2022 Polestar 3 SUV previewed

Swedish premium brand Polestar has teased the third model in its pure-electric line-up that will take the shape of a large SUV to steal sales from the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-PACE and Tesla Model X.

To be manufactured at a Volvo plant in South Carolina in the US, the new 2022 Polestar 3 will go on sale in North America next year and could join the incoming Polestar 2 in Australia that launches here in November.

Set to be heavily inspired by the 2020 Precept concept, the Polestar 3 is tipped as the model that will see the premium brand's design language separated from Volvo.

Significantly bigger than the Polestar 2, originally it was thought the new 3 would sit on a heavily extended and modified version of its sibling's platform.

Instead, it will sit on parent Geely's all-new SEA architecture that made its debut on the Chinese Zeekr 001.

No specific claims for the big Polestar have been made, but when the 3 launches it's expected to feature a range up to 700km when fitted with the largest 100kWh battery.

Power should be plentiful, with the Polestar 3 primed to offer up to 400kW – enough to for a rapid 3.8sec sprint from 0-100km/h.

Instead of attempting to match sportier rivals for their drive or performance, the Polestar 3 is designed and engineered to maximise its real-world range and combine that with an emphasis on comfort.

For those who desire something sharper in the handling department, a Performance Pack will be offered. Mirroring the Polestar 2, the bigger 3 will get larger brakes, stiffer springs and uprated, more reactive dampers.

As well as being adapted for pure-electric powertrains, the new SEA platform has been developed for the car-maker's latest semi-autonomous driving aids that could see the Polestar 3 offered with Level 3 hands-off, eyes-off cruising capability in limited circumstances like on the highway.

It's not known if the production car will feature the concept's roof-mounted pod that packaged its driverless sensors high up for improved accuracy.

Inside, the Polestar 3 will almost certainly feature a Google-powered Android Automotive infotainment system that will incorporate the tech giant's latest on-board assistant.

Built on the same US production line as current Volvo S60 and XC90, Polestar hopes its large battery-powered SUV will be the model that helps it crack the American market.