Where’s the Rear Window? What We’ve Discovered About Polestar 5

Polestar’s next EV, the Polestar 5, is an all-electric beast, punching out as much as 884 hp and 749 pound-feet of torque. But there were also some surprises to be learned during the EV’s debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich. No rear window, for one thing. And it won’t be sold in either the U.S. or China – at least not for now. Here’s the latest from Headlight.News.

Swedish EV maker Polestar’s line-up is about to grow bigger – and faster – and more expensive.

The much-anticipated Polestar 5 officially made its debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, with potential buyers getting a first look at the performance GT on Tuesday. Filling the hole left in the line-up when the original Polestar 1 was pulled from production, Polestar 5 delivers the sort of performance that could position it as a serious challenger to competitors like the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air.

“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,” said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller. “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.”

What’s new

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.

The Swedish-based automaker plans to soon start rolling the new model out in 24 of the 28 national markets it now competes in. But it will skip its two largest regions, the U.S. and China, at least for now.

The 4-door performance GT will be offered in several different two Launch Editions, including an 884 hp Performance model, and a Dual Motor package making a still hefty 748 hp. Both share a 112-kWh lithium-ion battery that Polestar claims can go from a 10 to 80% state-of-charge in as little as 22 minutes with a powerful enough DC public quick charger.

Design

Polestar 5 has a more angular design than other models we’ve seen from the automaker hewing closely to the design of the original Precept concept. It foregoes the rear window – like Polestar 4 – to increase rear seat headroom. Instead, drivers will rely on a digital mirror using an externally mounted camera.

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. Polestar 5 takes a similar approach with a narrow upper band where the grille normally would go. Air intakes below the front bumper serve to cool the battery pack and motors.

Significantly, uses the sort of bonded aluminum chassis found on Lotus and Aston Martin products. This helps hold down mass and improve performance.

Inside, Polestar 5 retains the sort of relaxed cabin design currently seen on other models from the Swedish brand. The overall feel ispremium, 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.

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Powertrain

The Dual Motor package makes the sort of numbers many competitors might be satisfied with: 748 hp and 599 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to launch the GT from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. But there are always those who crave more power. That’s where the Performance package comes in, with 884 hp and 749 lp-ft, capable of hitting 60 in just 3.1 seconds.

While not quite up to the Plaid version of Tesla’s Model S or the Lucid Air Sapphire, this will be a quick machine that should also stand up well against the Porsche Taycan.

Both Launch Edition models use a 112-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack – 106 kWh if you’re talking usable power. And Polestar 5 adopts an 800-volt electrical architecture. That helps boost performance, and charging times, as little as 22 minutes to go from 10 to 80% on a DC quick charger.

As for range, the Dual Motor is rated at 416 miles per charge, the Performance pack at 351. Those figures use the benign WLTP global standard. Were Polestar 5 to come to the U.S. – more on that in a moment – buyers would likely see about a 20% reduction using the tougher EPA test cycle.

Pricing and availability

Production of Polestar 5 will begin the coming weeks, with the first models set to reach showrooms before the end of 2025.

That is, however, only in some of the automaker’s international markets. Despite being produced in a plant run by its parent Geely in Chongqing, China, it won’t be sold in that country, at least for the time being. Nor will it land in the U.S. anytime soon, despite the American market being its third largest. The hefty Trump tariffs on Chinese vehicles appears to catch blame there. But Polestar currently is not scheduled for Canada or South Korea, either.

As for pricing, the tamer of the two Launch Editions will start at just over $140,000 in Germany. That’s about twice the price tag for the only recently launched Polestar 4.