The Polestar 3 is getting a more affordable entry point with the introduction of a new, longer-range rear-wheel drive base model.
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Polestar Australia has confirmed the new Polestar 3 Long range Single motor will be available to order locally later this year, following the delayed launch of the electric SUV in late August.
As its name suggests, the latest addition to the Polestar 3 lineup is powered by a rear-mounted, single electric motor rather than the dual-motor all-wheel drive layout which was previously going to be standard across the range.
The single-motor Polestar 3 develops 220kW of power and 490Nm of torque, resulting in a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.8 seconds.
This represents a drop of 140kW and 350Nm compared to the base dual-motor electric SUV, which completes the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.0 seconds.
It's powered by the same 107kWh (useable) lithium-ion battery pack as the rest of the range, the Polestar 3 single motor unlocks 650km of driving range on the WLTP lab test cycle – or 19km more than the least-expensive dual-motor variant, according to the brand's German website.
The battery pack is capable of being DC fast charged at up to 250kW, bringing its state of charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.
It appears there's no change to the Polestar 3's standard equipment for the single-motor grade, which is also available to order with the existing option packages available in Europe.
In Germany, prices start from €78,590 – equivalent to $126,650 – which is €7000 ($11,280) less than the least-expensive dual-motor Polestar 3 in the market.
Australian Polestar 3 pricing opens from $132,720 before on-road costs. The new entry-level model has yet to be priced for our market.
Chinese production of the Polestar 3 – which supplies markets including Australia – began in February, though the electric SUV's local arrival was subsequently delayed from June to late August.
Both the Polestar 3 and its Volvo EX90 twin have been delayed multiple times, with Chinese production of the electric SUVs originally slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023 (October to December), which was expected to lead to early 2024 Australian deliveries.
The first global delivery of the Polestar 3 took place this week in Sweden, where a Chinese-built example was handed over to one of the brand's local customers.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
