Polestar is looking north with rally-ready versions of its current lineup of electric vehicles.
The automaker started down this icy road in 2022 with the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle concept, which featured modifications for snow and ice driving. Now that concept has been joined by Arctic Circle versions of the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 SUVs, with all three being shown together for the first time Thursday.
Polestar Arctic Circle collection
Developed with input from Polestar head of driving dynamics Joakim Rydholm, a veteran driver with multiple Swedish rally podiums to his name, the Arctic Circle concepts all have raised ride heights, three-way-adjustable Öhlins dampers, OZ Racing wheels, Pirelli studded tires, Recaro bucket seats, and Stedi driving lights.
Other additions, such as roof racks, show shovels, skid plates and, in the case of the Polestar 3, snow ladders, don’t improve performance but do make life in the wintry conditions these vehicles were intended for easier. And while Polestar hasn’t discussed offering an Arctic Circle option package on its production vehicles, it’s easy to imagine some of these items making it into the automaker’s accessory catalog.
Polestar Arctic Circle collection
The addition of the two SUVs for the 2025 model year triples Polestar’s lineup, which previously consisted only of the 2, which is made in China and continues for 2025 but drops its least-expensive and highest-range configurations. The two-row, U.S.-made Polestar 3 swings for efficient performance to further distinguish itself from the three-row Volvo EX90 on which it’s based. And the Polestar 4, which is made in China but set to be made in South Korea later this year, breaks down genre barriers with its unorthodox design.
These Polestar Arctic Circle concepts will make a more formal public debut Feb. 1 at the 2025 F.A.T. Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria. That’s also where Audi is showing its Q6 E-Tron Offroad concept, a more rugged version of the recently-launched Q6 E-Tron electric crossover.