Summary
The Polestar 3 is a large electric crossover/SUV that became available to order in the UK in 2024, which its manufacturer says offers family-friendly SUV space and drives like a sports car.
Based on the same foundations as the new battery-powered Volvo EX90, UK reviewers have widely praised the Polestar 3 for its classy minimalist interior design and comfortable ride, but many outlets conclude that comparing the SUV to a sports car is not very accurate.
“Sure it’s powerful”, says Carbuyer’s Charlie Harvey, “but there’s not much feel in the driving experience.” Alastair Crooks of Auto Express agrees, arguing that the EV “falls short of Polestar’s sporty claims, as you might expect of a two-and-a-half-tonne family car.”
As a family car though, the British motoring media largely agrees that the Polestar 3 stacks up well against its large electric rivals, What Car?’s Neil Winn concluding that the SUV has “arrived in style” with a sharp driving experience, competitive pricing and adds that it “comes packed with standard equipment.”
That said, Parker’s CJ Hubbard explains that, while the Polestar 3 has a longer battery range, “the BMW iX is a better blend of luxury and utility.”
As of October 2024, the Polestar 3 holds a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 69%. Beyond the car’s average to very good review scores, this overall score is impeded by high average running costs.
Polestar 3 highlights
- Class-leading battery range
- Attractive exterior and interior design
- Extensive list of standard equipment
- Sharp driving dynamics
Polestar 3 lowlights
- Not as sporty as the marketing suggests
- Rivals offer more boot space
- Over-reliance on touchscreen for car settings
- Performance Pack models have a firm ride quality
Key specifications
Body style: Large SUV
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £69,900 on-road
Launched: Summer 2024
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“As you might expect of a two-and-a-half-tonne family car, it falls short of Polestar’s sporty claims – especially in dual-motor Performance Pack guise. We think it might be worth waiting for the more sensible, cheaper, two-wheel-drive version due on sale next year.”
Author: Alastair Crooks
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Refreshingly different to the masses, and a pleasure to drive. Touchscreen is annoying and refinement could be better, but the 3 is still peculiarly charming, and very recommendable.”
Author: Vicky Parrott
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“This is Polestar’s most convincing effort yet, sticking a Swedish cat amongst the Bavarian pigeons. The spacious and well-appointed interior impresses, as does the handling and promised range.”
Author: Alan Taylor-Jones
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Its minimalist interior exudes a premium feel, albeit in a more understated way compared to many rivals. The ride is comfortable, too, but we think it’s a push to consider the Polestar 3 sporty as per the manufacturer’s claims – sure it’s powerful, but there’s not much feel in the driving experience.”
Author: Charlie Harvey
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Model reviewed: Range overview
“Polestar’s first new model in a while looks good, feels great inside and has plenty of space – but it only has five seats and it’s not cheap.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“This crossover of estate and SUV means it’s more aerodynamic and brings efficiency improvements, but it also makes the 3 more engaging to drive as it has a lower centre of gravity. It’s really spacious too, especially in the back, and the quality is great.”
Author: Tom Barnard
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Ultra-competitive pricing, a sharp design and strong performance make Polestar’s first SUV a promising new offering.”
Author: Sam Jenkins
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.8 / 10
“It’s a better driving and more special feeling thing than the Mercedes EQE SUV, although the BMW iX is a better blend of luxury and utility.”
Author: CJ Hubbard
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s a full £15,000 cheaper than the cheapest Volvo EX90, which uses all of the same basic mechanical bits. So, you’re getting a sportier, better-looking, reasonably engaging-to-drive electric SUV for less, and all you’ve had to sacrifice are some extra seats and a more voluminous boot.”
Author: Neil Briscoe
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Polestar 3 seems well engineered and good-looking, it rides and drives well and is as efficient as any of these giant battery SUVs can be.”
Author: Andrew English
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“A solid effort from Polestar, and one you should try if the usual brands are beginning to grate.”
Author: Tom Ford
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The luxury electric SUV segment is hard to break into, but the new Polestar 3 has arrived in style. Not only does it boast a BMW iX-beating official range, but it’s also sharp to drive, cosseting at cruising speed, competitively priced and comes packed with standard equipment.”
Author: Neil Winn
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of October 2024, the Polestar 3 has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of October 2024, the Polestar 3 has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Polestar 3 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing whenever it ever takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of October 2024, the Polestar 3 has only just started arriving on UK roads, so we don’t have enough reliability data on the SUV to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Polestar 3, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 381 miles | A | 348 – 403 miles | A – A |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 3.4 m/KWh | E | 3.1 – 3.6 m/KWh | D – E |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 50 | F | 50 – 50 | F – F |
| Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
| Year 1 | £505 | D |
| Year 2 | £917 | C |
| Year 3 | £1,341 | C |
| Year 4 | £1,535 | C |
| Year 5 | £2,078 | C |
| Overall | £6,376 | C |
The Polestar 3 can be a rather expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The car’s average battery range of 381 miles (ranging from 348 to 403 miles depending on the model you choose) is excellent when compared to the rest of the EV market. That said, it’s not very efficient. It’s electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) of 3.4 m/KWh is lower than average, but large rivals like the BMW iX and Kia EV9 are just as inefficient.
The car’s insurance premiums are also in the most expensive bracket, and its predicted five-year servicing and maintenance cost total of over £6k can also be considered expensive, especially as the servicing total for the Kia EV9 is estimated to be over £1k cheaper.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Polestar 3
As of October 2024, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Polestar 3. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Polestar dealer.
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Polestar 3, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
BMW iX | Hyundai Ioniq 7 | Hyundai Santa Fe | Kia EV9 | Land Rover Defender | Land Rover Discovery | Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV | Range Rover plug-in hybrid | Tesla Model X | Volkswagen ID. Buzz | Volvo EX90
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Polestar 3 at The Car Expert
Buy a Polestar 3
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