The all-electric Polestar 5 will showcase its power at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Volvo’s all-electric sub-brand Polestar has revealed new details of its upcoming Polestar 5, including its newly-developed EV architecture. The Polestar 5 will top the Swedish brand’s line up as a luxury GT four-door to rival the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan.
Polestar claims its exclusive new electric powertrain for the Polestar 5 is being developed and it’s estimated it’ll produce 650kW and 900Nm of torque. The Polestar 5 will use an 800V architecture and a dual electric motor set up, one for each axle.
The Polestar 5 should deliver engaging driving dynamics to accompany the immense power. Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D, says: “The platform combines low-volume performance car attributes with modern technological advances to bring light-weight, high-rigidity sports car chassis technology into mass production.”
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath has described the four-door grand tourer, which will go on sale in 2024, as a “company defining project”.
“Its progressive design and advanced engineering set the tone for Polestar’s future,” said Ingelath. “We have great talent on board enabling us to create truly iconic EVs.”
A prototype car will be driving up the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s famous hill climb, and on static display in the event’s ‘First Glance’ paddock. The Polestar 5 will be joined at the event by the limited-edition Polestar 2 BST edition 270 and Polestar’s electric roadster concept.
At the front, the ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights have been split into two elements, and although the overall stance is less dramatic than the show car, details such as the deeply scalloped sills and narrow glasshouse remain. Unfortunately, the Precept’s ‘suicide’ rear doors won’t make it to production, although its expansive glass roof and distinctive tail-light bar will.
Just like the exterior, the cabin looks similar to that of the Precept concept. While it’s clearly not finished in the images we have so far, with a kill switch on the centre console and exposed vents, the overall layout is similar to the Polestar 2’s with a large central touchscreen. The steering wheel looks more like that of the Precept than the Polestar 2, with a different centre and a flat-bottomed design.
The Polestar 5 will take aim at everything from the Porsche Panamera to the Tesla Model S as a striking fastback model that’s around 4.7 metres long with a 3.1-metre wheelbase that’s close to matching a Mercedes S-Class limousine.
It’s all but certain to be based on some variant of SPA2, the next generation of the Volvo-developed large-vehicle platform, although we expect more information on the car’s technical make-up to be revealed in due course.
The electric-only manufacturer intends to make the 5 as a halo model for sustainable vehicles, with “the development of the sustainability, technology and performance credentials of Polestar 5 [to] be discussed in future episodes”.
Expect extensive use of recycled and plant-sourced materials inside, as Polestar tries to avoid the use of ‘virgin plastics’. The company has already confirmed that it is working with external partner Bcomp on a flax-based composite that could be used for exterior parts as well as in the cabin.
On top of this, the Polestar 5 will be built at a bespoke new factory in an as-yet-undisclosed location in China, and the plant will be fully carbon-neutral.
Development of the car is well under way, with Polestar now confirming a launch in 2024. Speaking on the subject, Polestar CEO Thoma Ingenlath has previously stated that “this car will be thoroughly engineered and tested, so of course, three years will pass before we can talk about the start of production”. The car is likely to be launched as a range-topper in series production, not a limited edition like the Polestar 1.
Ingenlath suggested that what we now know as the Polestar 5 is likely to have no more than 500km of range, as Polestar focuses on responsible, practical battery sizes and fast recharging. “A premium sports car like this has to have a range that’s competitive,” he said. “But we cannot allow ourselves to drift away into that race for range. If you’re talking about making a car more efficient, that’s great. If you’re talking about packing more and more kWh into the car to make the best range figure, it’s crazy because that doesn’t help us get closer to making a sustainable car.”
Alastair Crooks