The last couple of years have been decidedly challenging for Polestar. The performance electric vehicle brand that was spun out from Volvo Cars has been trying to get by with just a single model (the Polestar 2) to sell while it waited on several additional models (the 3 and 4) to finally make it to production. With a limited retail network and only a sedan in its lineup, it wasn’t able to generate any real volume growth, especially in the U.S. market. The brand hopes all that is about to change as its long-delayed Polestar 3 finally hits the road in America. I had my first chance to drive it; here’s what I thought.
Polestar is still considered a startup automaker despite having a nearly 30-year history. Back in the mid-1990s, Polestar was established as a team that transformed decidedly staid Volvos into race cars for the Swedish Touring Car Championship and then later for other touring car series. Eventually, Polestar began tuning road-going Volvos and by 2015 it had been acquired by the mothership. Just two years later, Volvo and its own parent company Geely decided to spin out Polestar as a stand-alone performance EV brand.
At the time, then Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson set out a vision for Polestar based on three words: pure, progressive, and performance. Pure was deeply rooted in the untainted beauty of Scandinavian aesthetics. Progressive Polestar design would define the avante garde. Performance would be the Polestar mindset.
The Polestar 1 was a limited production plug-in hybrid coupe that was obviously originally designed as a Volvo. The first standard model was the Polestar 2, a compact, slightly high-riding hatchback sedan based on Volvo’s XC40. Its design was also very much Volvo-derived. While the Volvo DNA was clear, both of these were surprisingly capable performance machines.
The Look
The Polestar 3 (we’ll call it PS3 from here on) is the first to start moving the brand in its own visual direction, although there is still some distinct Volvo design DNA, especially in the “Thor’s Hammer” front signature lighting and the taillamps. The car is based on the same new SPA2 platform as the Volvo EX90 and shares some key dimensions, but is also significantly different.
Where the EX90 is a tall, upright three-row, luxury family hauler, the PS3 is a much sleeker, two-row utility that could arguably be called a shooting brake in the grand European tradition. Polestar designers managed to imbue the face with both a taller, SUV-like profile and a slicker, sportier look. They did this in the same way that Dodge designers have done on the upcoming Charger Daytona. The leading edge of the hood features a wing with a slot below, and the hood itself slopes down from the cowl and fenders towards this slot.
The resulting blend yields a decent if not ground-breaking drag coefficient of 0.29. The panel below contains the front camera for the surround view system and has a radar sensor behind it.
The fenders have more lateral curvature than we would expect of a Volvo and give the flanks a bit of a Coke bottle effect that is further enhanced by the black rocker panel trim. The PS3 has the extended roofline of a utility vehicle but it slopes down behind the rear seats. The slope is less than what we have come to expect of most contemporary SUV “coupes” like the upcoming Polestar 4, but it further adds to the sportier aesthetic.
The resulting shape rides on either 21-inch or 22-inch wheels with custom-formulated Pirelli tires and it has a decidedly more athletic stance than any recent Volvo. It’s not the sort of clearly high-performance wagon you would get with an Audi RS6, but neither is it a BMW X5 M. For now at least in North America, it’s got a pretty unique look that I like a lot.
Moving under the skin
Both the EX90 and PS3 share a 117.5-inch wheelbase and have nearly the same track width at 65.8 inches front and 65.1 inches rear for the Polestar. However, the roofline of the PS3 is 4.7 inches lower and it is nearly six inches shorter overall.
Both cars carry the same 111-kWh lithium-ion battery with 17 CATL modules filled with nickel manganese cobalt cells. The cells, modules, and most other battery pack components are currently sourced from China and assembled at the Volvo Cars assembly plant near Charleston, South Carolina. The Chinese sourcing means that the EX90 and PS3 aren’t eligible for federal clean vehicle credits when purchased. However, the credits can be passed through on a lease. With the increased tariffs on Chinese batteries and the desire to improve sustainability, Polestar and Volvo are actively working to develop a new domestic source of batteries for these models.
As the designated performance brand, Polestar gets more powerful motors than Volvo, with standard models of the PS3 getting 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque. The optional Performance Pack bumps those numbers to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft. An element that is unique to the PS3 is the torque vectoring disconnect clutch on the rear motor. This unit serves two purposes. When driven hard, clutches on the differential can direct more torque to one side or the other. Typically, in aggressive cornering more torque would be delivered to the outside rear wheel which helps push that side of the car around to aid turn-in response.
During more sedate driving when the full 500-hp isn’t needed, the clutch unit decouples the motor from the rear wheels. This reduces the drag under light load conditions, using the front motor for propulsion and regenerative braking. The same concept is being utilized by an increasing number of EV makers including Rivian to provide better overall energy efficiency and range.
The overall suspension architecture is shared with the Volvo. The front corners feature dual control arms while the rear corners have an integral link layout. The adaptive suspension has self-leveling dual chamber air springs and active ZF dampers that continuously adjust to provide what is hopefully an optimal balance of ride quality and handling prowess.
While the PS3 is classed as an SUV, it is most definitely not a trail runner. However, as befitting a car conceived in Sweden, the ample 8.3 inches of ground clearance should make it quite capable in winter weather conditions, as long as it’s equipped with some proper winter-capable tires. Our test cars were running on the standard summer performance tires which worked great on the first day of autumn.
The Driver’s office
Polestar cars are meant to be for those who prefer to drive rather than to be driven. To a substantial degree, the company has succeeded, but there are some decisions that perhaps lean a bit too hard toward tech rather than what is best for a driving workspace. The PS3 definitely lives up to the Scandinavian visual aesthetic. It is clean and minimalist without being spartan or cheap like some Teslas. All the materials feel high quality and the fit and finish of the cars we drove were outstanding. While these were obviously early production units that crews have gone through with a fine-toothed comb for the drive event, prior experience with regular production Volvos and Polestars has been just as good.
The top of the dashboard is covered in an attractive dark fabric, with dark-finished wood trim below the vents and leather coverings below that. The overall look is similar but subtly different from the EX90. There is a 10-inch instrument cluster display in front of the driver along with the infrared camera driver understanding system. This sensor feeds into more sophisticated software than typical driver monitor systems that look for the driver’s eyes to be on the road. The logic also tracks changes in what the driver is looking at to try to ensure that they haven’t just zoned out and aren’t just looking off into the distance unaware of what is happening.
In the center is a 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen floating out away from the dashboard. The Android Automotive infotainment system has the same basic layout as the Volvo but with slightly different theming. The upper two-thirds is generally used for the map. Below that are two widgets for the most recently used apps such as phone and media controls. Below that is a context-aware row of icons to take you to items such as a surround-view camera, mirror and steering wheel adjustments, Google Assistant, and some apps. Finally, the bottom row has a permanent display for hazard flashers, climate control, and the home button.
As all recent Polestar and Volvo models have featured, there is the suite of Google Automotive Services including Maps, Assistant, and the Play store for downloading more apps directly. Users can log into their Google account and set up apps of their choice and save it all to individual driver profiles. The profiles are then linked to an NFC key card or smartphone so whoever gets behind the wheel gets their preferred setup. At launch, Polestar hasn’t yet finished the Apple Carplay integration, but that is promised soon with an OTA software update.
On the center console is a large rotary dial for volume, play/pause, and forward/reverse playback. The seats, as we’ve long been accustomed to on Volvos are excellent, providing a great combination of comfort and support without an overwhelming array of adjustments. Height, thigh support, fore-aft, recline, lumbar, and side bolsters can all be adjusted. The front and rear seats are heated and the fronts are also ventilated and offer massaging features that are useful after several hours on the road. As with the PS2 and “Polestar Engineered” Volvo models, the seat belts for the performance pack are gold.
I’ve always enjoyed my opportunities to drive the Polestar 2. It’s quick and surprisingly nimble. But one complaint I’ve always had about it is the very high beltline that left me feeling like I was sitting low in a bathtub. While the beltline of the PS3 isn’t what I’d call low (keeping in mind that my standard is set by driving my 1990 Mazda Miata). at least my shoulders are well above the window sill. Those who like to drive with their elbow on the window sill will be able to do so on the PS3.
Another major thumbs up goes to the designers who, unlike some others of late (yes I’m looking at you Porsche, Rivian, Lincoln, and of course Tesla) resisted the urge to adopt one of the dumbest modern automotive trends: touchscreen-controlled air vents. The PS3 has lovely basic vents that you can reach out to just grab a knob to redirect hot or cold air as needed. Sadly, the upcoming PS4 doesn’t do the same.
One dumb trend the PS3 and EX90 do follow is having only two window switches on the driver’s door with another that toggles between controlling the front and rear windows. This is a car that starts at well over $70,000 – why cheap out like this to save one switch? Please, automakers, stop doing this.
One advantage of having the same wheelbase as the three-row Volvo but only two rows of seats is a huge backseat. With the front seat set for my 5-foot, 10-inch frame, I had tons of room to spare behind myself. There’s also plenty of cargo space in the back. With the hatch open, there is a flat load floor that can opened up to reveal another deep cavity behind the rear motor. The floor panel can be folded in two ways, one as a shelf above the main cargo area or slotted in vertically to retain smaller objects behind the rear seats. There’s also a small frunk under the hood that can hold the charging cable and backpack or small duffle.
What It’s Like To Drive: Smooth As Silk
Polestar brought us to Jackson Hole Wyoming to drive the PS3 which gave us the opportunity to exercise the SUV’s athletic capabilities, though we had limited access to a lot of the driving conditions many owners will face on a daily basis such as urban traffic, highways, and locations with less than ideal pavement. Our drive route took us west from Jackson Hole across the Teton Pass into Idaho to a fly-fishing shop on the Snake River, back southwest toward the Wyoming border for lunch, and then reversed course to our starting point.
We had the opportunity to chat before and after our drive with Christian Samson, Polestar’s product development leader about the strategy for the PS3. Polestar wanted a vehicle that is quick but deliberately wanted to avoid the sort of neck-snapping acceleration you get from vehicles like a Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire, or Porsche Taycan. The goal was to create fluid and seamless performance that feels connected to the road and the driver.
After several hours and over 170 miles in the driver’s and passenger’s seat, my personal verdict is that Samson and his development team succeeded. The standard PS3 is claimed to go to 62 mph in about 5 seconds with the performance pack shaving about 0.3 seconds off that. Compared to the low 2- 2-second times of some other high-end EVs, that may seem slow. But the reality is that unless you are taking those cars to the track, you will almost never actually use all of that performance on the road except to show off what you could afford to buy to your friends or crowds at cars and coffee.
In fact, you shouldn’t be driving that fast on public roads because you are putting both yourself and others around you at extreme risk. That sort of brutal acceleration is also actually quite uncomfortable, and you probably won’t want to continue doing it.
The PS3’s acceleration simply pours out of the propulsion system in a seemingly unending stream as you would expect of an EV, but seemingly even smoother than most. Samson explained that Polestar wanted to create a user experience where the car was an extension of the driver, augmenting their inputs rather than hindering and leaving “strong driver authority.”
To that end, the engineers spent a lot of time tuning how the two motors and suspension collaborate to minimize lash in the system under braking, accelerating, and cornering. The timing of the power delivery from the front and rear motors is staggered and the dampers and air springs are adjusted in real time to minimize excessive body motions and provide a continuous stream of acceleration or regenerative braking without any jerking.
Climbing up through the steep and curving road of the Teton Pass, when there was a slow-moving camper ahead and we had a stretch of straight road with some visibility, a squeeze of the right pedal made the PS3’s velocity more than double far more quickly than I had anticipated making the passing maneuver very easy.
With the regenerative braking set to its strongest setting, the transitions between acceleration and braking were extremely smooth and easy to modulate. I traversed the entire pass only tapping the brake pedal twice. Sure, if I was driving on a track and going for an optimum lap time, I’d use the brake pedal more and go deeper before braking harder and then turning in. But that sort of driving is both dangerous on the road and usually quite unpleasant for passengers after a few minutes. Modulating my speed with just the right pedal I can be both quick and smooth.
As mentioned, the roads were quite smooth on most of our route so it’s hard to judge ride quality. But the suspension setup provided minimal body roll, just enough to provide the feedback desired about what’s going on below. Through both tight corners and longer sweeping curves, the PS3 feels very well balanced with minimal understeer or oversteer although the smooth and instant torque delivery does allow the vehicle’s attitude to be easily adjusted as needed.
One of the longstanding complaints of modern vehicles is that the electric power steering systems don’t provide enough feedback about the forces at the front corners. While the PS3 doesn’t have the sort of direct feel you’d get from an unboosted Lotus Elise or even an E36 BMW 3 series, it does actually provide surprisingly good levels of feedback. Combined with what the suspension is doing, the driver has a very good picture of the levels of grip at each end of the car.
The PS3, like most premium EVs, is not exactly svelte on the scale. Depending on the configuration, the curb weight ranges from about 5,600 to 5,800 pounds, about 400 pounds less than the EX90. With the large Brembo fixed-caliper brakes on the PS3, this bulk can be hauled down without any real drama.
But regenerative braking is one of the great elements of driving an EV, putting energy back into the battery by converting kinetic or potential energy. From near the peak of Teton Pass at nearly 8,500 ft elevation, you drop over 2,300 ft back into Jackson Hole. We had about 39% state of charge and 83 miles of range at the top of the hill. By the time we got back into town, we were at 45% and 95 miles of range despite maintaining a brisk pace all the way.
At launch, the PS3 has the same Pilot Assist functionality that the PS2 and other Volvos have had for years. There is adaptive cruise control and hands-on lane centering capability as well as lane change assist. Like the EX90, there is the driver understanding system as well as capacitive sensors in the steering wheel to detect hands-on directly instead of relying on a torque sensor to detect the driver wiggling the wheel. The lidar that is standard on the Volvo will be available as part of a separate option package starting in early 2025.
The PS3 also includes the in-cabin radar sensors found in the EX90 to detect anyone left behind in the vehicle. However, the different seating configuration means the Polestar only has four of these sensors rather than the seven in the Volvo. The in-cabin radar is tied to the climate control to keep things cool if someone is detected in the car. The PS3s that we drove included the Plus pack with a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with 1,600 watts and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. The sound in the cabin is spectacular, but if you are driving in remote areas like we did, you’ll want to have some audio files stored locally to take advantage of it. One of the downsides of modern streaming audio services is if you lose connectivity, you are out of luck.
The Bottom Line
The PS3 isn’t a sports car by any stretch of the imagination, and Polestar doesn’t pretend it is. But for a vehicle with the same basic bones as the Volvo EX90 and many dimensional similarities, it has a distinctly different view on the world. It’s a great looking, slightly tall wagon that provides an excellent driving experience that isn’t overwhelming in any way.
The standard 489-hp PS3 with 21-inch wheels has an EPA range rating of 315 miles while the performance pack with 22-inch wheels goes 279 miles. Based on our drive which was in no way optimized for efficiency, those numbers should be easily achievable in the real world.
Customer deliveries should start in the next few weeks in the US with prices starting at $74,800 delivered. The performance pack starts at $80,800.There are currently only 27 Polestar dealers across the US, but because of the hardware commonality with Volvo, Volvo dealers are also providing service for Polestar customers if there isn’t a nearby dealership.
I genuinely enjoyed driving the Polestar 3 and I think it would make a great choice for anyone looking for a more performance-oriented, but not hardcore, premium five-seater. The debut of the PS3 and upcoming PS4 should really help boost the upstart brand’s sales significantly and the combination should really start setting Polestar apart from Volvo. Relative to similarly sized direct competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Audi Q8 e-tron, and Tesla Model X, the Polestar 3 stacks up extremely well in terms of range (actually much better than the Audi), performance, and price with excellent driving dynamics and arguably the best design. A year from now, we should have a much clearer picture of whether Polestar will have a reason to exist as a stand-alone automotive brand, but this machine certainly starts to make that case.
In terms of pure style, I prefer the Polestar 2.
I think I like that more. It just looks… vaguely sporty? Like when dudes get a musclegut.
A separate gripe from big screens, cheapout window switches and touchscreen hazard light buttons: I have found myself getting excited and interested in a number of the big new electric vehicles coming out, and then I read that they exclusively come with a highly advanced electronically controlled air suspension and…ugh. I had a Jaguar with the eCATS suspension, and it is amazing but catastrophically expensive to replace at 10-15 years old, and you end up with half-baked aftermarket setups in a lot of these vehicles instead. The more simple air suspensions may be palatable to keep up with, but anything that is actively adjusting the dampening on the go is much more than a simple air spring. I guess the answer is to buy new and sell earlier or just buy simpler cars, but luxury vehicles with normal suspensions are starting to feel like a vanishing breed.
Still can’t get over that they named the company Polestar. Still a ridiculous name. It looks like a Volvo, is engineered like a Volvo and owned by the same company, ergo it should be a Volvo.
Polestar sounds like a strippers name
Sounds more like the Employee of the Month at a club, it’s not a very sexy name for a stripper though
Has anyone ever utilized their one rotary dial to also access/control climate? If you could toggle to climate and turn the rotary dial for the settings (auto, face, floor, DEF) click, turn dial for temp, click, turn dial for fan speed if needed. Maybe this is too much, I don’t know, I’m no UI designer, but in my mind it seems like something that could have been or maybe has been done. If they are going to have it just be shit on a screen I don’t see why the rotary dial couldn’t access this.
So I know lease deals for the Polestar 2 have been insanely cheap, and I’m assuming that trend will continue with the Polestar 3, but at $80k, would you rather have this or a Rivian R1S, with a full three rows, about the same performance figures, and legitimate off-road capability?
I like EVs, but I’d probably go with something like a Range Rover Velar or Lexus TX PHEV at this price point.
I would rather have this. Every time. Under no circumstances would I purchase the Range Rover or Lexus. This is a chocolate- or vanilla-type of situation, and the fact that both cones cost the same doesn’t mean a bunch.
Why exactly? I see both the Polestar and the others I mentioned as luxury SUVs which will never see dirt but might deal with some snowy roads to a ski resort. For that, I would absolutely compare a Polestar 3 against some Land Rovers, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, etc. The $80k SUV is probably one of the most crowded market segments, so what about the PS3 in particular stands out to you?
I was just in Jackson Hole these past two weeks and my wife (PS2 owner) and I were trying to figure out why there were so many Polestar 3’s around. Well, now I know.
The cars are great, Polestar just needs to figure out its dealership situation. The closest Polestar space to Chicago is Detroit. Just let that sink it.
Move to a major city. The don’t have the ability to open a showroom in every tiny little ‘Chicago.’
If I one-pedal drive like a moron, it should be harsh. If I stomp on the gas or brakes it should be harsh. It sounds like they are artificially smoothing the shit out of the driver inputs because they assume drivers cant control their feet.
Nothing about that is ‘leaving strong driver authority’.
“pure, progressive, and performance…” CEO Samuelsson left out profitable, which Polestar will never be. Isn’t that his number one job?
It remains to be seen if they can achieve profitability. The brand was hurt by the nearly yearlong delay to launching the PS3 but they now also have PS4 in the next couple of months, both in a much more popular market segment. A year from now we’ll have a much better idea of the brand’s prospects
We have a good idea now. “Polestar isn’t expected to turn profitable before 2030 at the earliest.” https://www.fool.com/investing/2024/04/15/why-polestar-automotive-stock-keeps-falling/
Yet Sony, always thinking ahead, has already retired the PS4 in favor of the PS5. Polestar is lagging behind.
The fact that we are apparently now expected to praise automakers for NOT installing touchscreen controls to move the vents is just … no. I can’t do this anymore. Apparently it’s time to just admit that I’m old and I hate all new things.
You don’t have to hate all new things, but it’s okay to hate how new technology is being applied to cars. If you talk to UI people, most will agree that they skipped any sort of testing and just shoved everything on the screen. Which on a car is not ADA friendly, nor helpful to normal users. I believe a lot of manufacturer’s expected that voice control would help for those who have a hard time using the screen, but honestly we know that is not the case at all.
I enjoyed reading the article about UX in cars (also because I know that Jason loves the URL): https://www.theturnsignalblog.com/the-8-guidelines-for-good-automotive-ux-design/
I am here as well. I was pleasantly surprised the new G70 3.3t did not have the engine shut off at stops and actually has some buttons for much of the often used things like radio and climate controls.
No one is asking you to praise them, but I am happy to have one less thing to curse them about.
This was my favourite car at the Toronto auto show way back in February. The interior was pretty much perfect, and my 6’4” frame was comfy in front and in the second row. The colours are as boring as all current Volvo’s are, but that’s just a wrap away from improving.
I was so smitten that I searched out a rep and asked about price.
And wow. The car on the show floor was $107k CAD. It starts at $98k. By comparison, I can buy a loaded Model Y performance for $68k. The Polestar 2, was priced well against the Model 3, and there’s platform sharing going on here, so I don’t get the $30k premium for a car that does not feel $30k better. I’ll be clear, I like everything about the PS3 over the Y…it’s just not that much better. If it started in the low-70’s, that would fit better (basically the same pricing as the LYRIQ up here).
I cant see them selling that many.
Isn’t this more of a Model X competitor?
Model X has a third row, and is much quicker for the money (not that that’s needed). Overall, I’m not convinced it’s better than the Y, let alone the X. They are similar money (X is a bit more) though.
You could buy two Miatas and fuse them into a hideous chimera, one atop the other, to accommodate your height. And then another 50k car that you can actually drive and isn’t just a Top Gear practical joke gone too far.
I did think I’d rather get a Mach-E and a Miata for the price.
I like your thinking
Gold seat belts look stupid!
Ah I really like ’em 🙁
For this amount of money, I’d pony up the extra to get a decent interior, range and performance from Lucid.
Or you could save $30k and buy a very lightly used Lucid.
I was just thinking the $75k+ market of SUV’s was pretty thin. I don’t see a physical handle for the glove box. that’s good. I hate having access while the car is off.
I get the angle of the comment, but the car is probably always in a state of “on” needed to open the glove box. EVs are able to be weird like that
No. i dont want to turn on a screen, wait for some BS graphic welcoming me to the premium experience of the car, navigating menus instead of pulling a damn handle.
Kind of shocked that the design is getting praise. That thing is ugly
And it looks like every other SUV, so it is also not unique.
That giant-ass monitor has got to go. And the cheapening of the window control — two movements, possibly taking my eyes off the road, to drop the rear windows, while I’m driving?? — makes this a hard pass.
I don’t think it’s ugly but it does look pretty generic in photos. Volvo in the front, Honda Prologue in the back. I wonder if the large size is what gives it presence — like maybe it’s just more impressive in person…?
Methinks it looks great for an SUV.
Yeah, low bars and all.
And yet, the iPad-on-the-dash persists.
Pass.
Eh, you can’t judge that just from pictures. It’s something you need to at least test drive to determine for yourself. I didn’t love the large SYNC 4 screens in the Lightning and Mach-E at first, but after owning a Mach-E for a couple years, I can honestly say you get muscle memory for the critical icons really quickly, and having a huge display for Carplay is really awesome. Bigger displays mean bigger icons, meaning less fat fingering the wrong thing.
I don’t love a single screen replacing absolutely everything (looking at Tesla), but putting every normal center console control onto display while leaving physical controls in their typical spots for lights, wipers, drive selector, etc is totally fine.
Plenty of range, but disappointing efficiency to get there…111kwh?!
If it was a powertool it would be phenominal!
THOUH SHALT NOT CALL IT PS3!!!
THAT TITLE HASETH BEEN USETHED!!!
IT SHALT BE CALLED “PLS3”!!!
Pumpkin Lice Spatte 3
I don’t want my controls on touchscreens or capacitive panels. And outward visibility looks like it will be atrocious.
If I were looking at spending 75k, this wouldn’t even be on my radar.
I would like to see the frunk space used for a spare tire.
How does the ADAS system compared with the EX90? With the software mess of the EX90 / 30, how would affect the Polestar? I guess without Lidar helps? No CarPlay at release sounds like the software is not ready. I don’t trust manufacturer’s pinky promises.
Volvo dealers are also providing service for Polestar customers if there isn’t a nearby dealership.
I am not sure if this is a new policy but Volvo dealers don’t want anything to do with Polestar vehicles unless they sell Polestar on their dealers.
Customers are getting their vehicles towed to get them serviced if they don’t have a Polestar dealer around 150miles. Polestar will provide a rental in that case.
All Volvo dealers should service Polestar vehicles, is like saying GMC dealers cant service a Chevy at this point, same hardware and software.
Unless this has changed recently, the above is true. The Volvo dealership where I am won’t touch any Polestar vehicles. I was told it was a certification issue. They aren’t certified so they aren’t going to wrangle with any liability issues. Polestar will load the car onto a flatbed and take it to the nearest shop, which works since the nearest one to me is 400 miles away.
I have heard Polestar is looking to open new service center in 2005, so things may get slightly less silly.
Yes to MrBrown and TheBadGift. I came scary close to leasing a PS2 until my sensible self instructed me to stop being stupid. My local Volvo dealer has told me they don’t service Polestars, which makes my closest PS service 518 miles one way. Anyone watching Munro teardowns knows this first generation of EVs is going to have some failures of coolant systems or complicated hydro pneumatic suspensions. I can’t deal with no car for a month if something breaks. Funny to have the press event in Jackson, a lovely place for inspiring drives, but 511 miles to service in Denver. Although I suppose if I was a rich guy living in Jackson, I’d have 5 or 6 other cars to drive if my Polestar were disabled.
There’s driver monitoring systems that track where you’re looking, to go along with touchscreen controls that require you take your eyes off the road more often.
Wow, this thing is so entirely not for me. I can’t stand this styling, in or out. The pieces popping up and sticking out everywhere (speakers, screens, the little exterior wings). There’s nothing smooth about this in my mind at all. Screens and gauges should be molded and recessed into the dash, not glued to the front.
And to beat the same drum over rand over again, the war on windows has to stop. It looks like it has microcephaly. Every piece of glass is missing 1/3 of its acceptable height. People talk about high door bars for safety, but it’s beginning to come down to a choice between the worse outcome of the accident you might get in with real windows, versus the accident you’re guaranteed to get into while driving blind. This is the world trucks and crossovers have brought us. And woe is you who doesn’t join the group. Safety for me, death for thee.
This.
I blame Chrysler/Dodge and GM for the pillbox design asthetics.
The window thing is what put me into an Outback over basically any other SUV/crossover in the same cost ballpark a decade ago. The Subaru was the only one that I could SEE OUT OF.
I sat in my coworker’s Polestar2 and – as much as I wanted to like it – was super disappointed by how closed in you felt in the driver’s seat. It was like being inside a mummy-style sleeping bag inside your king-size bed: restrictive and claustrophobic.
The Ioniq 6 felt the same way to me – like you were sequestered off in your own little zone away from the rest of the world.
Preach brother
I don’t think the window size matters at all. Your eyes need to be focused on the massive touchscreens and touch-capacative controls that are required to operate anything inside the car. Who has times to look out windows while driving?
A smiley is not enough to thank you for saying all the things that needed to be said.
Sometimes I feel like auto journalists don’t realize how many deaths by degrees they’ve died. I would be appalled to go from my Z4 into one of these dark touchscreen caves. But, if you drove a Challenger (bad), then a Camaro (worse), then a Hyundai or Kia (slight reprieve), then finally someone kicked you down a 100 foot deep Well by Polestar, you’d be grateful for the 8 minutes a day you get sunlight and think “it’s still pretty good; I drove the Camaro!”
I had no idea vehicles had touch screen controlled air vents, like what loll how does something like that even make it to development stage (not on this car as stated, I know)
Overcomplexity at its finest.
Sadly, it´s pretty common nowdays. Manufacturers do this even in their cheaper products, for example, the facelifted Ford Focus mk4 (2021-) replaced the manual physical controls (as far as I know) for a system integrated in the touch screen. It´s one of the reasons why I haven´t changed mine (2019) for a newer unit.
Design wise, both interior and exterior, this is a massive upgrade over all it’s direct competition, save for maybe the Audis interior, but I really feel like Volvo/Polestar have gone too far down the minimalist interior rabbit hole. It’s better than Teslas reducing everything to zero, like taking away turn signal stalks, but the capacitive touch pad mess on the PS3 steering wheel is so off-putting.
Somehow they managed to make the interior more minimalist compared to the Polestar 2, even the speedometer screen with maps looks smaller. I would rather have a slightly smaller screen with some buttons at the bottom that are quick actions like windshield defroster, temp adjustments, hazard lights, volume knob, etc.
I am amazed to say this but Chevy with their Blazer/Equinox EV have a better layout.