The Polestar 3 electric luxury SUV has seen a big upgrade for the 2026 model year ahead of likely 2026 Australian deliveries. Now sitting on an upgraded 800V architecture, the MY26 Polestar 3 is capable of 350kW fast charging for a 25 per cent faster 10 to 80 per cent charge time, while it’s also been upgraded with new features and more power across the range.

The biggest update to the MY26 Polestar 3 is its new 800V electrical architecture that’s shared with its twin-under-the-skin Volvo EX90, which has seen peak charging speeds rise to 350kW for Dual Motor variants from the current peak of 250kW. This upgrade means that it’s now faster to charge, with the benchmark 10 to 80 per cent charge taking as little as 22 minutes, or 25 per cent faster than before.

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The new architecture also brings efficiency improvements of six per cent, according to Polestar, and it’s teamed with new lithium-ion battery packs: 92kWh for the rear motor variant and 106kWh for dual motor and Performance variants. The claimed WLTP range for the upgraded Polestar 3 is 604km for the Rear Motor, 635km for the Dual Motor and 593km for the Performance.

Michael Lohscheller, CEO of Polestar, says: “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 Polestar 3 is now better than ever.”

Away from the charging and battery improvements, the upgraded Polestar 3 is also more powerful than the current model, with the top-spec Performance model now making 500kW of power and 870Nm of torque (+120kW/-40Nm) for a 0-100km/h sprint of just 3.9 seconds (0.8 seconds faster), the mid-spec Dual Motor making 400kW/700Nm (+40kW/-140Nm) and the entry-level Rear Motor 245kW/480Nm (+25kW/-10Nm).

In Dual Motor variants, the front motor can now disconnect for greater efficiency and the new rear motor also means the power balance has shifted to a greater rear bias than before. Combined with updated anti-roll bars and extensive software refinement for the steering, Polestar says that the 3 is now “even more direct and engaging driving experience across all model variants.”

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Inside, the upgraded Polestar 3 has also received a significant computing upgrade, with its onboard processing power boosted from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second. Basically, that upgrade enables faster management of active safety systems, battery performance, and sensor data.

Pleasingly for current Polestar 3 owners too, Polestar has committed to offering this hardware upgrade as a complimentary retrofit to all existing Polestar 3 models.

Finally, the Polestar 3 range has been shuffled to offer Rear Motor, Dual Motor and Performance variants, while a revised pack and options strategy make it easier for customers to tailor their car., according to Polestar.

The new Climate Pack includes heated rear seats, steering wheel, and front wiper blades. The new Prime Pack option bundles together Pilot, Plus, and Climate packs in combination with rear privacy glass. A Bowers & Wilkins sound system with headrest speakers and active road noise cancellation is now offered both as a single option and as part of the Plus Pack.

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The upgraded Polestar 3 will likely go on sale in Australia sometime in 2026, with local pricing and specifications to be confirmed closer to its release date.