Polestar’s next model is set to make its debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich this week and it could position the Swedish automaker as a serious contender to performance products like the Tesla Model S, the Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, with a top-end model set to deliver nearly 900 horsepower and gobs of tire-spinning torque. Here’s more from Headlight.New.
A pre-production Polestar 5 prototype,
Swedish EV maker Polestar’s line-up is about to grow bigger – and faster.
The new Polestar 5 is set to make its public debut in Munich Monday night, at an invite-only gathering ahead of at IAA Mobility 2025. The public will get a glimpse of the new “electric performance GT” a day later, the company confirmed.
Set to go into production late this year, Polestar 5 is the spiritual successor to Polestar 1, the performance model that launched the Swedish brand’s spin-off from Volvo back in 2017. But unlike that first offering, a plug-in hybrid, the new Polestar 5 will use an all-electric drivetrain the company has hinted will make up to nearly 900 horsepower, depending upon the powertrain package.
What’s new
The Polestar Precept concept vehicle.
Polestar 5 is largely based on the Polestar Precept concept vehicle originally scheduled to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show – but revealed during a separate event after the Swiss show was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
The 4-door performance GT has been developed by Polestar working with Chinese parent Geely and features a bonded aluminum platform and body that, like other Polestar models, mounts batteries and other key drivetrain components below the load floor.
There will be several different trim packages, including two Launch Editions. At the upper end, Polestar previously indicated it was targeting nearly 900 horsepower, enough to launch the GT from 0-60 in around 3 seconds.
Powertrain
APolestar 5 verification vehicel testing a StoreDot battery pack.
Ahead of the Polestar 5 debut key details were leaked to the media. The performance models apparently will feature a battery pack delivering 112 kilowatt-hours of energy through an 800-volt electrical architecture. That will help boost performance, the automaker targeting 872 horsepower and 749 pound-feet of torque in the most extreme package. That yields a factory-rated 0-60 launch of around 3.2 seconds. That could position it as a challenger to the likes of Tesla’s Model S, the Lucid Air and the Porsche Taycan.
A slightly less exotic alternative is expected to make 738 hp and 599 lb-ft, which will require about 3.0 seconds to hit 60. This version of the Polestar 5 is expected to come in at 416 miles per charge using the WLTP standard, the faster model dropping to 355 miles – each likely to come in about 20% lower in U.S. EPA-rated packages. Both packages will use twin motors, one per axle.
Polestar had been working with Israeli start-up StoreDot, testing a new fast-charge battery system claimed to be capable of going from a 10 to 80% start-of-charge in as little as 10 minutes. That is not expected at launch but Polestar claims the 5 will be reasonably quick to add more range compared to some competitors.
More Polestar News
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- First Drive: Polestar 3
- Polestar Benefits as Tesla Owners Trade In
Design
Key Polestar Precept design details will carry into the production Polestar 5.
Teaser images and spy shots indicate the Polestar 5 hews closely to the design of the original Precept concept. The show car abandoned the traditional automotive front end, trading a large grille for what Polestar dubbed a “SmartZone,” housing a variety of sensors, including radar, cameras and even futuristic LIDAR, for next-generation driver-assistance technology. That would allow for a fully hands-free system that could push into Level 3, meaning drivers wouldn’t constantly have to be at the alert ready to immediately resume manual driving.
Expect semi-active dampers, a sport-tuned suspension and 21-inch tires on the more powerful version of Polestar 5.
The Precept announced five years ago replaced conventional mirrors with sideview cameras, an approach meant to reduce range-stealing wind drag. That approach is beginning to reach market in Europe and Asia but has yet to win regulatory approval in the U.S. The same goes for the pixelated smart headlamps which have yet to win NHTSA approval.
Inside, Polestar 5 will retain the sort of relaxed cabin design currently seen on other models from the Swedish brand. The overall feel will be premium, understandable considering an anticipated 6-figure price tag. That will include numerous luxury touches, including a studio-level Bowers & Wilkins audio system, four-zone climate control and synthetic fabrics. The GT will feature a 9-inch gauge cluster, 14.5-inch infotainment screen and a 9.5-inch head-up display.
Pricing and availability
Production of Polestar 2 will begin the coming weeks, with the first models set to reach showrooms before the end of 2025.
As for pricing, the tamer of the two Launch Editions is expected to start just over $120,000 in Europe, the top-performing package starting just over $140,000. U.S. pricing is TBA and it’s unclear if Polestar will absorb the new Trump tariffs or pass those onto buyers. If the latter approach is chosen that could tack on tens of thousands of dollars in additional duties.
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