Polestar has been promising us a low, sleek, powerful electric range-topper for a few years now, and at the Munich motor show, the Sino-Swedish car maker has made good on that promise. This is the Polestar 5.
Wow, that looks nice…
Doesn't it? You can clearly see the kinship between this and the recently launched Polestar 4 crossover, but the 5 is lower and slinkier, and rather more muscular too. Up front, there's the now-signature Polestar headlights with their split-L shape, and in between them, the 'SmartZone' panel behind which live the car's various forward-facing safety sensors.
The front bodywork wraps tightly over the wheels, and the car's low-slung nature is emphasised by a lower body kit finished in either 'Gloss Black' or 'Shade Grey.' The whole Polestar 5 is only 1,420mm tall, so it's around 200-300mm lower than an equivalent SUV.
As with the Polestar 4, there's no back window (the rear structure of the roof has been moved backwards for improved aero without compromising rear headroom, so there's no room for one), and instead you get a rear-facing camera and a digital rear-view mirror. There's also the biggest glass roof yet fitted to a Polestar product at 2.0 metres long and 1.2 metres wide.
Even the rear lights have been designed for maximum aero efficiency, and the Polestar 5's drag coefficient is just 0.24. Apparently, the styling of the car was heavily influenced by aviation, with lots of wing-like profiles around the place, and a classical Kamm-style aero tail. Head of Exterior Design, Nahum Escobedo, said: “It was a dream to design Polestar Precept, and even more satisfying to see it realised as a production reality with Polestar 5. I'm proud of everyone who worked so tirelessly to ensure our vision remained absolutely true to the concept. I can't wait to see customers have as much fun with this car as we had creating it.”
What's the interior like?
The Polestar 5's cabin is much like that of the Polestar 4 and 3 — minimalist, but luxurious, and based on what we've seen in Munich. There's the expected massive touchscreen — 14.5 inches in a portrait style — and digital driver's instruments. There are very, very few interior buttons.
There's a Google-based software setup for the screen, a choice of Polestar's own-design 10-speaker stereo or a brain-melting Bowers & Wilkins 21-speaker system with a 1,680-watt output, 'laserline' ambient lighting and an active noise cancellation system.
As standard, the seats come in a 'Charcoal MicroTech' fabric, but you can specify Nappa leather from Bridge of Weir in Scotland. There are lots of recycled materials in the Polestar 5's cabin, including seat backs made of a material called BComp, which is then strengthened with a carbon-fibre-like material made from natural flax. This is said to be up to 40 per cent lighter than plastic and uses 50 per cent less fossil fuel-based materials.
The lower parts of the doors, and the liners for the 365-litre boot and 62-litre 'frunk' are also all made from bio-based materials, while there's also Econyl, a recycled material made from fishing nets and other waste materials, for the carpets, recycled PET for the headlining and a knitted wrapping round the upper section of the doors.
The cabin has been designed primarily as a four-seater, with only a narrow jump seat in the middle at the back, though the rear cabin is very spacious, with extra foot space actually carved out of the top of the battery pack.
OK, now what about power?
Here's where it gets really interesting. The entry-level Polestar 5, for now at any rate, is the Dual Motor version with two electric motors and, wait for it, 748hp. Yes, that's the basic version. It uses a 106kWh (net) battery for an official range of 670km, and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
However, there is also a Performance model, which uses the same battery, but gets a special rear motor for a total of 884hp and 1,015Nm of torque. The 0-100km/h time is just 3.2 seconds, with a range of 565km.
There's an 800-volt electrical system on board, allowing the Polestar 5 to charge at up to 350kW , which means a 10-80 per cent charge in around 22 minutes.
Polestar says that the car's bespoke all-aluminium chassis has the torsional rigidity you'd expect of a sports car, and comes with double-wishbone front suspension. The Dual Motor model gets passive dampers, but the Performance has MagnaRide adaptive dampers, which read the road up to 1,000 times per second and can react within three milliseconds according to Polestar.
As with the Polestar 3 SUV, there are powerful Brembo brakes, but the discs are lighter for the Polestar 5, saving 12kg compared to the taller car.
Lutz Stiegler, Polestar technical head, said: “Our R&D teams worked tirelessly to develop the Polestar Performance Architecture from the ground up, and it's paid dividends in how this performance-focused GT drives. Alongside the in-house developed rear motor, 800 V electrical architecture, and innovative engineering decisions, it makes Polestar 5 an incredible all-round Grand Tourer.”
When can I have one?
Not quite yet. The first deliveries won't start until at least the new year, but you can register your interest on the Polestar Ireland website.
Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO, says: “Polestar 5 is bringing the future to our present. Our vision for Polestar's design, technology and sustainability direction is no longer a dream but a reality our customers can buy. With its pure Scandinavian design inside and out, unique platform, powerful motors, sophisticated chassis, cutting-edge technology, and consciously sustainable materials, the Polestar 5 is a guiding star for the industry and the perfect Polestar flagship.”