Everyone talks in regards to the electrical automobile (EV) worth battle, however there’s one other equally vital battle unfolding within the background – the EV vary battle.
EVs could be had for as little as $30,000 in 2025, and producers are consistently reviewing pricing to outpoint their rivals, however a valuable few fashions are able to enterprise traditional Aussie street journeys with out operating out of cost.
That’s massively vital for households trying to transition from trusty petrol and diesel energy to electrical motoring.
Which brings us to this – the Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Single Motor. With a claimed vary of 700km, no EV in Australia will journey additional on a single cost.
Polestar’s hyper-mile hero arrives Down Beneath as a cut-price entry level into the Sino-Swedish electrical model’s massive SUV vary, slotting in under a pair of dual-motor variants.
Rivals embody the bottom BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Audi Q8 e-tron, Cadillac Lyriq, and Porsche Cayenne.
Is industry-leading driving vary sufficient to catapult the Polestar 3 above such a powerful set of options, or is it set to stay a distinct segment possibility within the rising luxurious electrical SUV market?
To search out out, we saddled up on this new rear-wheel drive entry variant for a weekend jaunt from Melbourne to Adelaide and again.
How does the Polestar 3 examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Polestar 3 in opposition to equally sized automobiles.
Polestar
Polestar 3
How a lot does the Polestar 3 value?
The Polestar 3 is now $14,300 cheaper to get into due to the addition of this new rear-drive variant.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2025 Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Single Motor | $118,420 |
| 2025 Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Twin Motor | $132,720 |
| 2025 Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Twin Motor with Efficiency pack | $144,420 |
Our tester was kitted out with a wholesome set of choices together with the Plus Pack ($9000), 1.3 Megapixel HD LED headlights ($3000), MicroTech and repurposed aluminium inside trim ($700), and rear privateness glass ($700), inflating the worth as examined to $131,640 earlier than on-road prices.
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What’s the Polestar 3 like on the within?
Like the remainder of the Polestar lineup, this new entry into the three lineup exemplifies premium minimalism.
Not like some rival EVs, the Polestar 3 is blessed with soft-touch supplies all through its total cabin, together with panels under the belt.
Meaning you by no means by chance come into contact with low-cost plastics that negatively impact perceptions of high quality.
The sprint and door playing cards are completed in a wetsuit-like materials, whereas widespread contact factors obtain the leather-based remedy. Aluminium inlays add an aesthetic contact, though the inclusion of gloss black plastic on the centre tunnel detracts from that.
Your major level of contact with the Polestar 3 is the driving force’s seat, and each entrance seats show comfy for a variety of physique varieties.
The bottom is vast and comes with extendable thigh assist, whereas the edges are calmly bolstered.
Each entrance seats characteristic electrical adjustment as commonplace and our tester was geared up with an elective power-adjustable steering column, which makes it straightforward to search out your good driving place. Three-stage seat heating is commonplace.
In entrance of the driving force sits a supple leather-based steering wheel with pronounced grip factors and an uncluttered button structure that aligns with the remainder of the inside, which is bereft of bodily buttons and dials.
Many producers, each mainstream and luxurious, have taken the leap to desert bodily controls, however some have managed that transition higher than others.
Within the case of Polestar, there’s nonetheless work to be executed. The 14.5-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen is filled with options and intelligent shortcuts to succeed in them, but it surely’s nonetheless difficult to make use of the system with out taking your eyes off the street.
That stated, the Polestar 3 gives voice management within the type of Google Assistant. I choose to do issues the quaint manner, however I can’t fault the automotive for bringing the most recent tech to the market.
Luxurious manufacturers particularly seemingly take a ‘extra is extra’ strategy to know-how, which is nice in concept, however it might imply there’s a studying curve related to the possession expertise.
That applies to the infotainment display within the Polestar 3, which takes a short time to get your head round. As soon as that course of is full, you’ll be taught to understand it.
The system homes all key capabilities, whereas additionally providing extras like Google apps (Maps, YouTube, and so on) and related companies. Local weather controls are pinned to the underside of the display and there’s a configurable shortcut bar above to maintain favorite options at your fingertips.
If the native options don’t do it for you, the Polestar 3 gives wi-fi smartphone mirroring, a wi-fi charging pad, and two USB-C shops to maintain units charged.
The display itself is responsive to the touch inputs, with loads of processing energy and sharp graphics. Nicely, 99 per cent of the time.
There was one occasion throughout our journey to Adelaide when the show failed with out warning, though the difficulty shortly resolved itself. In an identical vein, the glovebox was caught shut all through our mortgage.
Fortunately, there’s no scarcity of storage options up entrance, together with a deep centre console, expansive door bins, and a big tray between the seats. No cubby on your sun shades, although.
The jam-packed infotainment system is complemented by a sensational Bowers and Wilkins sound system, fitted to our tester as a part of the $9000 Plus Pack.
The 25-speaker association has three sound presets – Studio, Stage, and Live performance Corridor – the latter of which immerses you within the soundscape of Sweden’s Gothenburg Live performance Corridor. Is it a bit gimmicky? Perhaps, however I switched into this mode each time I hopped within the automotive, and I’m a little bit of an audiophile.
Behind the steering wheel sits a thin driver show exhibiting solely important info – velocity, navigation instructions, and driver help knowledge. It’s easy and efficient, in contrast to the unlabelled, unseparated steering wheel buttons that management it, amongst different issues.
As for the second row, properly it’s a passenger’s paradise. Legroom verges on extreme, and each outboard seats are heated. A totally flat flooring encourages use of the center seat, which additionally has ample legroom.
The rear bench is properly reclined, and solely these topping 6’5″ might be pressed for headroom. Even then, a beautiful panoramic glass roof offers the cabin an open, ethereal really feel.
Along with providing class-leading seating consolation, the second row is stacked with facilities. Roomy door bins and retractable map pockets tick the storage field, whereas the centre armrest incorporates pop-out cupholders.
The again of the centre console homes two USB-C shops and the rear local weather management display. Each outboard seats have devoted ISOFIX and top-tether youngster seat anchorage factors.
Whereas the second row makes the Polestar 3 really feel larger than it truly is, the boot does the other. Cargo capability is quoted at 484 litres together with under-floor house, which is lower than rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Lexus, and Audi.
To compensate for that, Polestar has sprinkled in some intelligent options to maximise practicality. These embody a totally flat boot flooring with no load lip, storage nets, a 12V energy socket, and baggage tie down factors.
The powered tailgate opens excessive, and the rear bench folds fully flat to unlock 1411L of whole capability, plus 32L of under-bonnet storage.
| Polestar 3 | |
|---|---|
| Size | 4900mm |
| Width together with mirrors | 2120mm |
| Top | 1627mm |
| Wheelbase | 2985mm |
| Storage capability | 484L (rear seats up, consists of under-floor house) 1411L (rear seats folded) 32L (entrance storage) |
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What’s beneath the bonnet?
| Specs | Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Single Motor |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical |
| Battery | 107kWh Lithium-ion with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry |
| Energy | 220kW |
| Torque | 490Nm |
| Drive kind | Rear-wheel drive |
| Weight | 2422kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.8s |
| Power consumption (claimed) | 17.6-20.3kWh/100km |
| Power consumption (as examined) | 19.9kWh/100km |
| Claimed vary | 700km |
| Max AC cost price | 11kW |
| Max DC cost price | 250kW |
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
How does the Polestar 3 drive?
An electrical automobile mightn’t be the primary automotive you’d decide for a cross-country roadtrip from Melbourne to Adelaide and again once more, however that’s precisely how we examined this Polestar 3.
Confronted with a journey that’s no straightforward feat for any automotive (not to mention an EV), the Polestar 3 held up its finish of the discount, even when Victoria’s charging community didn’t…
We travelled a complete of 1653km over three days together with an enormous number of driving circumstances, which examined consolation, effectivity, and efficiency in equal measure. And the Polestar ticks a minimum of two of these containers.
It’s positively comfy, even over the longest of journeys. The bottom 3 rides on passive dampers with hydraulic rebound stops and frequency selective damping – a totally fashionable setup.
Although not fairly as refined because the adaptive air suspension you’ll discover in rivals and better spec Polestar 3 variants, the passive system gives commendable trip high quality, smoothing out Australia’s tough nation roads with out fuss.
It’s an identical story round city, the place the three is well-damped and forgiving when confronted with widespread hurdles like velocity bumps.
The trip is on the firmer facet, however that’s a trait shared throughout many European luxurious automobiles. It’s very true of these with massive wheels, just like the 21-inch gadgets fitted to our tester as a part of the Plus Pack.
Regardless, there’s a advantageous steadiness between agency and harsh, and the Polestar 3 falls on the proper facet of that ledger. The advantages of which can be twofold. Not solely does does a taut suspension tune bolster the posh credentials of this upstart mannequin, but it surely additionally enhances the dealing with.
Our path to Adelaide included a number of sections of twisty tarmac and the Polestar 3 excels in such conditions, with agility that belies its 2.4-tonne kerb weight.
A rear-wheel drive structure and direct steering encourage the driving force to hold some velocity by means of bends, and the Polestar 3 responds with confidence, remaining impartial by means of corners with minimal physique roll. From behind the wheel it feels extra like an enormous sedan than an SUV, in all the proper methods.
The enjoyable ends as soon as the street straightens out although, as this single motor variant isn’t significantly fast. Polestar claims the bottom 3 will dash from 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds, and that feels about proper.
It’s not sluggish per se, and also you get an preliminary burst of acceleration from a standstill, however by fashionable EV requirements it lags behind the pack.
For instance, the equal BMW iX will attain 100km/h in simply 5.1 seconds, whereas Lexus and Cadillac quote comparable numbers for the RZ and Lyriq.
And contemplating the dearth of efficiency, the Polestar makes a bit an excessive amount of noise for a premium product.
The rear-mounted electrical motor whines like an annoying youngster beneath throttle, and street noise is a matter on coarse-chip street surfaces. In any other case, the Polestar 3 is comparatively refined.
That refinement and aforementioned trip high quality mesh properly with Polestar’s ‘Pilot Help’ semi-autonomous driving system, which mixes adaptive cruise management and energetic lane centring.
It’s efficient in easing the driving load throughout freeway stints, though the unlabelled, multi-purpose steering wheel controls is usually a bit finicky.
Pilot Help additionally tends to deactivate itself occasionally, forcing the driving force to reset the parameters. These minor quirks take away from the general competence of the system, which shouldn’t be understated.
On the subject of travelling lengthy distances, the single-motor Polestar 3 is among the many most effective EVs going round. Polestar claims the brand new entry-level 3 can journey a most of 700km between prices, probably the most of any electrical automobile available on the market.
Realistically, you’ll by no means get close to that on the freeway, however we noticed a mean power consumption of 19.9kWh/100km over three days, which equates to round 538km of driving vary per full cost.
It’s value noting that we set the automotive as much as maximise driving vary, which meant dialing down the local weather management and disabling single-pedal driving, as suggested by Polestar.
The Polestar is able to 250kW DC fast-charging, though Australia’s charging community doesn’t but will let you absolutely utilise that. Tremendous-fast chargers are exhausting to return by in regional areas, and not one of the charging stations we discovered have been operating at full capability.
Much more motive to be thankful for the Polestar 3’s endurance, then. Simply don’t get caught in the course of nowhere, as there’s no spare wheel, solely a tyre restore equipment.
Whereas lengthy journeys are in its repertoire, our tester additionally thrived within the minimize and thrust of metropolis driving. Its direct steering and agile chassis was a blessing in tight confines – like I stated, assume sedan quite than massive SUV.
Visibility out the windscreen and facet home windows is affordable, and a collection of parking aids are included in the usual tools record. I used to be significantly keen on the high-definition reversing digital camera, which comes with correct information strains.
Evening driving is a breeze courtesy of highly effective LED headlights with automated high-beam.
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
What do you get?
The Polestar 3 vary is made up of three separate variants, every out there with quite a few particular person choices and possibility packages.
2025 Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Single Motor and Twin Motor tools highlights:
- Warmth pump
- 20-inch (single motor) or 21-inch (twin motor) alloy wheels in both Michelin Pilot Sport 4 EV or Continental SportContact 7 tyres
- Brembo four-piston entrance brakes
- Tyre strain monitoring
- Adjustable one-pedal drive mode
- LED headlights with adaptive high-beam
- 14.5-inch Android Automotive touchscreen infotainment system
- Google built-in
- DAB+ digital radio
- Lifetime over-the-air software program updates
- Polestar Join
- NFC key card
- Extremely-wide band distant frequency key
- Three years of Polestar connectivity
- Head-up show
- 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 15W wi-fi cellphone charger
- 4 x USB-C shops
- Panoramic glass roof
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Palms-free, soft-close energy tailgate
- Energy-adjustable entrance seats with driver reminiscence
- Heated entrance seats
- 3-zone local weather management
Polestar 3 Lengthy Vary Twin Motor with Efficiency pack provides:
- Efficiency software program improve
- Vary optimisation drive mode
- Polestar Engineered chassis tuning
- 22-inch black polished solid alloy wheels
- Pirelli P-Zero tyres
- Swedish Gold valve caps, seat belts
- Laser-etched gold inside mild line
Choices
The $9000 Plus pack consists of:
- 25-speaker 1610W Bowers & Wilkins sound system with Dolby Atmos
- Delicate-close doorways
- Energy-adjustable steering column with profile reminiscence
- Air high quality sensor and filter
- MicroTech or wool upholstery
- Repurposed aluminium trim
- Heated wiper blades
- Heated rear seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Infra-red windscreen
- Rear cargo flooring “lid in lid” with bag holder
- 21-inch black diamond-cut wheels
The $7500 Pilot pack with LiDAR provides:
- Lengthy-range LiDAR
- Extra Nvidia Drive laptop
- Three further exterior cameras, 4 further ultrasonic sensors
- Entrance and rear digital camera cleansing system
The $3200 Professional pack positive aspects:
- 21-inch wheels
- Swedish gold valve caps
- Swedish gold seat belt stripe
- Swedish gold inside accent
Different choices embody:
- 1.3 Megapixel HD LED headlights – $3000 (solely out there with Plus pack)
- Rear privateness glass – $700
- Electrical tow bar – $2900
- Nappa leather-based upholstery with ventilated, massaging entrance seats – $7500
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
Is the Polestar 3 secure?
The Polestar 3 has but to be assessed by ANCAP, though it was just lately awarded a five-star security ranking by Euro NCAP.
Customary security tools consists of:
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Steering assist
- Automobile, bike owner and pedestrian detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Entrance and rear cross-traffic help
- Run-off street mitigation
- Oncoming lane mitigation
- Lane-keep help
- Multi-collision brake
- Site visitors signal recognition
- Driver consideration monitoring
- Inside radar
- Reversing digital camera
- Encompass-view digital camera
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Pilot Help
- Park Help Pilot
- Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
- Driver’s knee airbag
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
How a lot does the Polestar 3 value to run?
The Polestar 3 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, with a separate battery guarantee of eight years or 160,000km guaranteeing a 70 per cent state of well being.
| Servicing and Guarantee | Polestar 3 |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 5 years, limitless kilometres |
| Roadside help | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years or 100,000km |
| Complete capped-price service value | Free |
To see how the Polestar 3 stacks up in opposition to its rivals, use our comparability device
CarExpert’s Tackle the Polestar 3
This new Lengthy Vary Single Motor variant makes the Polestar 3 a way more compelling possibility within the luxurious electrical SUV house.
It combines intelligent cabin packaging with industry-leading driving vary and inexpensive operating prices – the massive three for rising households that prefer to get out and about.
In that regard, this entry-level 3 has its established European rivals beat. Nevertheless, there’s all the time extra to the story.
Whereas the Polestar 3 does the fundamentals properly, it doesn’t fairly dwell as much as its premium billing from a efficiency perspective, and plenty of fascinating options are hidden in possibility packs.
For instance, you’re going to need luxurious goodies like a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and the premium sound system, all of which necessitate buying the $9000 Plus Pack.
For all its strengths, the know-how suite nonetheless has some tough edges, too. Oh, and don’t anticipate to match the 706km vary declare in the event you’re spending plenty of time on the freeway.
However in the event you’re completely happy to dwell with out all-wheel drive, blistering acceleration, and some elective extras, the entry-level Polestar 3 is our decide of the vary.
And from a worth perspective, it’s considerably cheaper than the German options.
That alone needs to be sufficient to entice patrons, given the distinctive set of attributes that the Lengthy Vary Single Motor brings to the desk.
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