POLESTAR, the Swedish electric performance car brand, has made hardware upgrades to its flagship SUV, Polestar 3 for the 2026 model year.

Overall performance improves significantly thanks to a new 800 Volt electrical architecture with substantial increase in power, faster charging, and greater core computer processing power.

Michael Lohscheller, Polestar's CEO, said: "The upgrades to Polestar 3 are so extensive, it's like an entirely new car. With this upgrade we continue to deliver on our commitment to add value for our customers through over-the-air software and hardware updates. The already amazing Polestar 3 is now better than ever."

The 2026 model year marks a major technological leap for Polestar 3 and its SPA2 platform with the introduction of an 800 Volt electrical architecture. This upgrade enables significantly faster DC charging with a peak rate of up to 350 kW, meaning that the 10-80 per cent battery charge benchmark can take as little as 22 minutes, which is more than 25 per cent faster than before.

The new architecture also brings enhanced efficiency, up to six per cent according to the WLTP cycle, and supports the integration of new lithium-ion batteries from supplier CATL: a 92 kWh battery pack for the Rear motor version and a 106 kWh battery pack for the Dual motor and Performance variants.

Combined, the faster DC charging and increased efficiency further improve the already capable long-distance driving abilities of the Polestar 3 now up to 394 miles.

All versions of Polestar 3 now have a new in-house developed permanent magnet synchronous rear motor that delivers higher output. Paired with an asynchronous front motor, the new configuration delivers up to 670bhp of total power in the Performance variant.

The front motor now features automatic disconnect functionality when not needed, just as on Dual motor versions of Polestar 2, improving efficiency and range during everyday driving.

The new rear motor also means the power balance has shifted to a greater rear bias than before.

Polestar 3 continues to lead the way as the first European software-defined vehicle, now with a major upgrade to its core computing system.

A NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin processor replaces the previous Xavier unit, increasing processing power from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second.

This leap with more than eight times increase in computing power enables faster, more intelligent management of active safety systems, battery performance, and sensor data.

The hardware upgrade will also be offered as a complimentary retrofit to all existing Polestar 3customers, with upgrades of customer cars planned to start in the beginning of 2026.

The 2026 model year introduces a new trim level structure - Polestar 3 Rear motor, Dual motor, and Performance-replacing the previous naming convention and making a clearer distinction between versions.

Part of the set-up is an optimised battery size for the entry level Rear motor and air suspension remains standard on Dual motor and Performance versions.

These trim levels will also be expressed through the seatbelt design, with solid black for Rear motor, black with Swedish gold stripe for Dual motor, and belts in full Swedish gold for the Performance version, reinforcing its position as the most powerful expression of Polestar 3.

A revised pack and options strategy includes a new Climate pack with heated rear seats, steering wheel, and front wiper blades. A new Prime pack option bundles together Pilot, Plus, and Climate packs in combination with rear privacy glass. Prime pack is included as standard on Polestar 3 Performance and is optional on Rear motor and Dual motor.

Door text graphics are updated to now include model variant and a larger font for the Polestar 3 name. Inside, the standard upholstery is upgraded to Bio-attributedMicroTech in Charcoal with repurposed aluminium deco that previously was an optional extra.

Matt Galvin, managing director of Polestar UK, said: "The response to Polestar 3 has been phenomenal here - so much so that we've already sold out of our 2025 model year. This strong demand reflects the growing appetite for premium electric performance in the UK, and we're excited to continue building on that momentum with the latest iteration of our flagship SUV when it arrives early next year."

Available to order now, upgraded Polestar 3 is priced from £69,990 for the Rear motor version

Prices start from just over £70,000 for the base car and go up to £93,000 at the top of therange for Performance models which have a 3.8 seconds 0 to 60mph acceleration time.