2025 Polestar 3 Electric SUV's More Affordable Price Doesn't Really Change the Math
The Tesla Model Y competitor still costs much, much more money.
The new Polestar 3 electric SUV is slightly larger than the ubiquitous Tesla Model Y and pretty much the same size as the 2026 Rivian R2, but the trio will naturally be cross-shopped, given they're all upscale, two-row midsize all-electric SUVs. But where the Tesla represents surprising value, starting at $46,630 before applicable tax incentives (every Model Y qualifies for the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit) in rear-wheel-drive form and $49,630 in all-wheel-drive Long Range guise—and the Rivian promises a $45,000 base price when it arrives in 2026—the 2025 Polestar 3 costs about what you expect a midsize luxury SUV to cost, electric or otherwise. Which would be more.
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For the 2024 model year, the Polestar 3 is only available in Launch Edition forms, which start at $80,300 for the dual-motor Long Range version and $86,300 for the Performance package variant. Polestar has now revealed the MSRPs of the 2025-model-year 3s, which will represent first of the normal, non-Launch-Edition run of electric SUVs.
Prices for the 2025 Polestar 3 now kick off at $68,900, including $1,400 in destination charges, for a single-motor, Long Range model with 350 miles of range and 299 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque. The Single Motor Long Range (SMLR, in Polestar-speak) is a late add for the 2025 model year and brings with it a welcome dose of relative affordability and closes the gap somewhat with Polestar's key competitors, if only just.
Until the SMLR came along, the least-expensive 2025 Polestar 3 was the $74,800 dual-motor, Long Range model with 315 miles of range and 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque from its two motors. The single motor 3's arrival also means that Polestar's least-expensive EV SUV now lines up better (at least on paper) against the Tesla and Rivian R2, both of which are available in price-leader single-motor form. And every Polestar 3 uses the same 111-kWh battery, which can be charged at a max rate of 250 kW.
Still, the entry-level Polestar 3 costs about $22,000 more than the roughly equivalent Model Y Single Motor Long Range, which delivers 337 miles of range. The top-dog Polestar 3 with the Performance package starts at $80,800, presenting a similar price premium over the Tesla Model Y Performance trim. The 3 Performance package gets 517 hp, 671 lb-ft of torque, and 279 miles of driving range—the same exact driving range Tesla claims for the Model Y Performance. It also upgrades the 3's rolling stock to 22-inch forged aluminum wheels, "Swedish Gold" accents throughout, and sharper suspension tuning.
All three Polestar 3 variants can be had with an optional Plus package, which adds $5,500 to the price tag along with a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, wool seats, 21-inch wheels, and heated rear seats. The Pilot package of Lidar- and camera-based safety gear that was a $5,000 option on the Launch Edition Polestar 3s is now standard across the 2025 model year range.
2025 Polestar 3 Prices
Is the Polestar 3 expensive? Yes, but Polestar will offer a $7,500 lease incentive (though it doesn't qualify for the same in Federal EV tax credits), and as we found in a recent prototype drive, it's also notably sportier across the board than the typical two-row luxury SUV. We described its behavior as "Porsche-like," which means even though the Polestar competes on paper with the less-expensive Tesla Model Y and Rivian R2, in reality it'll be a better fighter for Porsche's upcoming Macan EV—which starts at $80,450 and up.
This story was originally published in March 2024, and has since been updated to reflect new variants and pricing.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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