Polestar 3 arrival pushed back

POLESTAR Australia has announced that the all-new Polestar 3 electric SUV has been delayed, with the scheduled arrival for the BMW iX3 and Audi e-Tron rival now expected to be quarter two, 2024, instead of Q1.

The new, bigger, more expensive SUV model will push Polestar into a more premium market space, with buyers being asked to pay $132,900 plus on-road costs for the Long Range model, or $141,900 +ORC for the version with the Performance Pack. 

Polestar’s Australian team would not delve into details as to the specifics of the delay, but the brand’s PR and communications manager, Laurissa Mirabelli, did confirm that “software shared with Volvo” is the reason for the push-back.

Ms Mirabelli said the company plans to have “customer deliveries from late Q2, 2023”, while the next model in the EV brand’s range, the Polestar 4 SUV Coupe, is still on track for a local arrival in the third quarter of 2024.

Beyond that, the brand will add the Polestar 5 performance luxury sedan-style model – based on the Precept concept car. That high-spec variant is likely to line up against the likes of the Audi e-Tron GT and Porsche Taycan, with all-wheel drive expected to be standard.

Spokespeople at the company confirmed that the reveal is on the cards for 2024, with a planned launch for the new flagship offering expected in 2025 in Australia. 

Polestar has just updated the entry-point to its range, with the 2024 Polestar 2 models seeing a number of significant changes, such as the single-motor variants switching from front- to rear-wheel drive, and battery technology suppliers changing to LG Chem for the Standard Range model and to CATL for the Long Range versions. 

All grades have seen increased standard safety specification as well, and while prices have gone up across the board for the Polestar 2 – now from $67,400 to $85,400 +ORC – it remains a relatively affordable electric model, considering all versions are offered with more than 500km of EV driving range, and even the least expensive version has 200kW of power and 490Nm of torque.

The brand has assured potential customers that are looking to get into an updated Polestar 2 that the wait times are not significant, with an expected lead of six to eight weeks from order to delivery.

The small EV brand insists it is not chasing Tesla-like sales numbers, but has seen significant growth in 2023 so far, with an increase of 121.5 per cent on last year’s figures to a year-to-date tally of 1524 units.