Back in 2020 Polestar unveiled the Precept concept, a gorgeous four-door grand tourer that the company promised would go into production as the Polestar 5. Now five years later — and a couple years after showing off its final exterior design, which looks even better than the concept — the production Polestar 5 is here, having just made its official debut at the Munich auto show. We’ve already known about some of the Polestar 5’s major bullet points, like its brand new hot-cured bonded aluminum platform and super-fast charging, but now we’ve got lots of juicy details and specs about the Porsche Taycan competitor.
In a statement, CEO Michael Lohscheller said, “Our vision for Polestar’s design, technology and sustainability direction is no longer a dream but a reality our customers can buy … The Polestar 5 is a guiding star for the industry and the perfect Polestar flagship.” The Polestar 5 is available to order now in Europe, but in North America we’ll have to wait a little longer for its launch.
Developed in the UK
Underpinning the 5 is the lightweight Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA), which was developed by Polestar’s UK R&D team. It has high-strength aluminum castings, extrusions and pressings that Polestar says give it better torsional rigidity than a typical supercar, and the 112-kWh lithium-ion NMC battery pack (of which 106 kWh is usable) is part of the car’s structure. Polestar says the 5 is made from 13% recycled aluminum, and 83% of the aluminum is from smelters that use renewable electricity, which “substantially lowers” its CO2e footprint.
Its four-piston Brembo front brake calipers are shared with the Polestar 3, but the 5 has 15.7-inch two-piece alloy-belled discs that save 26 pounds versus the 3. The steering rack is placed ahead of the front axle for better handling, and the 5 has double-wishbone front suspension, with the base model using internal rebound coil springs and BWI passive dampers while the Performance trim gets BWI MagneRide adaptive dampers that read the road up to 1,000 times per second and react within three milliseconds. Wheels from 20 to 22 inches in size are available, with new Michelin tires developed just for the 5.
Up to 884 HP
None of that stuff would really matter if the Polestar 5’s specs sucked, and luckily they don’t. At launch there will be two models, the Dual Motor and the Performance, both of which have a new rear motor that was developed in-house by Polestar. The 5 Dual Motor has 748 horsepower and 599 pound-feet of torque, putting it between the Taycan GTS and Taycan Turbo in terms of power, but its 0-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds is a few tenths off the 536-hp Taycan 4S. Stepping up to the Polestar 5 Performance gets you 884 hp and 749 lb-ft (85 lb-ft more than Polestar originally estimated) and a 0-to-60 time of 3.1 seconds, matching the Taycan GTS’ time. Both models have a 155-mph top speed.
There are no U.S. range estimates yet, but Polestar says the 5 Dual Motor has a 416-mile range on the WLTP cycle while the Performance will do 351 miles, so expect the Dual Motor to be rated at about 375 miles and the Performance to be closer to 300 when the EPA gets ahold of them. The 5’s 800-volt electrical architecture can accept up to 350 kW on a DC fast-charger, which can take if from 10% to 80% charge in 22 minutes.
Still looks fresh
Even though we’ve spent the past five years seeing it, I think the Polestar 5’s design is still fantastic and fresh. Polestar says the PPA platform and front suspension setup meant designers could give it a super low hood and very little space between the top of the wheels and the hood line, where even other sporty EVs still have taller noses, and the way that crease runs along the fender edge is wonderful. The pronounced hips, rectangular lower door surfacing and big wheels give it an excellent stance. Its profile is truly excellent, and at 56 inches tall the 5 is the same height as a Porsche Panamera, but it doesn’t look it. Its 0.24 drag coefficient is quite good, too. There’s some cool details, like the charging indicator in the C-pillar and the air vents hidden in the corners of the taillights.
As with the Precept and the already in production Polestar 4 crossover, the 5 doesn’t have a rear window, instead using an advanced rear camera system. Without rear glass Polestar is able to push the rear header structure behind the rear occupants, allowing for an absolutely massive panoramic glass roof — it’s more than 6 feet long and 4 feet wide.
It’s a 4+1
What we hadn’t really seen yet is the Polestar 5’s interior. The 9-inch digital gauge cluster (which is mounted directly to the steering column so it’s always visible) and 14.5-inch central touchscreen are the same as in the Polestar 3, with the same Android Automotive–based operating system. The overall design is typical Polestar, but with a more high-end appearance than the 3 and a new floating center console design.
The front seats were developed with Recaro, and Polestar says the driving position is deliberately reclined with a low hip-point. The reclinable rear seats are shaped like the fronts, and the central armrest houses climate and seat controls. Polestar calls the car a “4+1,” as raising that armrest opens up room for the fifth center seat that’s placed in a staggered configuration so all rear-seat passengers still have shoulder space, and a “foot garage” cutout in the battery gives rear occupants more legroom and a more natural seating position. Ambient lighting surrounds the cabin, coming to an end point in a soundbar placed behind the rear passengers’ heads. There’s 12.9 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk, and an additional 2.2 cubic feet in the frunk.
A focus on sustainability
Every Polestar 5 has 12 ultrasonic sensors, 11 cameras, one mid-range radar and a driver-monitoring camera inside; the SmartZone panel in the nose houses all of the forward-facing stuff. There are eight airbags, and interior radar sensors look at the “number, position and type of occupants” to optimize the safety systems in case of an accident. A 10-speaker sound system is standard, but you’re really gonna want the 21-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system that has 1,680 watts of power and “tweeter-on-top” tech, apparently made even better by the 5’s active noise cancellation inside. If you go for the optional Bridge of Weir Nappa leather, ventilation and massage functions are added to the seats.
Sustainability continues to be a main point of focus for Polestar, especially when it comes to the 5’s interior. That Bridge of Weir leather is an “animal welfare secured, chrome free, natural by-product of the food industry,” which should make you feel better about picking it over the standard MicroTech upholstery. Like on other Polestars the 5 has Econyl carpets made from fishing nets and a recycled PET headliner, but there’s some new stuff here too:
Natural fiber materials are used throughout the interior, showcased by the Polestar signature weave developed with BCompTM in the front seatbacks. Completed with ampliTexTM for added strength, this bio-based alternative to carbon-fiber, made from flax, is up to 40% lighter than plastic and uses 50% less fossil fuel-based materials. Lower sections of the doors, made with NFPP powered by BComp’s powerRibTM solution, showcase the natural structure of the bio-based material. This can also be seen in the inner lining of the rear luggage space while the front luggage space uses AutoNeum’s UltraSilent material saving 60% (approximately 11 pounds) weight compared to traditional plastic and forms part of a mono material strategy for easier recycling at end of life.
On sale… we don’t know when
The company has yet to say how much the Polestar 5 will cost when it goes on sale in U.S., but it definitely won’t be cheap — expect a starting price of around $150,000, though there should eventually be a cheaper rear-wheel-drive version. We don’t know exactly when the 5 will reach the U.S., either, with Polestar just saying its availability “will be announced at a later date.” Blame it being built in China for that.
Polestar has been undergoing a lot of growing paints lately, and despite being Geely-owned, the brand is nearly dead in China. While an expensive performance sedan such as this likely isn’t going to move the needle much, that isn’t the point of a flagship anyway. The Polestar 5 is meant to showcase the pinnacle of Polestar’s design and technology — at least until the 6 roadster based on the same platform comes out — and preview what we can expect from future mainstream models like the 7. Really, the Polestar 5 is all about making the brand even more desirable, and even if just looking at the car from a design standpoint, I think it nailed the brief.
