Local distributor will ensure Kiwis are on pole for exciting electric SUV.

KIWIS will be able to order Polestar’s breakthrough sports utility from the moment it launches internationally, the local agent has affirmed.

Revealed in undisguised form yesterday, the Polestar 3 will debut in October and enter production in early 2023 in the United States and China.

Brand headquarters have advised customers in initial launch markets will be able to order the model from the day of the premiere, which hasn't been announced yet.

Polestar New Zealand is uncertain if it holds that priority listing, a spokesman said today, however it will nonetheless make arrangement to ensure local orders can be placed from the day of unveiling.

Excitement about the model’s potential here has been expressed since Polestar established here last year.

The sales arrangement here differs to many other countries, as it involves an independent distributor, Giltrap Group. In other places, the nearest to NZ being Australia, Polestar represents directly.

Polestar has rapidly established a foothold in NZ with the Polestar 2 sedan and expectation is that the Polestar 3 could do even better, as the sports utility sector is one of the highest margin and growth segments in the industry.

The image and video here were released by the brand and show how clearly Polestar 3’s final design has been influenced by a well-received 2020 styling study, the Polestar Precept.

Design highlights include the sloping roofline, panoramic glass roof, chunky D-pillar, ascending window line, plastic body cladding and aerodynamic elements.

At launch, the Polestar 3 will feature a dual-motor drivetrain and a large battery enabling a WLTP range of 600km.

No other specifications have been announced, but the Volvo-spun and Geely-owned maker has said the car will ultimately offer “autonomous highway piloting powered by the best-in-class LiDAR sensor from Luminar and centralised NVIDIA computing power.”

Polestar 3 will be built in the US at least alongside the next-generation Volvo XC90, which will also offer a full-electric variant.

Polestar aims to launch a new car every year for the next three years. After Polestar 3 comes Polestar 4 in 2023 then Polestar 5 in 2024.

The brand also aims to expand to at least 30 global markets by the end of 2023 as part of its plan to grow sales tenfold from around 29,000 in 2021 to approximately 290,000 by the end of 2025.