Geely-backed Polestar announced on Wednesday that Australian pricing for the upgraded Polestar 3 SUV, starting at A$116,700 ($82,250) for the rear-motor variant — A$1,720 ($1,200) less than the outgoing model.
The struggling premium brand prepares to expand its local lineup with three additional vehicles over the next two years.
The 2027 model year Polestar 3, due to arrive in the middle of this year, features a new 800-volt electrical architecture that enables DC charging at up to 350 kW and cuts the 10-to-80% charge time to 22 minutes — more than 25% faster than the current model.
“The upgrades to Polestar 3 are so extensive, it’s like an entirely new car,” Polestar‘s CEO Michael Lohscheller said.
The dual-motor variant is priced at A$131,100 ($92,400) and the performance model at A$146,700 — equivalent to $103,400.
All Australian configurations include the Plus pack as standard — previously a A$9,000 option — adding Bowers & Wilkins audio with active road noise cancellation, a head-up display, soft-close doors, and a power-operated steering column.
Powertrain
All versions feature a newly developed permanent magnet synchronous rear motor. The performance variant produces up to 500 kW, paired with an asynchronous front motor that can automatically disconnect when not needed to improve efficiency.
The rear-motor version uses a 92 kWh CATL lithium-ion battery with a WLTP range of up to 604 km.
The dual-motor and performance trims carry a larger 106 kWh pack, delivering up to 635 km and 593 km respectively.
The 800-volt architecture also delivers efficiency gains of up to 6% on the WLTP cycle compared to the outgoing 400-volt system, Polestar said.
New NVIDIA
The core processor has been upgraded from the NVIDIA Xavier to the DRIVE AGX Orin, increasing computing power from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second — more than an eightfold increase.
Polestar said the upgrade enables faster management of active safety systems, battery performance, and sensor data.
Existing Australian Polestar 3 owners will receive the hardware upgrade at no cost.
Design
The updated model introduces two new exterior colors — Storm, a dark grey metallic, and Krypton, a new green — alongside new interior finishes.
An electrochromic glass roof with adjustable transparency is available as a standalone option across all variants.
The trim structure has been simplified to three tiers — Rear motor, Dual motor, and Performance — replacing the previous naming convention.
Each is visually distinguished through seatbelt design, from solid black to full Swedish gold on the performance model.
Australian Pipeline
Polestar‘s chief for the Australian market Scott Maynard told on Tuesday the local outlet CarExpert that the brand’s smallest and most affordable model yet — the Polestar 7 compact SUV — will arrive in Australia in late 2027 or early 2028.
“Right at the back of 2027 — and [could] spill into 2028 — we will see Polestar 7 compact SUV,” Maynard said.
The model will be built at Volvo’s new plant in Košice, Slovakia, making it Polestar’s first European-produced vehicle.
Before the Polestar 7 reaches Australia, a new variant of the Polestar 4 and a second-generation Polestar 2 are both due in 2027.
The Polestar 5 is expected to begin deliveries this summer.
Market Presence
Polestar opened a test drive and delivery center in Canberra last August as part of its shift to sell through local dealerships alongside its own retail network.
The brand sold 146 vehicles in February, according to data published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Registrations jumped 16% year over year despite the sequential decline when compared to the 160 units sold in January.
The company also partnered with Australian Olympic champion swimmer Kyle Chalmers last year as part of its efforts to grow brand awareness in the market.
Globally, Polestar became the official mobility partner and a main sponsor of German football club Borussia Dortmund in 2025 for three seasons.
In Norway, where 98% of new registrations last month were fully electric, Polestar registered 186 vehicles in February — an 8.1% increase year over year that bucked the broader market decline.
Polestar sold approximately 46,479 vehicles across Europe in 2025, according to data compiled by EV.
