Polestar 5 Reviews

If you think electric vehicles might be just a fad, like a Rubik’s Cube or a Livestrong bracelet, or even those Oakley stickers everyone had on their windscreens that said “Thermonuclear Protection”, we have news for you: EVs aren’t going anywhere. They’re going everywhere.

Polestar has announced a new entry-level variant of its 3 large SUV.It will pack a single rear-mounted motor developing 220kW/490Nm to complement the 910Nm twin-motor variants.The new Single Motor has been confirmed for Australia but pricing is yet to be locked in. Expect less than the current $132,720, before on-road costs, entry price.That should aid the new Polestar 3 against luxury rivals including the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX, Lexus RZ and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.The Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor uses the same 111 kWh battery pack. It is able to take on 250kW DC electricity, rushing from 10-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.The additional efficiency of a single motor means the base Polestar 3 boasts 650km WLTP driving range from a full charge.It gets the same level of equipment as the dual motor such as a full panoramic glass roof, LED ambient lighting, retractable exterior door handles and 21-inch alloy wheels.The typically high-take up 'Plus Pack' adds a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, soft-closing doors and a head-up display.The Dual Motor models are faster to 100km/h with a claimed 5.0 second sprint (non Performance Pack) compared to the new Single Motor's 7.8-second claim.Polestar notes the Single Motor uses hydraulic bump stops and frequency selective passive dampers but does not specify if the Dual Motor's air suspension is fitted.Six paint colours, five interior trims, four wheel designs, the semi-autonomous 'Pilot Pack' and style-oriented 'Pro Pack' are all available.Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar said, “With the Long range Single Motor Polestar 3 we offer consumers a new entry-point for our flagship electric SUV."The rear-wheel drive configuration fits with our performance-focused driving dynamics that make the car stand out in the luxury SUV sector.”Originally slated for 2023 arrival, the Polestar 3's Australian release date has been pushed back to August this year.

Polestar has announced a mild update for its first mass-produced model, adding a smidge more driving range and streamlining options for the MY25 Polestar 2.

A traditional sports car is a lot like the barfly at your local pub - it consumes a hell of a lot more, and is a lot louder than pretty much anything within a one kilometre radius. 

If you’re one of the many Australians that’s ready to take the plunge and turn your motoring from fossil fuelled to electric, you’ll probably have noticed there’s not the same choice in vehicle layout as there is with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars. We’re behind the rest of the developed world in all types of EVs, and when you look at electric sedans Australia is a real back-marker.

The true Polestar story starts with the 3. Based on the Volvo EX90 but sharing no visible panels inside or out, this big mid-sized SUV EV is the Chinese-owned Swedish brand's tilt at sportier alternatives like the BMW iX and Porsche Cayenne, and is priced accordingly. Key goals included striking design, leading comfort and driver-focused dynamics, in a safe, family-focused SUV. Does the 3 succeed?

Ever since it was flagged earlier this year as an ‘indirect replacement’ for the company’s original EV model, the Polestar 2, by CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, widespread speculation has kicked off over whether the Polestar 7 will even again be a Tesla Model 3-style sedan-esque liftback competitor.

Polestar is offering a whole pile of money off its electric car as the Chinese-owned Swedish EV specialist looks to shift more metal in Australia. Far from calling it a ‘discount’ – the brand doesn’t like the word – the lower Polestar pricing is valid for orders placed until June 9, 2024 and savings add up to a maximum $15,000. An end-of-financial year special, the offer is also only valid on vehicles delivered by June 30.It brings the price-of-entry of a base Polestar 2 Standard Range Single Motor (SRSM, 546km driving range) to $62,400 before on-road costs – a saving of $5000 making the Polestar $3500 dearer than a Tesla Model 3 RWD. But you can make the deal even better if you forego any options.Omit the popular Pilot pack ($3500), Plus pack ($6000) and Performance pack ($9000, Dual Motor only) for a Pure Spec and Polestar will give you another $5000 cash back after on-road costs. This applies to all grades.Pure Spec models can have 20-inch alloy wheels added. Polestar is also offering $7500 off the base price of Long Range Single Motor (LRSM, 655km driving range) and a whopping $10,000 off the 310kW Long Range Dual Motor (593km driving range). Any option pack can be added and you’ll still receive cash off the price.While the base car’s price is enticing, it’s the fact you can get a 310kW AWD sedan that hits 100km/h from rest in 4.5 seconds for effectively $61,400 before you factor in on-road costs that’s most exciting. It means the Polestar even undercuts BYD’s Seal Performance. Polestar is the latest carmaker to usher in drastic savings to promote EV sales ahead of the end of financial year. BYD cut $8000 from Atto 3 demonstrators, Tesla carved margin from its whole range, Peugeot knocked a third off its e-2008 SUV (which is now sold out) and Nissan chopped a chunk from Leaf pricing.Polestar has delivered 448 examples of its 2 lifted sedan this year, short of the BMW i4 (663) and a long way adrift of Tesla’s dominant Model 3 sedan (6865). The price cut comes as a surprise after Polestar Australia Managing Director Samantha Johnson told CarsGuide “we don’t do discounts” at the updated sedan's launch in August 2023.It remains to be seen if cheaper prices will increase local sales of the Polestar 2.Polestar 2 pricing (before on-road costs, valid until June 9, 2024) 

Haven’t heard of Polestar electric vehicles? Well, there was a time when you hadn’t heard of Tesla, either, but in recent years, Polestar has leaped up the sales charts, which once would've been a difficult task for a newcomer brand in AustraliaRegardless, If your Polestar knowledge is hazier than the Tesla Cybertruck’s release date, here’s all the important things you need to know about the EV brand that hopes to shake up the world, and annoy Elon Musk.This is a case of big (Chinese) fish eats little (Swedish) fish. Flash/Polestar Racing was established in 1996 and was a partner to Volvo, with the Swedish car manufacturer fully acquiring the off-shoot in 2015. Chinese multinational automotive giant Geely bought Volvo in 2010, technically making the Polestar brand Swedish-Chinese (which sounds like a very interesting cuisine). Although headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, in Sweden, Polestar has its Polestar 2 made in Luqiao, China, at the same factory that builds the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV. The new Polestar 3 SUV, however, will be manufactured in both China and the US, while the Polestar 4 will be built in China and South Korea. If you’re keen to get behind the wheel of a Polestar, Polestar Australia has been selling the popular Polestar 2 hatchback EV since early 2022 (surely you’ve seen them on the road, as many early examples are favoured by rideshare drivers).After a Polestar SUV? Australia will get those in 2024 when the Polestar 3 large SUV lands, and if you want to drive something really different, the Polestar 4 mixes it up with its mid-size crossover coupe styling and complete lack of a rear window.In the next few years the range will also be fleshed out with a Polestar 5 Grand Tourer, and the Polestar 6 convertible.Wondering what happened to the Polestar 1? Australia never saw it, with the plug-in hybrid coupe discontinued from production in 2021. If you’re keen to be the owner of a shiny new Polestar but worried about where to plug it in, charging stations in Australia are now beginning to increase, with various government funding going toward bridging the gap and making it easier for EV drivers to charge their vehicles. Price: $67,400 (Standard Range RWD), $71,400 (Long Range RWD), $76,400 (Long Range dual motor); all plus on-road costs There are two single-motor rear-drive variants of the Polestar 2: the Standard Range (estimated driving range of 532km) and the Long Range (estimated driving range of 654km), with each variant coming with outputs of 200kW/490Nm and the ability to go from zero to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds. There’s also a dual-motor Long Range variant (estimated driving range of 591km) with outputs of 310kW/740Nm and a zero to 100km/h dash of 4.2 seconds. The Standard Range battery pack is 69kWh, while the Long Range is 82kWh. Price: From $132,900Sharing its SPA2 platform with the incoming Volvo EX90, the Polestar 3 large SUV has a dual-motor powertrain and maximum outputs of 380kW and 910Nm, with the estimated driving range provided by the 111kW battery pack at 610km.Local pricing comes in at $132,900 for the single Long Range Dual Motor variant, although the Performance Pack (which unlocks the aforementioned power outputs for a 4.7 second 0-100km/h sprint time) costs a further $9000, while the Plus Pack, which is also a $9000 option adds more luxurious touches like premium audio, noise cancelling, and soft-close doors among other things.From $81,500The Polestar 4 will land in Australia before the end of 2024 offering a different spin on the luxury mid-size SUV formula. Competing both in terms of price and intention to something like Porsche's electric Macan, the Polestar 4 looks more like an up-sized Polestar 2, having a more sedan-like silhouette than your average mid-size SUV.Local pricing starts from $81,500 for the entry-level Single Motor variant which channels 200kW/343Nm to the rear wheels and provides 610km of driving range, while the Dual Motor starts from $92,150 and doubles outputs to 400kW while offering 580km of driving range.Test drives for the Polestar 2 are currently available in Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth and two locations in Sydney. That’s not the only way to get yourself behind the wheel of a Polestar 2: Hertz has purchased a whopping 65,000 Polestars 2s to add to its fleet of rental cars, giving Aussies the chance to test one out before shelling out their hard-earned. Uber has also made at least 500 Polestars 2s part of its fleet thanks to vehicle subscription company Splend. An electric tier was launched by Uber in 2023, which gives Uber customers the ability to choose to travel in a Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3 or another fully electric car. It was also joined by a 'green' tier which allows riders to exclusively be picked up in hybrids.Polestar offer a traditional fixed rate loan to customers, as well as a loan with a ‘Guaranteed Future Value agreement’, which is similar to a regular loan with a balloon payment at the end of the term. The difference is that Polestar guarantees the minimum return value of the vehicle to ensure it covers the balloon repayment.Two more models have already been announced by Polestar: The Polestar 5 four-door sedan (outputs: 650kW/900Nm) is pitched as a grand tourer and rides on the same SEA platform as the Polestar 4 and other vehicles under the Geely umbrella, like the Lotus Eletre and Zeekr 001. Its current plan for release seems to have been pushed back to 2027.The Polestar 6, an electric sports car concept, has also been unveiled, with an originally proposed release date of 2026. The dual motor, two-door convertible’s target specifications are a top speed of 250km/h, acceleration from zero to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds, a 600km-plus driving range and a power target of 650kW. That definitely sounds like something you won’t want to miss.

A tech company is on the cusp of a game-changing electric car breakthrough. StoreDot, an Israeli company that specialises in lithium-ion battery technology, has successfully trialled a revolutionary new battery that is capable of ultra fast charging.