The Polestar 3 Electric SUV Is Coming With More Than 500 Horsepower

• A new SUV to compete with the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron
• Expect up to 510 horsepower and 670 lb-ft of torque
• A five-seater SUV with a starting price of around $75,000
• Kicks off the first Polestar 3 generation

What is the Polestar 3?

Right now, Polestar sells just one car: the 2. This electric sedan is an adequate Tesla Model 3 competitor, but its biggest problem — besides the parent company's lack of name recognition — is that it isn't a crossover. To that end, Polestar will debut its first electric SUV, the Polestar 3, in October of this year. It's here to fill a hole in Polestar's lineup, but the automaker is also relying on the 3 to help it grow in both terms of production volume and brand recognition. Tesla is everywhere, and GM, Volkswagen, Ford and almost every other major brand that builds EVs has significant brand awareness. Polestar, an offshoot manufacturer from Volvo, is a nascent brand, and the 3 is its best chance at gaining some needed traction.

The Polestar 3 will first hit our shores with a large battery pack and a dual-motor layout that the company says will feature "electric torque vectoring" thanks to a set of dual-clutch packs on the rear electric motor. The 3 will use a dual-chamber air suspension and active dampers that can swap between comfortable and sporty profiles, all while adjusting to the road conditions once every 2 milliseconds. Polestar also said, over time, the Polestar 3 will be available with autonomous highway driving technology powered by a lidar system.

Polestar is targeting a range of up to 372 miles on the European WLTP test cycle (EPA numbers are typically lower). However, should you opt for the Performance Pack, you might not hit that number because it juices the Polestar 3 up to 510 horsepower and 671 lb-ft of torque and adds special tuning for the suspension. The Performance Pack also brings some splash, with Polestar's signature gold touches on the valve caps, seat belts and elsewhere.

We still don't know how much this electric SUV will cost, but in the ballpark of $75,000 is a safe guess. We get full details on October 12, so stay tuned to learn more about the Polestar 3 as soon as we do.

Edmunds says

Electric SUVs are more popular than ever, and the segment is as tough as it gets. Polestar better bring its A game for the 3.