Performance pack, if you decide to spec it. You can configure a Polestar 3 now through the automaker’s configurator site.
