Although the upcoming Polestar 5 will be wearing its pre-production camouflage.
We recently had our best look yet at the new Polestar 5, thanks to a series of related patent images filed by the all-electric Swedish car maker. Now we know the new car will be driving up the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s famous hill climb, as well as on static display there this month.
The Polestar 5 will be joined at the event by the limited-edition Polestar 2 BST edition 270 and Polestar’s electric roadster concept. Showgoers at Goodwood in 2022 will be able to catch the Polestar 5 prototype at the First Glance Paddock.
The announcement was accompanied by new pictures of the Polestar 5 in heavy camouflage. While the exterior doesn’t give us any more visual cues, the imagery marks the first time we’ve seen inside the Polestar 5.
Just like the exterior, the cabin looks similar to that of the Precept concept. While it’s clearly not finished, 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.
Thanks to a series of renders that have been submitted to the European Intellectual Property Office, we recently saw what the Polestar 5 should look like when it hits showrooms.
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.
The car in these renders is fitted with conventional door mirrors rather than slender digital items, although these may be available as an option. According to Polestar: “the Polestar 5 embodies the company’s increasingly independent and muscular design language, cues of which will already be seen on Polestar 3 that is expected to be launched in 2022.”
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.”
He added: “Once a car is anywhere between 450-550km of range, why would you go for more? I can’t drive that much longer and my kids want to stop by then. You have to have a decent range, but it’s also defined by how long you can sit in the car and travel without needing the bathroom, for example. And at that point, where you stop. Much more importantly, there should be fast charging.”
Ingenlath revealed that the forthcoming 3 SUV will get an evolution of the Android Automotive infotainment system already seen in the Polestar 2, and said it would be “crazy” to not use these technologies in the 5. Engineers have “found ways to construct Precept [now Polestar 5]”, he stated. “For certain chassis elements, to achieve a seating position and a sporty low car, you do have to adapt certain elements,” he said. “That probably means metalwork but that’s not what defines a platform these days.”
Customer reaction to the concept and increased demand for sustainable materials helped to persuade Polestar to commit to the Precept concept’s production, Ingenlath said. “Generations are changing; younger people are becoming older. The premium segment is changing into that direction, so luxury has this topic [sustainability] in focus. If you go to a fashion show, it’s about implementing this type of new materials into haute couture.
“First it was the electric car; this is how it suddenly became no longer a niche. Thank god that discussion is over. But now it’s not enough being electric. How do you charge it? Do you sit on a big lump of plastic made out of virgin oil, or a much more appealing material? It’s definitely listening to the customer and where they are going.”
Alastair Crooks