I don\u2019t call myself an SUV lover, but I can admit that maybe it\u2019s a strange business decision to start out your fully electric (or electrified) brand with a sedan and a coupe. In case you haven\u2019t noticed, the SUV-shaped Tesla Model Y is the best-selling vehicle in the world. Hell, most of the biggest-selling vehicles today are of the light truck variety, regardless of propulsion type. So there\u2019s no doubt the Polestar 3 is a long time coming, primed to pick up all the consumers waiting for a crossover from the Sino-Swedish brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the crossover\u2019s introduction shows there are a lot of looming questions. Is this truly what Polestar\u00a0needs to get out from under the shadow of its Geely Group corporate cousin Volvo? I couldn\u2019t get actual driving time behind the wheel, but the brand offered ride-a-longs of the 3 during this year\u2019s Polestar Day event \u2013 along with its sleeker sibling, the Polestar 4. There\u2019s still a lot to be said, even as a passenger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Even as a person paid to understand, write, and comment on the EV market, I can admit that it can be hard to keep track of the onslaught of new EV nameplates about to hit the market. Heck, Polestar showed off three new models all at the same time \u2013 all very stylish and painted in white. So, I wrongfully assumed that the Polestar 3 and 4 were variations of the same chassis, a two-pronged approach aimed at that magical $50-65,000 sweet spot occupied by the Tesla Model Y, Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV70 Electrified and more.<\/p>\n
I was mistaken. The Polestar 3 and 4 actually aren\u2019t all that similar at all under the skin. They\u2019re even on different platforms, with the 4\u2019s also underpinning China\u2019s Zeekr 001 and the new Volvo EM90 van.\u00a0 And to top it off, Polestar\u2019s aiming for a much higher price bracket with the Polestar 3, especially compared to the downright budget Polestar 2.<\/p>\n
At a base price of $83,900, before destination fees or any options, the Polestar 3 is aimed upmarket against EVs like the Audi Q8 E-Tron or BMW iX. It\u2019s a big car, meant for big budgets, looking for a taste of slightly sport-oriented Swedish luxury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the first time anyone\u2019s seen the Polestar 3. It\u2019s been unveiled for a while, and a select few Polestar stores across the United States have had examples in showrooms for Polestar fans and customers alike. But they aren\u2019t in every showroom, nor do most of us make a habit of visiting car dealerships on a regular basis to take a gander at new products. I\u2019d wager that this was the first time that most folks in attendance had seen the Polestar 3 in person, since the Polestar Day event was full of fans and investors as well as journalists.<\/p>\n
And it looks great. True, Polestar still has yet to beat the \u201cthis is just a Volvo\u201d allegations, but the Polestar 3 has strong, clean lines and a presence that\u2019s all its own. The upright, practically minded rear hatch area feels downright novel compared to the kind of hackneyed coupe-like rooflines of so many EV models on the market. The Polestar 3\u2019s hood is long, the car feels wide, athletic, and svelte despite being dimensionally a stone\u2019s throw away from the visually gargantuan BMW iX. In an era of overstyled EVs, the Polestar 3 feels refreshing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Likewise, the interior feels wide and airy. I\u2019ve previously described the Polestar 2 as if it were a car made by Crate & Barrel, but the 2\u2019s kind of mediocre packaging could be accused of making the car feel confining. That car\u2019s interior is snug, featuring a big center tunnel that pushes the occupants to the outside of the car, and tiny windows that make the interior feel cavern-like.<\/p>\n
The Polestar 3\u2019s interior is much better in that regard. The freestanding center console juts into the front passenger space but doesn\u2019t connect with the 14.5-inch infotainment display. So there\u2019s a big open space near the driver and front passenger\u2019s feet \u2013 coupled with the clean, unencumbered dashboard and elevated driving position inherent to the SUV form factor of the Polestar 3, this crossover\u2019s interior might be the most comfortable feeling interior the brand has produced yet.<\/p>\n
With that said, some potential buyers may be a bit off-put by the Polestar 3\u2019s comparatively sparse feeling interior considering the car\u2019s price. It\u2019s a little unfair to critique a preproduction example too closely with regard to material quality or fit and finish, but the Audi Q8 E-Tron and BMW iX interiors look more plush than the Polestar\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Polestar 4, the Polestar 3 uses the same SPA2 platform as the Volvo EX90, but I get the gist that the Polestar 3\u2019s strictly five-passenger form factor and optional performance pack place it above the family-oriented Volvo. Of course, the Polestar 3’s key features are its sleekly integrated LIDAR features that the brand says will enable semi-autonomous driving really soon. Unfortunately, that part wasn’t tested, so we can’t comment on the effectiveness of that system.<\/p>\n
Our test ride was short \u2013 only about 10 minutes \u2013 but it did encompass actual city roads and traffic. The short jaunt revealed a ride that was well-composed and comfortable, albeit on the firm side. The crossover handled the streets of Santa Monica with grace, with no awkward bouncing or rattle inherent to a preproduction car or underdeveloped suspension where the spring rates and dampers are mismatched, barely coping with the more than 5,500 lbs of electric crossover. The 487 horsepower twin-motor AWD setup flung the crossover to illegal speeds within the blink of an eye, as is the custom with modern EVs these days. It all felt very nice \u2013 albeit I’m not entirely convinced that it was an experience worth $83,000.<\/p>\n
And I think that’ll be the crux of the Polestar 3’s issues when journalists and customers alike can finally get behind the wheel. For example, the BMW iX is ugly as sin, but it is secretly one of BMW’s best-driving cars, managing to strike a well-considered balance between driving engagement and comfort. In its current state, the Polestar 3 feels impressive and likable, but will the rest of the driving experience live up to the high price tag? Are consumers really in search of yet another nearly $100,000 EV crossover?<\/p>\n
We’ll soon learn when the Polestar 3 goes on sale in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I don\u2019t call myself an SUV lover, but I can admit that maybe it\u2019s a strange business decision to start<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nPolestar 3 First Ride: Polestar's First SUV Makes Big Moves - AutoMotoBuzz.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/polestar-3-first-ride-polestars-first-suv-makes-big-moves\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Polestar 3 First Ride: Polestar's First SUV Makes Big Moves - AutoMotoBuzz.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I don\u2019t call myself an SUV lover, but I can admit that maybe it\u2019s a strange business decision to start\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/polestar-3-first-ride-polestars-first-suv-makes-big-moves\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AutoMotoBuzz.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-15T20:49:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Polestar-3-First-Ride-Polestars-First-SUV-Makes-Big-Moves.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/polestar-3-first-ride-polestars-first-suv-makes-big-moves\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/polestar-3-first-ride-polestars-first-suv-makes-big-moves\/\",\"name\":\"Polestar 3 First Ride: Polestar's First SUV Makes Big Moves - 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I don\u2019t call myself an SUV lover, but I can admit that maybe it\u2019s a strange business decision to start<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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