Polestar has unveiled the Chinese version of its Polestar 3 SUV, which also gets a significantly lower price than what was first announced during the global model reveal. Meanwhile, the brand is launching a new sporty BST version of the Polestar 2.

When the Polestar 3 was first revealed to the world, the Swedish-Chinese brand announced a Chinese price of 880 000 RMB (€119 225) for the base model, and 1 030 000 RMB (€139 550) for the Performance variant, compared to €88 600 and €95 200 for the Belgian market.

Chinese EV price cuts as a reason?

Now, Polestar has officially launched its new SUV in China, and with the launch comes a new price. The Polestar 3 now starts at 698 000 RMB (€94 580) for the Long Range Dual Motor and at 798 000 RMB (€108 140) for the Performance model.

A drop of around €25 000 and €31 000, respectively. The Polestar 3 will be produced in Chengdu (China) and in Ridgeville (US), with deliveries starting in Q4 2023.

No explanation is given by Polestar why the price has changed so dramatically, with some sources claiming that Polestar has adjusted its pricing to combat the price cuts for electric vehicles in China, which started with Mercedes and Tesla. This could be a plausible explanation, although the new pricing is much more in line with the international price points of the Polestar 3, which were announced earlier.

To recall, the Polestar 3 is the brand’s largest model yet, with a length of 4,90 m and a weight of around 2,6 tons. The Long Range version has a WLTP range of 610 km thanks to a 111 kWh battery.

The Performance variant only reaches 560 km with the same capacity but can sprint to 100 km/hour in 4,7 seconds (Long Range: 5 seconds) thanks to its 517 hp drivetrain (LR: 489 hp). The Performance package also adds sports suspension, forged 22-inch wheels, and gold accents.

Polestar 5 and 2 BST Edition 230

Polestar has also been busy with the rest of its model range recently. CEO Thomas Ingenlath has shared a photo of a Polestar 3, 4, and 5 prototypes during winter testing. The large sports saloon is expected to compete with the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT, with a projected 2025 launch date.

The other camouflaged model in Ingenlath’s picture seems to be the freshly-announced Polestar 2 BST Edition 230, an updated version of the sporty BST edition 270. This new variant is based on the refreshed Polestar 2, but in contrast to its predecessor, it doesn’t add more power.

The same 350 kW (476 hp) dual-motor drivetrain from the Polestar 2 with Performance package is used, but like the BST 270, the same chassis upgrades with lowered suspension and Öhlins dampers are present. Other changes include suede on the seats and steering wheel, painted wheel arches, black side mirrors, and black striping, although that last item is optional.

Only 230 examples of the Polestar 2 BST Edition 230 will be made for Europe and North America, with a price of €84 900 – nearly €18 000 more than a standard Polestar 2 Performance pack will cost you (€67 190 without options).