Polestar began as a racing team, then evolved into a performance tuning division for Volvo before becoming its own brand in 2017. Now, after testing the waters with the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, the company is poised to take another significant step forward with the upcoming release of its first EV SUV, the Polestar 3. But when the car arrived in New York City for its North American debut, we couldn’t pass it up since it may be the best-looking new SUV in 2023.
The Polestar 3 is constructed on the same platform as the Volvo EX90, but the business has made some substantial adjustments to guarantee that the two are not confused. The Polestar 3 has two rows of seats instead of three, with somewhat less back storage in exchange for a more spacious cabin. However, despite the somewhat low roof line, the combination of a glass roof, a long wheelbase, and slightly reclined back seats provided me and my 6-foot frame with a really relaxed seating posture with plenty of leg room. There were also a few throw cushions in the rear seat, which may seem needless but contributes to the luxury loungey impression Polestar is looking for.
Conversely, the Polestar 3 has a more enclosed cockpit-style layout in front, with a touch of Scandinavian simplicity. There’s a large armrest and an expanded console with a wireless charger integrated in. Polestar continues to utilise an Android Automotive-based infotainment system focused on a large 14.5-inch touchscreen with Google Maps as the primary navigation system and a very familiar touch-based Interface. As in many current cars, the display handles everything from climate control to music, with the only physical controls being a large knob on the console for volume/play/pause and some extra haptic touch points on the steering wheel.
The Polestar looks significantly more aggressive than the EX90 on the outside, due to dual wings (one on the bonnet and one over the rear window), a front splitter, huge wheels (21 or 22 inches depending on the spec), and a new two-bladed version of the company’s distinctive Thor’s Hammer headlamps. Although I understand that not everyone would agree, I think the Polestar 3 looks terrific. It has just the right amount of future sci-fi design influences without going crazy, like Tesla’s Cybertruck did.
