Polestar officially revealed at the IAA Mobility 2025 show earlier this month its four-door performance production car, previewed by the 2020 Precept concept. Available initially in Dual motor and Performance variants, the Polestar 5 features a bonded aluminum Polestar Performance Architecture, an in-house rear electric motor, an 800 V electrical architecture, extensive sustainable materials, and Android Automotive OS with Google built-in.

“Our vision for Polestar’s design, technology, and sustainability direction is no longer a dream but a reality our customers can buy,” said Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO. “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.”

The Polestar Design team aimed to create a grand tourer production car faithful to the concept with minimal changes and modern, minimalist surfacing.

“It was a dream to design Polestar Precept, and even more satisfying to see it realized as a production reality with Polestar 5,” said Nahum Escobedo, Head of Exterior Design at Polestar.

The car is 5087 mm (200.3 in) long, 1425 to 1419 mm (56.1 to 55.9 in) tall, and 2015 mm (79.3 in) wide with mirrors folded, on a 3054-mm (120.2-in) wheelbase.

Aviation was an inspiration for the design, with taut surfacing stretched over an aerodynamic wing-like profile and a Kamm-style tail. The low nose, featuring the SmartZone sensor cluster from the Precept, is flanked by Polestar’s signature dual blade headlights with Pixel LED technology as standard.

The relationship between wheel and hood line is especially close, which is made possible by the car’s platform and unique-to-segment front suspension design. Gloss black or Shade cladding along the lower section of the doors reduces the visual height of the car.

The sleek roofline was made possible without compromising rear seat space by moving the rear header structure behind the rear seat occupants’ heads and employing the digital rearview mirror and virtual rear window as on the Polestar 4. At just over 2 m (6.5 ft) long and 1.25 m (4.1 ft) wide, Polestar 5 features the largest panoramic glass roof of any Polestar so far, ensuring second-row occupants get a light-filled and spacious space.

At the rear, an aero-efficient lightbar with rear vent and a rear diffuser improve airflow. Other aero details include flush frameless glass and retractable door handles.

The resulting aerodynamic coefficient of drag is 0.24 for the Polestar 5 with dual motors.

The Polestar 5’s grille-replacing SmartZone houses many of the ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) sensors, including radar and a forward-facing parking camera. In total, the car has 11 vision cameras, one driver monitoring camera, one mid-range radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

A Pilot Assist function adjusts the vehicle’s speed and position in its chosen lane at speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph). In the event of an accident, the car’s passive safety system with eight airbags uses interior radars to detect the number, position, and type of occupants to deploy the correct safety measures.

The car is available in six colors, including two matte paint options—Storm dark grey and Magnesium silver-like finish.

 

Polestar Performance Architecture

Underpinning the car is a new hot-cured bonded aluminum Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA). Using high-strength aluminum extrusions, pressings, and castings, the structure is lightweight and rigid, with torsional rigidity said to be greater than that of two-seat sports cars and supercars.

The PPA consists of 13% recycled aluminum and 83% aluminum from smelters using renewable electricity, substantially lowering its CO2e footprint compared to standard sourcing. Lighter weight than a comparable steel structure, the aluminum architecture also brings safety benefits, and the battery from SK On forms part of the structure.

An in-house developed electric rear motor contributes up to 450 kW and 660 N·m (487 lb·ft) to the Polestar 5.

The 550 kW and 812 N·m (599 lb·ft) Dual motor and 650 kW and 1015 N·m (749 lb·ft) Performance models have 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 3.9 and 3.2 s, respectively. Both versions are electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).

For increased efficiency, the rear motor can disconnect. While official energy consumption and range certification data are pending, the Dual motor is estimated to achieve up to 670 km (416 mi) WLTP range and the Performance up to 565 km (351 mi). Both have a 112-kW·h lithium-ion NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) battery pack, with 8 modules and 192 cells, and a usable 106 kW·h.

The Polestar-first 800-V electrical architecture allows the car to charge at up to 350 kW on a suitable DC charger. The 10-80% battery charge benchmark can take as little as 22 min. AC charging is up to 11 kW. The state-of-charge can be monitored by an external charging indicator on the C-pillar.

“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,” said Lutz Stiegler, Polestar’s CTO. “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.”

The innovative chassis engineering decisions made to deliver performance-focused driving characteristics include the compact front double wishbone suspension, lightweight two-piece alloy front disc brakes, and steering rack placed ahead of the front axle.

Friction braking is by Brembo four-piston calipers up front. Shared with Polestar 3, but upgraded with lightweight 400-mm two-piece discs, they save 12 kg (26 lb) over the system in its SUV sibling, improving unsprung mass.

The Dual motor has BWI Group passive dampers with hydraulic rebound stops, but the Polestar 5 Performance goes further with BWI’s MagneRide adaptive damping. The dampers read the road up to 1000 times per second and can react to changing damping needs within 3 ms, thanks to magnetorheological fluid, balancing body motion control and user comfort at all speeds.

“Polestar’s decision to equip MagneRide reflects the increasing importance of semi-active suspension in delivering both dynamic performance and refined comfort, particularly for demanding electric platforms,” said Philippe Germain, Chief Engineer at BWI Group. “MagneRide gives Polestar engineers the flexibility to precisely tune the vehicle’s drive dynamics, while ensuring customers experience a clear difference between drive settings.”

The MagneRide system can be tuned using just a laptop and negates the need to design and produce prototype damper valves and pistons, significantly shortening lead times, enabling region-specific tuning, and supporting over-the-air updates. One of the key differentiators is its broad “turn-up” ratio—the spread between maximum and minimum damping force for a given velocity. This enables significant differences in performance between drive modes, gives vehicle dynamics engineers greater flexibility in tailoring a car’s character, and decouples body from wheel control, improving ride quality without sacrificing handling.

Completing the performance-focused handling package are Michelin tires designed specifically for the 20- to 22-in wheel combinations.

 

Interior design and technology

Inside, the driving position is deliberately reclined, with a performance focus, thanks to the low-slung seats and upright angled steering wheel brought close to the driver.

Designed in collaboration with Recaro, the front seats mix a low hip-point with supportive bolstering and “typical Swedish comfort.” They come finished in Charcoal MicroTech textile as standard. Optional is a Bridge of Weir Nappa leather, in Charcoal or Zinc, with the animal-welfare-secured, chrome-free, natural by-product of the food industry getting ventilation and massage added to the standard heating and electrical adjustment.

The 4+1 seater is designed primarily as a four-seater with its rear central armrest lowered. The rear seats follow the same form design as the Recaro fronts and can be individually reclined for comfort. In top spec, rear seat passengers can control the four-zone climate system, seat heating, ventilation, and massage functions.

Raising the rear armrest creates a fifth seating position; the staggered passenger height configuration is said to offer greater shoulder space, transforming the performance GT into a practical five-seater. A battery pack cut-out in the floor behind the front seats, known as the foot garage, provides extra foot space and a more natural seating position for rear occupants.

Natural fiber materials are used throughout the interior, showcased by the Polestar signature weave in the front seatbacks, developed with material supplier Bcomp. Completed with ampliTex for added strength, this bio-based alternative to carbon fiber made from flax is up to 40% lighter than plastic and uses 50% less fossil fuel-based materials.

Lower sections of the doors made with the material supplier’s NFPP (natural fiber prepreg) showcase the natural structure of the bio-based material. This can also be seen in the inner lining of the 365-L (12.9-ft³) rear cargo space.

The 62-L (2.2-ft³) front cargo space uses AutoNeum’s UltraSilent material, saving 60% in weight or about 5 kg (11 lb) compared to traditional plastic and forming part of a mono material strategy for easier recycling at end-of-life.

Polestar 5 continues to use recycled materials seen on other Polestar vehicles, including Aquafil’s Econyl, a recycled material made from fishing nets and other waste materials, for the carpets, recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for the headlining, and a knitted second deco wrapping around the upper section of the doors.

On the technology side, the driver-focused information displays are a 9-in unit mounted directly to the steering column, ensuring the display is always positioned in the driver’s line of sight, and a 9.5-in head-up unit. These are powered by a Visteon SmartCore digital cockpit domain controller.

Between the front seats is a low central console that incorporates a lockable storage compartment and a centralized rotary audio controller. Above that is the 14.5-in center portrait display that takes the best attributes from the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4. The dedicated shortcut tiles offer up to six of the driver’s most used functions directly on the home screen, with four being dynamic tiles that can be customized to the user’s choice of function.

Audio is taken care of either by the Polestar High Performance Audio system with 10 speakers or a Bowers & Wilkins 21-speaker audio system with tweeter-on-top technology and 1680 W output, combined with active road noise cancellation. “Laser-line” ambient lighting wraps around the cabin, finishing in a sound bar behind the rear occupants’ heads.

 

Polestar 5 orders have started online in all initial launch markets, which include 24 of Polestar’s 28 active global markets. For instance, the Dual motor is available to order for €119,900 (in Germany) or the Performance for €142,900. For more info, visit https://www.polestar.com/polestar-5/configurator.