IMG_0482

For over half a decade, Dan Heyman has written professionally about cars and car culture, specializing in luxury/performance vehicles, 4 x 4s and pickup trucks, with a micro city car or two thrown in for good measure. If he's not striking a spacebar, he's likely out photographing cars on the twists and turns of the Coast Mountain roads outside his hometown of Vancouver, BC, or cutting a line on a racetrack.

For its mid-cycle refresh, the 2024 Polestar 2 has had its motor moved from the front to the back, transforming a front-wheel drive car into a rear-wheel drive car. That’s not something you see every day. You can, of course, opt for a more powerful dual-motor AWD model ($62,050) but it’s the “new” RWD ($54,950) version that will give you the most range to the tune of 516 km versus the dual-motor’s 444 km.

Styling-wise, the main attraction for 2024 is the addition of a new 20” two-tone Y-spoke design for the top Performance Pack trim, as well as the removal of the faux grille up front. That’s been replaced by what Polestar calls a “SmartZone” panel, a body-coloured item that is home to the parking and adaptive cruise control sensors. It’s interesting that they aren’t trying to hide these as is so often the case and while it can be a little alien-looking, it is unique and it’s not like folks don’t know these exist.

Otherwise, the Polestar 2’s exterior is more restrained than the BMW i4 and the Mercedes EQE sedan and when you consider that it gets its own version of the “Thor’s Hammer” DRLs seen on Volvo products, it does sit perilously close to the S60 sedan in terms of styling. That image, however, is somewhat dissolved by the fact that the 2 is a hatchback (with over 1,100 litres of cargo space), and it has a somewhat more aggressive profile as a result.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177607" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0446.jpg" alt="2024 Polestar 2" width="2000" height="1333" />

Inside, the airiness provided by the optional fixed glass roof is nice, but not having a sunshade of any kind is a big no-no. It also gets three seating surfaces to choose from – textile, wetsuit-like “Weave Tech”, and sustainably sourced leather from Bridge of Weir in Scotland. The “Textile” material is vegan, while the leather is as sumptuous as it sounds. I’m a big fan of the Weave Tech choice, however, as it is more durable and has great heat regulation while still remaining comfortable and non-abrasive. Heated front seats are standard on all trims while upgrading to leather gets you ventilated front seats and heated rears.

Being of the Volvo family, the front seats are properly supportive and comfortable, but the rears will leave even medium-sized adults wanting more. It’s nice that the cushions are so thick, but the extra volume they take up has to be found somewhere, and that somewhere is in rear headroom. What no one will complain about, however, is just how well-fastened it is inside. Since the dash is basically made up of a single 11.2” vertical display with few other controls, it’s a low-clutter space and the lack of moving parts or panel gaps has added to that feeling of solidity.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177617" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0488.jpg" alt="2024 Polestar 2" width="2000" height="1333" />

Google built-in comes as standard – it basically turns your infotainment system into a Google phone -- but a host of previously optional features have been made standard for 2024, including a 360-degree parking camera, wireless charging, blind spot system, and cross-traffic alert as well as auto-dimming mirrors on both sides. Adaptive cruise control remains part of the Pilot tech package.

It’s a comprehensive list but one issue that’s been present for some time on both Polestars and Volvos, however, is the need to navigate a few text-heavy menus to activate your brake regeneration level, climate control, and so forth when a single hard button would be nice. It’s an improvement over older Volvos for sure, but I would have liked to see them push the envelope a little more here.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177612" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0469.jpg" alt="2024 Polestar 2" width="2000" height="1333" />

Power from the dual-motor car is rated at 421 horsepower (455 with the Performance Pack) and a stump-pulling 546 pound-feet of torque, while the rear-wheel drive version makes do with 299 hp and 361 lb-ft. Those aren’t small figures necessarily, but I say “makes do” because at over 2,000 kilos, the Polestar 2 is heavy and the steering is just a little on the lazy side. You can adjust the steering weight through those finicky menus, but I didn’t feel a huge difference between the three different levels – until I moved to the RWD car. It’s the more involved piece. It’s lighter, almost feeling like it’s the more performance-oriented model even though the dual-motor has all that extra power. It just felt so much more car-like in the traditional sense with less of that disconnected feel you get when driving so many EVs today. Add the great range it gets (helped along by three levels of brake regeneration, including an “off” setting), and you have a package that’s full value even with the lower power figures.

You do feel that dearth of power when accelerating up a hill or at higher speeds. The dual-motor Performance Pack car definitely earns top trumps there. There are many that will appreciate the extra power it brings. They’ll also appreciate the uprated brakes and suspension the Performance Pack provides – the braking is especially notable because when it comes to power regeneration through braking, getting good brake feel is often a challenge and they’ve aced it here.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177618" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0500.jpg" alt="2024 Polestar 2" width="2000" height="1333" />

What I’m unsure of, however, is how many will look at the range figures vs. the power figures and opt for the car that provides the best of the former as opposed to the latter. After all, even with the power made by the dual-motor, the Polestar 2 never really feels like a performance EV – but with the RWD, there’s that je ne sais quoi that makes it so it doesn’t require big power to feel like a more committed drive. In this rare instance, I think I’ll have the less-powerful model.
<h3>2024 Polestar 2</h3>
BODY STYLE: Four-door electric sedan

DRIVE METHOD: single or dual motor/rear- or all-wheel drive
ENGINE: Permanent magnet synchronous/asynchronous

CONSUMPITON Le/100 KM CITY/HIGHWAY/COMBINED single motor: 1.9/2.2/2.0

CONSUMPITON Le/100 KM CITY/HIGHWAY/COMBINED dual motor: 2.1/2.4/2.2
TRANSMISSION: 1-speed automatic

CARGO CAPACITY: 1,130 litres

WEBSITE: <a href="https://www.polestar.com/en-ca/polestar-2/">Polestar 2</a>

2024 Polestar 2 First Drive

Polestar 3 front

Living in rural Nova Scotia, Matthew Guy has immersed himself in car culture for over 30 years and relishes the thought of a good road trip. A certified gearhead, he enjoys professionally writing about cars and is very pleased to contribute for wheels.ca.

His work has also appeared on Car Throttle, The Truth About Cars, and in CAA Magazine. Find him on Twitter @matthewkguy

Fledgling Polestar decided to launch itself with a brace of sedan-ish vehicles, with the all-electric Polestar 2 serving as the beachhead onto which many Canadians first heard of this Swedish brand with kinda-sorta ties to Volvo. Now, its next act involves this nation’s favourite style of vehicle: the SUV.

Called the – you guessed it – Polestar 3, this near-six-figure all-electric vehicle is offered in Canada as two different trims. Both deploy dual motors and a long-range battery pack but the Performance variant trades a bit of road trip legs for outright speed. At a base MSRP of $97,400 we find a machine with up to 482 kilometres of driving range, 483 horsepower, and the ability to hit highway speeds in a tick under 5 seconds. Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds if you dare.

For now, all Polestar 3s get a 400V lithium-ion battery with a 111-kWh capacity and the ability to hoover up enough electricity at 250kW DC fast chargers to re-juice from 10 – 80% in an estimated half hour. Brembo-branded performance brakes, an option on other Polestars, are standard with the calipers painted a so-called Swedish gold. Alright, then. Active air suspension and mode-selectable electric power steering help handling.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-177376" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Polestar-3-int.png" alt="Polestar 3" width="1800" height="1246" />

In an apparent homage to IKEA and other whip-tidy Swedish items, the interiors of Polestar vehicles are decidedly minimalist – but that’s not to say they are poorly equipped. A fixed panoramic roof is part of the deal, as are tri-zone climate control, ample device charging spots (one of them wireless), and a jumbo 14.5-inch centre infotainment screen. A Bowers &amp; Wilkins sound system with 25 speakers belts out your favourite tunes or grim news from the CBC.

One can splash out $7,000 for different interior upholstery, replacing the charcoal-hued cloth or MicroTech seat coverings with “animal welfare” perforated Nappa leather. The upgrade brings ventilated front seats and massaging functions, so it’s not all for looks. Zooty 22-inch wheels can be swapped in for about three grand but the stock 21’s look just fine to our jaundiced eyes.

It is fortunate Polestar sees fit to splash a bit of colour on those brake rotors since the 3’s exterior paint palette is bleaker than a Swedish crime drama show. Only the dark blue Midnight adds any sense of non-grayscale to the car, with all other options – Magnesium, Snow, and even the entertainingly named Jupiter – residing squarely in the “non-colour” category. At least they are all $0 options.

What We'd Choose 

A grand total of $7,000 for the performance pack is a lot of cheddar for adding just 27 horsepower and shaving 0.3 second off the highway sprint. That’s almost $260 per horse, or the average bet per equine at Churchill Downs. Torque fares better in comparison, jumping up 51 to 671 lb.-ft. Still, that’s a big ask – especially knowing the extra power blunts total driving range by about 10 percent.

With that in mind, we’ll stick with the standard Polestar 3 – just be aware that less-expensive trims may be in the pipeline for 2025.

Every week, wheels.ca selects a new vehicle and takes a good look at its entry-level trim. If we find it worthy of your consideration, we'll let you know. If not, we'll recommend one - or the required options - which earns a passing grade.

Base Camp: 2024 Polestar 3

news 7-4 (4)

Evan is an East Coast based automotive journalist and a Certified Engineering Technologist. He is an avid autocrosser, hack mechanic, and a member of AJAC. If you don't find him driving or writing about cars, you'll probably find him in the garage breaking one.

Electrify Canada to use Tesla NACS plug at its stations

Electrify Canada, an arm of Volkswagen, said that it will offer Tesla NACS charge plugs at its fast-charge EV stations by 2025. Electrify Canada stations will also continue to offer the CCS charge plug familiar to most non-Tesla EV owners, so existing owners and other brands will not be left out. Electrify Canada currently offers more than 30 fast charging stations capable of up to 350 kW with stations in BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. EC says it aims to hit 100 locations in Canada by 2026. Electrify Canada is the second major fast charge network to announce NACS plugs, following FLO.

Volvo and Polestar also move to Tesla plugs

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-176793 size-full" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/news-7-4-3.jpg" alt="Volvo Polestar Tesla" width="2500" height="1875" />

Volvo, Polestar, and Electrify Canada are the latest to announce they will begin using Tesla's North American Charging Standard plug for EV charging. Volvo is the first European brand to announce the move, coming just weeks after Ford and GM announced they would be using the plug starting from 2025. As with those two, Volvo and Polestar will have access to 12,000 of Tesla's Supercharger stations across the U.S. and Canada. Volvo will offer a Tesla adaptor for its CCS cars beginning next year, while once cars equipped with the Tesla plug go on sale, Volvo will offer an adaptor to let them use CCS charge sites.

Stellantis Free2Move

Stellantis, parent of Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram, has announced plans to expand its own charge network and improve customer charging experience. Called Free2Move, Stellantis says it will help deliver at-home charging solutions to customers including charge cables and wall boxes with a look toward wireless solutions in the future. It will provide charging solutions for business customers and Free2Move Charge Go will be the publicly accessible charge network.

Mazda3 to lose base engine

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176792" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/news-7-4-2.jpg" alt="2024 Mazda3" width="2500" height="1656" />

Mazda, back in gasoline-car news, is upgrading the 2024 Mazda3 Sport and sedan by ditching the 2.0L four-cylinder in favour of the 2.5L four that was previously an up-level option. The six-speed stick that came with that engine is also gone, so all 2024 Mazada3 models will be automatic with the exception of the GT hatch. The 2.5L engine makes 191 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, 44 more than the 2.0L. Mazda says it delivers better fuel economy as well, at 8.4 L/100 km city, 6.3 highway. The even more powerful 2.5L turbo engine will still be offered Also new this year will be the Suna Edition, which gets Zircon Sand metallic paint with black wheels and trim. Along with a Teracotta interior, it will be the top of the Mazda3 lineup. Pricing for the 2024 Mazda3 starts from $24,200 when it arrives in the fall, $1,000 more than last year's 2.0 automatic. The Sport hatchback should be here in the summer and starts from $24,950 and the Suna Edition tops out at $38,900.

IIHS finds mid-size pickups lacking in certain areas

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176795" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/news-7-4-5.jpg" alt="IIHS mid-size pickups" width="2500" height="1421" />

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a U.S. safety advocacy group famous for its crash tests, has put mid-size pickups to a new test and found them lacking. "Our updated moderate overlap front crash test proved to be challenging for small pickups,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “A common problem was that the rear passenger dummy's head came dangerously close to the front seatback, and in many cases, dummy measurements indicated a risk of neck or chest injuries. All these things tell us that the rear seat belts need improvement.” Five crew cab pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Jeep Gladiator were tested with only the Frontier getting "acceptable" on the test for rear seat passengers. The other four were rated "poor." Of note, these were the outgoing versions of the Colorado, Tacoma, and Ranger, and the upcoming new models have not been tested.

News Roundup: Tesla Chargers All-Around, 2024 Mazda3, More

news 6-19 (2)

AJAC EcoRun awards Hyundai twice

Hyundai has won both of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's Green awards for 2023. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV was awarded the 2023 Canadian Green Car of the Year and the Ioniq 5 the 2023 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year, with the awards announced as part of the AJAC EcoRun event. The Ioniq 5 was also named overall AJAC Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year at the Toronto auto show earlier this year. The Canadian Green Car awards look at efficiency, customer appeal, and the overall greenness of each eligible vehicle, and are voted on by many of Canada's top automotive journalists.

Refreshed Nissan Sentra

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176579" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/news-6-19-6.jpg" alt="2024 Nissan Sentra" width="2500" height="1667" />

Nissan is refreshing the Sentra for 2024 with a new face and headlights as well as a new transmission. The styling changes transform the car's nose, but the majority of the sheet metal is unchanged. SR models get a new interior accent stitch that matches Nissan's own Frontier PRO-4X pickups. The 149 hp 2.0L four gets a new CVT that Nissan says reduces fuel consumption and operates more smoothly than the old one. The engine also adds idle stop-start to save some more fuel. A six-speed stick remains on the list for base and SR-spec cars. Nissan Safety Shield 360 is also now standard, giving the car plenty of standard advanced driver assists. Expect pricing in a few months as the 2024 Sentra arrives at dealers.

Buick Envision will get Super Cruise

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176578" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/news-6-19-5.jpg" alt="Buick Envision" width="2500" height="1668" />

Buick previewed the 2024 Envision. The compact crossover gets new styling taken from the Wildcat EV concept that brings it in line with the latest Encore models. The 2024 Buick Envision will also have new interior screens, with a bezel-free design integrating the dash and centre screen. The most notable change, though, is the addition of Super Cruise. This is the first time for the hands-off driver assistance feature to be offered on a Buick model. Buick said to expect the new Envision in the spring, with pricing to follow.

Brightdrop EV vans delivered to FedEx Canada

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176574" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/news-6-19-1.jpg" alt="Fed EX Brightdrop" width="2500" height="1408" />

Brightdrop, the GM EV delivery vehicle brand that is being built at the company's plant in Ingersoll, ON, has just seen its first deliveries in Canada. 50 of the Brightdrop Zevo 600 electric vans were delivered to FedEx Canada at an event held in Toronto. The vehicles will go into service in Toronto, Montreal, and Surrey. The parcel delivery service said that it is working to have a zero local emissions fleet by 2040.

2024 Polestar 2 pricing

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176576" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/news-6-19-3.jpg" alt="2024 Polestar 2" width="2500" height="1406" />

Polestar has announced pricing for the 2024 version of its Polestar 2 EV. The new long-range single-motor variants will start from $54,950, which qualifies the model for EV incentives across the county. The new model has a max range of 515 km and makes 299 hp from its rear-mounted motor. The Dual Motor AWD model has a 444 km estimated range and will start from $62,950. The 2024 Polestar 2 is set to begin deliveries this August.

Cadillac Lyriq adds more trim levels

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176577" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/news-6-19-4.jpg" alt="2024 Cadillac Lyriq" width="2500" height="1667" />

Cadillac has quietly posted the 2024 Lyriq to its build and price page, adding more trim grades to the electric luxury crossover. Tech 1 RWD is the base model, starting from $66,699, and rear-drive models are offered up to Sport 3 and Luxury 3 which both start from $81,199. AWD is also offered on all grades, adding $4,000 to the RWD price. Estimated range for the RWD model is up to 505 km, and 494 km for dual-motor variants.

News Roundup: Hyundai Wins AJAC Green Awards, First Canadian Brightdrop Deliveries, More

news 4-24 (7)

New Elantra N

Hyundai revealed a new Elantra N at Auto Shanghai 2023 last week. The model marks the start of the N performance brand in China, but we're expecting the same looks to show up here. The Elantra N has a new nose with the brand's ultra-thin new front lighting look. The N trademark red stripe is still there. No word on the hardware specs, but don't expect much of a change from the current 276 hp. The 2024 Elantra N should be here before the end of the year.

Heavily refreshed Cayenne

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175810" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-24-6.jpg" alt="2024 Porsche Cayenne" width="1440" height="810" />

Porsche revealed the 2024 Cayenne last week and while it looks just like the one it replaces there is plenty new underneath. The cabin is almost completely overhauled, getting the large and flat digital screens from the Taycan EV. That includes an available new 10.9-inch one for the front passenger. The air suspension is enhanced and all models come with active dampers with more adjustment for more comfort and handling. There are powertrain enhancements too, including the 348 hp base, the revised 468 hp V8 S, the 650 hp Turbo GT, and a much larger new 25.9 kWh battery for the 468 hp E-Hybrid PHEV.

Lincoln Nautilus

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175809" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-24-5.jpg" alt="lincoln nautilus" width="1440" height="631" />

Lincoln revealed an all-new Nautilus. The brand's big two-row crossover will be made in China instead of Oakville, ON, but that might be the smallest of the changes. The Nautilus gets Continental-style hidden door handles and LED light strips nose and tail. Inside, there will be a massive upper screen that spans from door to door for a new digital experience. A conventional center screen lets you control the big screen as well as other usual functions. The 2024 Nautilus will offer a 2.0L turbo-four making 250 hp or the same engine with a hybrid drive system that gives it 310 hp with better fuel economy. To make driving easier, Nautilus will have adaptive suspension as well as the Lincoln BlueCruise hands-off highway assistant. Expect it early next year.

VW Ontario Battery Plant

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175806" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-24-2.jpg" alt="VW Ontario gigafactory" width="1440" height="1152" />

Volkswagen has announced more details about its planned battery plant for St Thomas, ON. The company's CEO has said it could be the company's largest plant in the world and the $7B investment from VW for building the plant is the single largest Canadian auto investment ever. Though it will come with serious government incentives. VW Group says the plant will employ up to 3,000, with the federal government estimating tens of thousands of spin-off jobs. Groundbreaking is set for next year with production to start in 2027.

Polestar 4 deletes the rear window

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175808" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-24-4.jpg" alt="Polestar 4" width="1440" height="810" />

Polestar revealed the Polestar 4, its latest EV. The model is a 544 hp electric that the company calls an SUV but is barely taller in height than the Polestar 2 sedan. The unique feature of the 4 is the complete lack of rear window. Instead of glass, you'll need to use a camera to see what's going on behind you. Polestar says this is better for safety, but it could be a tough sell. The model will offer dual-motor AWD or single-motor RWD. A heat pump will be standard. Both versions get a 102 kWh battery and the brand is targeting a range of more than 486 km.

BMW i7 gets more power

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175807" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/news-4-24-3.jpg" alt="BMW i7 M70" width="1440" height="960" />

BMW has revealed its most powerful EV yet. The i7 is getting an M70 variant that has 650 hp, 811 lb-ft, and an estimated range of up to 474 km. The model uses motors with double the number of windings versus the non-M version. That gives it more output and the ability to sustain that output at speed. There is also new chassis bracing and M suspension upgrades. To go with it, BMW is launching the 750e PHEV as well, which will have 483 hp and double the battery capacity.

News Roundup: VW Battery Plant, New Lincoln, New Polestar, Faster BMW EVs, More

Polestar3 3q front

With over two decades as a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), Michael Bettencourt has been writing about cars and automotive topics for over 25 years. A journalism graduate of Ryerson University, he has won multiple awards for automotive photography, vehicle testing, plus EV and green topics, and has owned various EVs since 2011.

New York, NY – With the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 all-electric luxury SUVs heading to North America around the end of 2023, based on similar drivetrains and identically large batteries, the market race between these two closely related vehicles arguably becomes a choice of style and seats.

Which whispers more alluringly to you: the upright, classically conservative and practical Volvo seven-seater? Or the sleeker, less spacious but spicier five-seat Polestar 3?

The Polestar 3’s North American debut was conspicuously held the week before the New York International Auto Show, which Polestar did not officially attend. Noted enviro-conscious movie star Leonardo DiCaprio also helped bring some celebrity shimmer to the event, posing for photos with Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. And while Ingenlath acknowledged some technical similarities between the Polestar 3 and upcoming Volvo EV, he also stressed more than the visual differences between the two corporate cousins.

“It’s not just the same vehicle with a nicer top hat on it,” said Ingenlath at a technical deep dive on the Polestar 3 with other senior execs hours before the DJ and models showed up. “We have more of a pioneering role within the company,” he said, noting that the Polestar 3 will arrive first, and those first-year units to arrive are set to be produced in China, before its plant in South Carolina starts producing them around mid-2024.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175706" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Polestar3-rear-legroom-4.jpeg" alt="Polestar 3" width="1280" height="851" />

Having globally introduced the 2024 Polestar 3 in October last year in Denmark, the luxury EV maker quickly started taking orders for the vehicle in Canada and the U.S. in November. It also released a surprising amount of information about the vehicle early, including its base price in Canada of just under $100k, especially considering that Volvo as of this writing has still not announced its EX90 price, which traditionally is held to just a few months before the first units arrive.

The Polestar 3’s six-figure price may sound expensive, especially when you consider that the EX90 will offer three rows of seating, which is currently still a relatively rare offering amongst any BEV models, at any price point.

But there was a strategic reason for this price in Canada, and it actually helped make the $99,900 starting price (after delivery charges) notably lower than the Polestar 3’s announced launch prices in both the U.S.($83,900, or C$113,417) and Europe (89,000 Euros, or C$131,711).

“We purposefully brought it in just under the ($100,000 vehicle) luxury tax,” said Hugues Bissonette, the Country Manager for Polestar Canada. The launch models come fully loaded, as they include the Plus and Pilot packages, with only a few available option packages that would push it over the six-figure luxury tax threshold.

One is a $7,000 Performance pack option, with which horsepower jumps from 489 hp to 517 hp, while torque increases from 620 lb-ft (840 Nm) of torque to 671 lb-ft (910 Nm). And all from a software upgrade, with more rated horsepower than the EX90, but the same torque in both regular and performance versions. Handling is also sharpened by stiffer springs and semi-active dampers, with rear torque-vectoring acting on wider 22-inch unique wheels. And distinctive yellow Polestar Engineered seatbelts.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175703" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Polestar3-infoscreen-5.jpeg" alt="Polestar 3" width="1280" height="851" />

Both the Polestar 3 and the EX90 will share the same large 111 kWh lithium-ion battery, of which 107 kWh will be usable, with a max charge speed of 250 kW, which is very high for a 400-volt system. Polestar says a DC quick charge will take 30 minutes to go from 10-80% charged, which is quick for a battery this large.

But it’s worth noting that you’ll need one of the relatively rare 350 kW DC quick-charging stations to achieve this max speed, and likely ideal conditions as well, since a 400-volt system will be working very hard to reach and keep anywhere near that 250 kW max charging speed.

It will be fascinating to DC quick charge these upon its arrival in North America, currently slated for the last quarter of this year, where Canada and the U.S. will be among the first markets to receive it.

Maximum range in the Polestar 3 will be 482 km, as rated by the EPA, which is notably lower than its 610 km preliminary range target originally communicated on Europe’s much more optimistic WLTP standard. Speaking of daily range, the company recommends charging it daily to 90% or less for ultimate battery longevity, although company engineers say it’s not going to be an issue to charge it overnight to 100% occasionally if you’re going to need the range.

“Sometimes people are afraid to charge their EVs to 100 percent,” because of the NMC (nickel Manganese Cobalt) chemistry of the battery, said Beatrice Simonsson, the international head of product management. “Though we recommend normally to charge to 80 or 90%, if you’re going on a trip and need the full 100, customers are totally fine to use it.”

If there are any issues, there’s a very generous eight-year, 160,000 km warranty on the battery. Some driving range reduction over the years due to lithium-ion battery degradation is expected and normal, as with all current batteries, but Polestar includes a battery capacity guarantee of 70% over those periods.

The Polestar 3 and its battery can also handle some tasks that aren’t normally strengths of BEVs, such as towing, up to 2,200 kg (4,500 lb), while offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from launch. Regular over the air (OTA) updates will also be provided.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-175702" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Polestar3-frunk-2.jpeg" alt="Polestar 3" width="1280" height="720" />

Helping with winter conditions in particular, the Polestar 3 comes standard with a battery warmer, a heat pump, and interior pre-conditioning, either from an app or settings inside the vehicle. There’s no ability to manually switch on battery pre-conditioning for a quicker charge, which is unfortunate, but it will automatically pre-condition (warm up) the battery when you select a DC quick charger in the GPS system to navigate to, after choosing from three different levels of high-speed charging.

Many EV fans will be happy to know that there is also a one-pedal driving option, as well as a selectable creep-forward mode, which more closely mimics the feel of a gas vehicle, and is useful for folks with a steep driveway.

There will be some major capabilities that won’t be available right away. The most notable is an optional LiDAR system that for $7,000 adds extra cameras and an advanced laser “pod” on the roof similar to the one that comes standard on the EX90. It will help its driver-assistance technologies perform better in bad weather and at night (auto emergency braking and smart cruise especially), as well as increase its self-driving abilities in more areas and situations.

Ingenlath believes it’ll likely be two to three years before this system will achieve “unsupervised piloting,” as he described it, and likely first in California or other areas where similar systems are now being tested and up for legal approval.

Of course, the 2024 Polestar 3 will also have other luxury rivals in this class, such as the five-seat BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. But if it comes down in the end to a fashion choice between any BEV luxury SUV in this near-six figure segment, the Polestar 3 has little to worry about.

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Fashion-forward Polestar 3 EV to arrive by year’s end