The Polestar 3 large electric SUV has received its first update and it will arrive in Australia from the middle of 2026, bringing heavily upgraded underpinnings but a virtually untouched exterior.
The headline change is the new 800V electrical architecture, which ups the maximum DC fast-charging rate from 250kW to 350kW. Polestar claims battery charging from 20 to 80 per cent can now be done in as little as 22 minutes, or a 25 per cent improvement.
All variants are fitted with a new 245kW/480Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor at the rear, which has 25kW more power, but 10Nm less torque than the existing unit.
Both all-wheel drive variant now have an asynchronous motor up front that can be automatically disconnected to improve efficiency and range.
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The entry-level variant, now known as the Polestar 3 Rear Motor, has a smaller 92kWh battery pack that supports DC charging up to 310kW.
Range, according to the WLTP standard, is down by 96km to 604km, largely because the about-to-be-superseded Single Motor variant has a larger 107kWh battery. The flipside is that the lighter battery and new motor have reduced the claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time from 7.8 to 6.5 seconds.
Next up is the Dual Motor with claimed total outputs of 400kW and 740Nm. Compared to the model it replaces, it is up 40kW but down 100Nm. It is able to hit the century in a claimed 4.5 seconds, or 0.5 seconds faster than before.
With a 106kWh battery that can handle DC fast-charging up to 350kW, the WLTP range has increased 25km to 635km.
Topping the model walk is the Performance that boasts a total of 500kW and 870Nm from its dual-motor system. As with the other variants, power is up (by 120kW, in this case), but torque is down (40Nm less than before). It can now scoot to 100km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds, which is 0.8 seconds faster than previously.
It too has a 106kWh battery pack, and despite the higher levels of performance, the WLTP range has gone up by 33km to 593km.
Not only is the 3 faster than before, but Polestar claims it is more engaging to drive thanks to revised anti-roll bars and a remapped steering setup.
On top of this, the revised Polestar 3 has also undergone brain surgery. The new Nvidia Orin processor is capable of 254 trillion operations per second, which is almost 8.5 times more than the Xavier unit it replaces. Current Polestar 3 owners will have their cars upgraded to the Orin processor for free.
Pricing and equipment
While there’s a smaller battery pack for the entry-level Rear Motor variant and a price increase for the Performance model, the revised range is claimed to be better value as all variants now come with the Plus pack (previously a $9000 option) as standard.
| Price before on-road costs | |
|---|---|
| Polestar 3 Rear Motor | $116,700 (-$1720) |
| Polestar 3 Dual Motor | $131,100 (-$1620) |
| Polestar 3 Performance | $146,700 (+$2280) |
The Plus pack includes a head-up display, acoustic rear windscreen, Bowers & Wilkins sound system with active noise cancellation and speakers built into the head restraints, electric adjustment for the steering column, soft-close doors, and a foldable boot floor with luggage hooks.
Standard safety features on all models extends to a 360-degree camera system with 3D view, lane change assist, parking assist, and curve speed assist.
Options include a selection of Bridge of Weir leather seat trims, HD LED headlights, and an electrochromic glass roof. The active air suspension system that’s standard on the Performance is available for extra cost on the Dual Motor.
Despite Michael Lohscheller, Polestar’s CEO, claiming “the upgrades to Polestar 3 are so extensive, it’s like an entirely new car”, the car is visually unchanged, although there are a few new exterior paint colours including Storm dark metallic grey and Krypton metallic green.