Premium electric vehicle brand Polestar has launched its electric performance sport utility vehicle (SUV), the "Polestar 3," in Korea.
According to Polestar Korea on Wednesday, the Polestar 3 is the flagship electric SUV that Polestar is introducing in the domestic market. Positioned above the previously released Polestar 4, it is regarded as the model representing the brand's "premium-to-luxury" strategy.
The Polestar 3 comes in three trims: Rear Motor, Dual Motor, and Performance. Its biggest feature is price competitiveness. Starting prices in Korea are 77.9 million won for the Rear Motor, 85.9 million won for the Dual Motor, and 99.9 million won for the Performance—among the lowest levels worldwide. In major overseas markets, the Polestar 3's starting prices exceed 100 million won: $67,500 (about 105 million won) in the United States, £76,540 (about 157 million won) in the United Kingdom, €78,900 (about 139 million won) in Germany, and €65,900 (about 116 million won) in France. As the government included Polestar among electric vehicle subsidy recipients in the second half of this year, Polestar can also receive 50% of the national subsidy for vehicles priced under 85 million won.
The Rear Motor is equipped with a 92 kWh NCM battery, while the Dual Motor and Performance carry 106 kWh batteries. Based on domestic certification standards, the driving range on a single charge is 486 km for the Dual Motor and 438 km for the Performance. The Rear Motor offers 603 km under Europe's WLTP standard, with its domestic certified range to be disclosed later.
Charging performance has also been strengthened. The Polestar 3 supports fast charging of up to 350 kW based on an 800V architecture. Charging the battery from 10% to 80% takes about 22 minutes. In terms of driving performance, the Performance trim offers maximum power of 680 horsepower and 500 kW. It accelerates from a standstill to 100 km per hour in 3.9 seconds.
All trims feature a newly developed permanent magnet synchronous rear motor, while the Dual Motor and Performance add an asynchronous front motor. The Dual Motor and Performance trims are equipped with a ZF CDC dual-chamber air suspension that allows electronic damping control according to road conditions. All trims come standard with four-piston Brembo brakes.
Polestar Korea explained that aerodynamic performance has been enhanced through a low vehicle height and roofline, front wing, and rear aero wing. Safety and convenience specifications are also key features. The Polestar 3 is equipped with an Nvidia Drive AGX Orin processor to handle advanced driver-assistance systems and sensor data. The vehicle features 12 ultrasonic sensors, five radars, and five cameras.
The Polestar 3 can be ordered online from Polestar's official website starting the same day. The vehicle can be seen at seven Polestar Spaces nationwide, with test drives beginning in August. Customer deliveries will proceed sequentially from September.
Hahm Jong-sung, CEO of Polestar Korea, said, "The Polestar 3 is a flagship electric SUV that combines the brand's distinctive minimalist design with powerful performance," adding, "Through competitive pricing and product appeal, it will set a new standard in the premium electric SUV market."
Meanwhile, more consumers are turning to electric vehicles amid high exchange rates and high oil prices. According to new car registration data from the Kaizuu Data Research Institute, domestic electric vehicle registrations totaled 32,785 units (26.8%) in May, rising to second place after gasoline vehicles (35.7%). Amid the impact of high exchange rates and high oil prices, gasoline (-28.5%), diesel (-59.3%), hybrid (-21.5%), and LPG (-15.1%) vehicles all turned to decline, while electric vehicles recorded growth of 50.9%.
