In June this year, Polestar teased the third member of its model portfolio. After the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe from 2017 and the Polestar 2 electric crossover, the Polestar 3 will go on sale next year and will be produced in the United States at the same plant where the next-gen Volvo XC90 will be assembled. The two vehicles will share not only the same production lines but also the same platform.
While the two will be based on the same architecture and will have many components and technologies in common, the powertrain of the Polestar 3 will be bespoke for the model. The purpose-built engine will give the model “a top power position that is unique to Polestar,” which probably means it will be more powerful than the new XC90’s most powerful engine option.
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During the IAA Mobility in Munich, Polestar’s CEO Thomas Ingenlath confirmed to Car and Driver both single- and dual-motor powertrain setups will be available. “I definitely see that as a good combination, at the end of the day the twin motor has a bit more power and acceleration, but there are lots of people who don’t need that thrill,” he told the publication. “And there are lots of people who don’t need all-wheel drive. So in Norway or Austria we will always sell more all-wheel drive. But in China or the US lots of people are happy with the single motor.”
Car and Driver’s report also confirms the Polestar 3 will have two rows of seats - something that was already evident from the single teaser image released earlier this year. This decision was motivated by the crossover’s more stylish roofline compared to the XC90 and the fact that Polestar wants to better differentiate its product from Volvo’s flagship SUV.
As a side note, Polestar recently announced it wants to expand its business to about 30 global markets by the end of next year. During the interview in Munich, Thomas Ingenlath also said he wants to see his company reach the 100,000th mark when it comes to production, and the new Polestar 3 should play a key role in this plan. A production version of the Precept concept could also help with the task, as “being a brand that would only have SUVs would be terrifying” for the CEO.
Gallery: Polestar Precept
Source: Car and Driver