REVIEW | Polestar 3 - Brilliant but Frustrating
Opening a glovebox has never been so complicated
Last weekend I walked to my local shop for the usual stuff - milk, bread, fruit - but decided to make a minor detour on my return home.
I called into a car hire business as I wanted to ask them a couple of questions. I’ve started to take notice of the 25 or so cars neatly lined up on the forecourt. There’s everything from city runabout to luxury 4x4, but something is conspicuously absent…an electric car. There are none.
After a bit of explaining that I was doing some research, the first question was whether they ever stocked electric cars. “Rarely,” was the answer, “because whenever we do, they just sit there.” So I asked why he thought they ‘rarely’ had requests for electric cars. “Simple. People are unsure about them,” he said.
I suspect that people who drive an electric car are more than happy to hire a conventionally powered car, should the need arise, whereas those who are used to petrol or diesel power want more of the same and would be uncertain of what to expect with an electric car.
Which brings me to the Polestar 3. It is both wonderful and frustrating.
The Positives
What do I like about it?
It looks smart, low and sleek and is seriously good to drive. The interior is a work of art, it’s roomy and will seat five occupants with ease. A large proportion of the interior is made from recycled materials. Safety and driver assistance are high on the agenda, which comes as no surprise because even though this car is built in China, it comes from the Swedish Volvo family. It’s also got a very high level of kit as standard, which is handy because the entry-level model comes in at a shade under £70,000 (Apr 25).
Power, speed and range
You can have single or dual-motor versions developing 295bhp or 483bhp respectively. If you really want to frighten the life out of cars at the traffic lights, you can opt for the Performance Pack which boosts things to a stunning 510bhp.
The all-important range figure is terrific. Stick with the single-motor, rear-wheel drive version and you’ll get an estimated 438 miles. Choose the lesser-powered dual-motor, all-wheel drive model and your range will drop to 392 miles. No surprise that the Performance Pack knocks that even further to 352 miles.
Yes, the Performance Pack makes for exhilarating motoring with a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds, but the lesser dual-motor car still manages the same sprint in 4.8 seconds. The single-motor model will be more than sufficient for most people at 7.5 seconds. And while the more powerful models can hit 130mph, the entry-level model can do 112mph.
Battery and charging times
All versions use the same 111kWh battery which equates to a charging time of 10-80% in around half an hour on a rapid charger. These are impressive figures.
It wasn’t too long ago when you couldn’t tow anything with an electric car as the battery and motor couldn’t cope with being, in effect, pushed along by the added weight when braking or travelling downhill. Things are now much improved and the 4x4 Polestars will haul 2.2 tonnes.
How is it to drive?
Out on the road, you can tell that this is a big car - it’s the biggest of the entire Polestar range - and tips the scales at a hefty 2.6 tonnes. Polestar markets the 3 model as a sporting SUV. I’m not sure about that because there are times when the car struggles to hide its weight. But it does handle nicely and although the ride just edges towards being firm, the car really does work seriously well as a long-legged cruiser. Add in the long potential range and you start to see this car as one where you could easily head onto the continent for a blast to the South of France.
In other words, the Polestar 3 has a relaxed driving manner but can also be a bit of a hooligan if you fancy it. I like that.
Interior
The interior is one of the smartest I’ve been in for a long time. The mood lighting is really good and everything looks and feels top quality. The panoramic roof makes the interior feel bright and airy.
The fascia is dominated by a 14.5-inch centre touchscreen which uses a Google operating system. It looks good and when asked to do something, works quickly with really sharp graphics to match. The driver gets a 9-inch display which you can configure.
The problems come when you need to do something via the central screen. There are times when you do feel as though the person who designed all of the clever gubbins never actually drove the car. One recommendation I’d make is that you adjust everything before you begin your journey, which is hugely frustrating. As I hinted earlier, do you really need to scroll through various menus to hit a symbol which opens the glovebox? Or adjust the wing mirrors…or the steering…or the headlights. And that’s before you even dare to think about the driver modes or handling set-up.
Perhaps familiarity would make life a bit easier, but even after a week with the car it still takes me a minute or so to tune into a new radio station or readjust the steering after my wife has driven the car and fiddled with stuff. Thankfully the message is getting through with some of the manufacturers because we’re starting to see a return to a bit of handy equipment. It’s called a physical button or knob.
And of course, it’s also a reason why this car would be a nightmare for anyone working in a car hire business. Trying to explain to a customer all of the various controls via the touchscreen would take forever.
Recommendations
Which one would I recommend? I’d be perfectly happy with the entry-level single-motor model. You get everything you could realistically need and the performance is adequate for most people. If you are prepared to take a hit in terms of range and add an extra two grand to the price, you’ll enjoy the kick you get when setting off from a standstill. After a while though, you’ll probably go easily and save your tyres.
The Polestar 3 is a hugely likeable car, but if you are considering buying or leasing one, you need to see whether you could live with the fiddly controls. If you can, then you’ll be driving one of the best battery-powered cars currently available in the UK. It really is that good.
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Polestar
