Polestar 3

SPRING

THEY SAY THE third time is the charm, and that could certainly be the case with the Polestar 3. You see, as its name suggests, the 3 is the brand’s third model, but while the Polestar 1 was a hideoulsly impractical coupé and the Polestar 2 executive car has never been a match for the rival Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 3 is entering the fast-growing electric SUV market.

So, has it got what it takes to challenge luxury rivals such as the BMW iX? Well, in standard Long Range form, the 3 produces a healthy 483bhp from its two electric motors (one at the front and the other at the rear, giving four-wheel drive). As a result, it can sprint from 0-62mph in 5.0sec.

If you want more power, there’s an optional Performance Pack, which brings 510bhp and reduces the 0-62mph time to 4.7sec. For comparison, the equivalent iX xDrive50 requires 4.6sec.

Feeding the 3’s electric motors is a 107kWh (usable) battery, which gives an official range of 379 miles (or 347 miles with the Performance Pack). By comparison, the iX xDrive50 can officially cover 383 miles between charges.

A maximum charging rate of 250kW allows the 3’s battery to be replenished from 10-80% in around 30 minutes via a suitably powerful public charger, matching the iX’s time.

The 3’s interior features sustainably sourced materials and a large, portrait-orientated touchscreen that runs Android-based software. We’ve tried this in the recently revised Polestar 2, and it responds quickly, although a lack of physical buttons makes it fiddly to use on the move.

As for pricing, the 3 starts at £79,900. Although you can get cheaper iX models, the xDrive