Sweden’s Tesla Model S rival will be ready next year

Update: ‘Design’ and ‘Release Date’ and ‘Charging & Range’ sub-section of ‘Specifications’ updated.

On September 27, 2021, Polestar announced plans to go public with a merger. In the announcement, the company shared teasers confirming the launch of three models. Among these is the Polestar 5 (codename: Polestar P61A), which is expected to be the brand’s most capable EV. Here’s everything we know about the future electric sedan.

Design

The 5 is a highly aerodynamic, four-door GT derived from the Precept concept. Highly aerodynamic won’t mean Polestar will go to extreme lengths and come with something polarizing, though. The EX90 is evidence enough that the company strongly values the design and character of its EVs.

During the Financial Times’ Future of the Car 2023 conference, former Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath expressed that he believes it is acceptable to sacrifice a kilometer or two of range in order to prioritize the desired character and brand identity of an electric vehicle, as reported by Autocar.

Ingenlath stated his willingness to compromise the vehicle’s efficiency to a reasonable extent to enhance its overall quality and character. Not all customers desire an electric vehicle focused solely on aerodynamics, particularly in the case of luxury brands like Volvo. Mercedes-Benz’s approach with the EQS and EQE models, and the emphasis on aerodynamics, has led to some criticisms. Fortunately, Polestar is taking a different path in this regard.

Polestar had strongly indicated that the Precept is an achievable reality, not a fancy dream or a pure sci-fi imagination. That said, the production version has subtle visual changes. Polestar appears to have raised the hood’s height, enlarged the lower air intake, and swapped the thin mirrors with conventional mirrors, and the rear-hinged rear doors with front-hinged ones. We’re pleasantly surprised that the company has carried over the visibly large wheels that fill the arches in the original size.

The nose section houses several sensors needed for the functioning of the ADAS. The LiDAR sensor doesn’t stick out of the roof; the designers have achieved neater integration, which couldn’t be said of the Precept concept. Like the Polestar 3, the Polestar 5 will get long-range LiDAR sourced from Luminar. Polestar may offer LiDAR on its 4-door GT as part of an optional Pilot Pack, just as it does on its first SUV.

Polestar 5, a luxury electric 4 door GT Polestar 5 is planned to be the production evolution of Polestar Precept, and will introduce a new in-house aluminium chassis and powertrain.

Statement from Polestar in its Annual Review 2021

Overall, Maximilian Missoni (Head of Design, Polestar), Nahum Escobedo (Exterior Design Manager, Polestar), and Krister Olofsson (Senior Exterior Studio Engineer, Polestar) have come up with a brilliant design that could shake up the four-door GT segment.

When we got to the Precept, it’s very very close from the sketching of the idea to the concept, and then now from the concept to production (Polestar 5), I think we are very very close to that idea.

Nahum Escobedo, Exterior Design Manager of Polestar

Interior

Android-based operating system

The Polestar 5 should feature cockpit screens running Android Automotive OS. With AR-HUDs improving significantly, automakers are reducing the size of instrument clusters. We expect the 5 to have a compact 9-inch widescreen serving as the instrument cluster and a large, 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. The Polestar Precept concept has already given us an overview of such a cockpit layout.

Materials

With the Polestar 5, the company will likely take new steps for sustainability and alternative materials. It will use recycled fishing nets (Nylon 6) for the car’s floor mats. Another example will be the usage of waste and recycled cork-based vinyl for seat bolsters and headrests. Lastly, like in the 3, it may offer bio-attributed MicroTech, animal welfare-certified leather, and fully traceable wool upholsteries.

Seating

In the concept version, Polestar showed that individual sport seats were planned for the rear passengers. If offered, the rear sport seats will likely be optional on the Polestar 5, as some luxury car customers still prefer the more practical bench seat.

Features

In addition to rivals from established global brands, the Polestar 5 will need to tackle competitors from newfound Chinese companies that are getting more innovative with every passing day. From swappable lithium-ion batteries to semi-solid-state batteries, in-car movie projectors, AI-based voice assistants, and more, models from companies like Nio and Xpeng Motors are bringing the latest in technology ahead of their Western competitors. Now part of a Chinese conglomerate itself, Polestar will need attractive features to compete in the global marketplace.

Autonomous driving features

Expect the Polestar 5 to be a highly software-based, highly hardware-ready car. Polestar has confirmed that it will offer “unsupervised highway driving pilot” in the 3 SUV, so, there’s no question about the flagship model getting SAE Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capability.

Interior sensors will likely ensure the driver doesn’t leave behind children or pets inside, and if they still do, the children or pets remain protected with the climate control system turned on so that they don’t get a heat stroke or hypothermia. Two interior cameras should monitor the driver to ensure they are attentive and focused on the road.

Comfort & AVN

Panoramic glass roof with illuminated Polestar symbol, one-pedal drive with regenerative braking level adjustment, dual-chamber air suspension with active dampers, three-zone automatic climate control system with an air filter, and 1,610-watt, 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with Dolby Atmos could be other highlights of the Polestar 5.

Software updates would continue improving the functioning of the existing features and introduce new features. Polestar will release them online, letting customers download and install them without needing a service center visit, right from home or any other place of convenience.

Platform

The 5 will sit on Polestar’s all-new bonded aluminum platform. Commenting on the car’s prototype debut at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 23, 2022, Pete Allen said that this platform brings together the characteristics of a low-volume performance car and modern technological advances to make a lightweight, high-rigidity sports car chassis technology ready for series production. Allen is the Head of Polestar’s UK R&D center.

Chassis stiffness

Citing Ingenlath, a report from Autocar published on June 14, 2022, says that this platform will offer “supercar levels” of body stiffness. Developed in-house, it will be lightweight and rigid focused on performance as well as environmental advantages. Polestar expects new materials and techniques involved in the manufacturing process of the body-in-white (finished platform and body) to help it keep its weight in check.

This architecture delivers outstanding dynamic and safety attributes, with low investment technology applicable to high production volumes.

Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D on the new platform of the Polestar 5

Polestar UK chief engineer Dave Kane says that having supercar levels of torsional stiffness is essential for achieving class-leading ride and handling dynamics. Allen says the 5’s body boasts “carbon-fiber levels of torsional stiffness, like a two-door sports model.”

Torsional rigidity

Polestar wants the 5 to have better torsional rigidity than that of a traditional 2-seat sports- or supercar. Its 280-strong former F1 team is working on its first in-house platform in the UK. The bonded aluminum platform is a labor-intensive and difficult-to-use technology, but this team has combated those challenges by coming up with a new, faster manufacturing process that develops the body and platform together, the company said in a press release in February 2022.

Balance of comfort & handling

Vehicle engineering director Steve Swift says the development team is looking for sophistication. According to him, a model that rides and handles well and offers good road noise cancellation will appeal to both those who love spirited driving and those who prefer comfortable driving. He believes the 5 needs to balance between being engaging and comfortable.

Specifications

Performance

The Polestar 5 should come in single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD variants. The former could sport the company’s 450 kW (603 hp) rear motor, and the latter could have a system power of 650 kW (871 hp) with an additional front motor.

On June 23, 2022, Polestar announced that its new flagship powertrain, a dual-motor system with a total torque of 900 Nm (664 lb.-ft.), is currently under development in Sweden. If all goes according to plan, this impressive new powertrain will make its debut in the Polestar 5 and also be available in the Polestar 6.

Charging & Range

Like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, the Polestar 5 could be one of the few EVs featuring a two-speed transmission, and it will feature 21-inch wheels. Polestar is likely to offer it with a 77 kWh battery pack and also a ≥100 kWh battery pack, both with energy density far better than that of the Polestar 2. Compatibility for bi-directional charging functions like vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid are a given.

When Polestar tested charging a 77 kWh battery pack of a prototype of the 5, it recorded charging rates of over 370 kW. The company charged it from 10 to 80% capacity in only ten minutes, which is truly impressive. It is targeting a range of more than 600 km (373 miles).

Plug & Charge

The Polestar 5 should feature Plug & Charge right from launch. This would mean customers won’t need to use a card or a smartphone app to authenticate payment. The car would directly communicate with compatible chargers and the payment for the charging would be processed directly. The charging will begin as soon as the customers plug the cable into the charging port, and they won’t need a card or a smartphone app during the process, which would thus be seamless.

Production

The Polestar 5 will enter production at the end of 2024. Polestar will manufacture the 5 at Geely’s Chongqing factory in China. Geely owns the manufacturing facility, but it is operated by Polestar.

Polestar expects to sell 30,000 units of the 5 in 2025. It sees the 2, 3, and 4 as high-volume cars. The 5 will be a niche model carrying the brand’s high-value innovations and elevating its reputation to bring it on par with established German brands.

Release Date & Price

Polestar plans to launch the 5 in 2025, possibly with China as the first market. The company is currently present in 189 locations in 27 markets globally and has 1,163 service points worldwide.

As for pricing, we expect the Polestar 5 to start slightly below £100,000 in the UK. With tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles having quadrupled earlier in 2024, Polestar could be considering local assembly in the U.S. to keep the 5’s price competitive. We’ll update the U.S. pricing once we have more.

TopElectricSUV says

The 5 will be a pure electric four-door GT with a wind-cheating design, a luxurious four- or five-seat interior, high performance, and ample driving range. It should be well ahead of the Tesla Model S in many aspects, while undercutting it in pricing. With Polestar’s UK R&D team heading the project, the 5 is likely to be a true driver’s car that offers a phenomenal ride and handling and plenty of excitement despite being a BEV.

Polestar 5 FAQs

Featured Image Source: Polestar