Stock of the Polestar 3 has effectively run out in Australia with the luxury SUV entering a local hiatus period between the 2025 and 2027 model years.
When the fully electric crossover returns to the Australian market in the second half of 2026 in MY27 form it will have gone through considerable mechanical and software upgrades.
Those will include a transition from a 400- to 800-volt architecture, enabling faster charging at supported DC chargers while a new, in-house developed rear motor adds even more power.
What won’t be on the menu is a price cut, with Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard telling Chasing Cars that he intends to hold firm on the SUV’s premium pricing that sits above the luxury car tax (LCT) threshold.
Pricing not expected to be reduced from circa-$116K heights
“Polestar 3 will maintain a similar price position to where it is now, and [will] hold a similar market position. It is a really high-quality product that is understandably expensive to produce,” said Maynard.
Polestar Australia executives acknowledge that the decision to hold pricing near the current model’s official cost of between $116,754 and $154,454 before on-road costs will keep a lid on sales.
In 2025, Polestar delivered 332 examples of the Polestar 3 in Australia — a near match for the BMW iX (417 units) but a result that trailed the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (961).
Discounting campaigns were used with regularity to underpin local demand for the Polestar 3 — a strategy Aussie boss Maynard says the brand wants to move away from.
The Polestar 3, which has a premium interior and remarkably crisp driving dynamics, is the reigning Chasing Cars Luxury Vehicle of the Year.
“It will need to command its high price. We have a realistic plan on the car, and good, realistic views on its [sales] volume that will allow it to hold and maintain a higher price,” Maynard explained.
That is despite weak demand existing in Australia for EVs priced above the LCT threshold of $91,387 (excluding registration and stamp duty).
Major updates to hardware and software inbound
Global Polestar chief executive Michael Lohscheller said the MY27 updates to the Polestar 3 “are so extensive it is like an entirely new car.”
A three-variant lineup will continue, albeit with simplified names: Rear Motor, Dual Motor, and Performance.
One backwards step sees the headline WLTP driving range of the Rear Motor step back from 706km to 604km as the battery size for the base model has been reduced from 107kW (usable) to a smaller, lighter 88kWh (usable) pack built by Chinese firm CATL.
Power is up across the range. The Rear Motor now makes 245kW/480Nm; the Dual Motor 400kW/740Nm; and the Performance 500kW/870Nm.
All grades benefit from a new steering tune, updated anti-roll bars and a more powerful NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin processor.
Existing owners need not be disgruntled as Polestar will offer a free retrofit of the new NVIDIA unit.
Both all-wheel drive models (Dual Motor and Performance) also get a new CATL battery pack measuring 106kW in usable capacity. The longest-range trim will now be the Dual Motor, at 635km (WLTP).
The shift to an 800-volt electrical architecture will enable peak DC charging speeds of 310kW (Rear Motor) or 350kW (Dual Motor and Performance) on compatible chargers with a best-case 10 to 80 percent charge time of 22 minutes. AC charging peak remains 11kW.
However, it remains to be seen whether the Polestar 3 will, like the 800-volt Zeekr 7X also made by parent company Geely, will be speed-limited when charging at more common 400-volt chargers.
Small changes have been made to the options structure, with adaptive air suspension now standard only for the Performance grade and cost-optional for the Dual Motor.
A new Prime pack combines the oft-ordered Pilot, Plus and Climate packs while standard seat upholstery becomes recycled MicroTech fabric with nappa leather remaining a costly option.
Local pricing and a firmer release date for the MY27 Polestar 3 will be announced in due course.
