2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: POLESTAR 3 AWD LONG RANGE

It’s unquestionably big – at 4.9m it’s close to a Volvo XC90 for length – and at $132,900 it’s certainly expensive.

While it’s possible to argue that no car costing this much can ever truly be good value, when you view the Polestar 3 in the context of its competitor set, it stacks up fairly well on price. A comparable BMW iX, for example, is $185,400 while an Audi Q8 55 e-tron Sportback is less powerful and starts at $165,900.

There’s plenty of substance to back up the obvious focus on style, too. A huge 111kWh battery provides 632km of WLTP range, while dual electric motors combine to produce muscular outputs of 360kW and 840Nm.

The long 2985mm wheelbase delivers a cabin with near-limousine levels of space in both rows. It’s a sense of room enhanced by the standard panoramic glass roof and the uncluttered Scandi-cool cabin design.

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It’s a high-quality, well-made cabin that helps to justify the Polestar’s asking price but also one that brings some quirks. Almost every function is accessed by the large 14.5-inch portrait centre touchscreen and while its Google-based software and crisp graphics are impressive, its menu structure is also dense and confusing. There are almost too many settings (the steering, air suspension, braking regen, ESC and powertrain all have multiple modes) and they’re buried within a sub-menu so accessing them on the move requires you to glance away from the road for long periods.

Happily, the way the Polestar 3 drives is far more convincing. Forward visibility is excellent and the air suspension does a commendable job of delivering a ride that’s both controlled and comfortable. The handling is calm and fluid, acceleration is crisp, and enormous Continental tyres (265/45R21 up front and 295/40R21 at the rear) ensure there’s plenty of purchase and poise through the lane-change and wet stop.

Polestar 3 AWD Long Range Specifications