New Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor review: less money, more range
The new Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor costs less than the more powerful Dual Motor models and gets up to 438 miles of range
Verdict
The single-motor Polestar 3 is an attractive proposition, but in contrast to plenty of other EV model line-ups that offer both single and dual-motor configurations, the Long Range Dual Motor is the edition we’d opt for. It might cost more and have less range, but they’re fairly negligible downsides when you consider the increase in performance it offers – and the improved ride quality thanks to the brilliant adaptive air suspension.
Until the upcoming Polestar 5 saloon arrives to tackle the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT in 2026, the Polestar 3 is the all-electric brand’s flagship model, also vying against German competition in the shape of the Audi Q6 e-tron and Q8 e-tron plus the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV. Helping to set the Polestar apart are its design, technology, performance and battery size – the latter resulting in some impressive range figures. There’s now a Long Range Single Motor version too, living up to its name by offering even more range.
The Polestar 3, like those aforementioned rivals, is a premium SUV and it’s priced as such. The new Long Range Single Motor version brings the line-up’s entry point to just under £70,000 with the Long Range Dual Motor adding around £6,000 to that, and the more powerful Performance model costing an additional £6,000.
Given that it’s got half the number of motors, the Long Range Single Motor is understandably less powerful than the other two Polestar 3s, offering 295bhp rather than the 483bhp of the Dual Motor and 510bhp in the Performance. Just because it’s got less power doesn’t mean Polestar has skimped on the battery, though; every Polestar 3 gets the same 107kWh unit. That means the Long Range Single Motor model offers up to 438 miles of range, which eclipses many of its close rivals and beats the still-impressive dual-motor’s 395 miles. After testing the new car on a variety of roads, we found a return north of 400 miles would be easily achievable for most drivers.
We’ve been looking forward to driving the Long Range Single Motor model since we first drove the Polestar 3 in its dual-motor state, because we’d usually take extra range over power in an electric car - especially one that aims to offer family-friendly practicality and cruising comfort.
Plenty of rear-wheel-drive electric cars offer a sprightly feel thanks to their instant torque and low centre of gravity – and both are immediately apparent in this new model. Polestar has given the single-motor car a bespoke chassis set-up with all-new anti-roll bars intended to create more front-end grip; these work together with passive suspension instead of the air suspension that comes standard on dual-motor cars.
The result is that despite weighing in at a significant 2,403kg (the Long Range Dual Motor and Performance weigh 2,579kg), the Long Range Single Motor’s body control is impressive. While it can’t quite contain side-to-side movements at speed on bumpy roads, the ride is composed. Unlike the dual-motor cars that have a wonderful adaptive damping technology that offers three levels of stiffness, the standard car’s suspension is fixed in a sensible setting that settles down well at speed. Our only gripe would be that it’s not as compliant over speed bumps and rough roads as the dual-motor versions.
With power only going to the rear wheels, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Long Range Single Motor would feel sharper than the dual-motor cars in the bends – especially after Polestar’s CEO Thomas Ingenlath said: “The rear-wheel-drive configuration fits with our performance-focused driving dynamics that make the car stand out in the luxury SUV sector”.
However we didn’t find the LRSM to be the keen driver’s choice in the Polestar 3 range, because even with the ESC mode in ‘Sport’, there’s masses of grip from the exceptionally wide rear tyres that mutes any potential of getting the Polestar 3 to feel lively. That grip does give a feeling of stability, however – no surprise, because Polestar actively aimed to give the single-motor the same driving characteristics as the dual-motor cars. We couldn’t help but be a little disappointed in this approach when cars like the MG4 and Cupra Born have a surprisingly fun rear-driven nature.
The single-motor Polestar 3 also lacks the ability to switch its power delivery between ‘Performance’ and ‘Range’, although there is still a choice of three steering modes: ‘light’, ‘standard’ and ‘firm’. There’s a bit of vagueness in the dead-ahead, although the modes provide a decent change in weight; ‘firm’ felt the most appropriate to us for a 2.5-tonne SUV. But, with no air suspension, there’s also no raised suspension or hill descent mode that come standard on the all-wheel-drive, dual-motor Polestar 3s.
The Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor might have nigh-on 300bhp, but it’s got a lot of weight to lug around. As a result, it only sprints from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, although we found it to be perfectly zippy enough at any speed thanks to its high torque figure.
Aside from those aforementioned powertrain and dynamic technology changes, equipment on the single-motor is unchanged from the dual-motor so there’s Brembo brakes, electrically heated frameless door mirrors, a powered tailgate, three-zone climate control, heated front seats, a 14.5-inch central display with a Google operating system, built-in apps and 5G connectivity, plus a vast suite of safety systems.
Inside there’s still an exquisite selection of environmentally friendly materials. ‘WeaveTech’ and ‘MicroTech’ both feature on the Polestar 3 as ‘bio-attributed’ materials; to us they feel a little like a swimsuit, which sounds odd, but it suits the modern styling of the cabin, plus it seemed pretty robust too.
Our test car also came with some classy charcoal-coloured animal welfare wool, which is another £1,000 option. Whether you choose the wool or the perforated Nappa leather upholstery, the Polestar 3’s cabin manages to feel distinctive among its class with the build quality you’d want at this price.
| Model: | Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor |
| Price: | £69,910 |
| Powertrain: | 107kWh battery + 1x e-motor |
| Power/torque: | 295bhp/490Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic |
| 0-60mph/top speed: | 7.5 seconds/112mph |
| Range: | 438 miles |
| Max charging: | 250kW 10-80% 30 mins |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,900/2,120/1,618mm |
| On sale: | Now |
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