Polestar 5 (2025 - )

Polestar, the Swedish automotive marque known for its premium, design-focused electric cars, is introducing something a bit different: the new Polestar 5.

This electric grand tourer combines supercar performance with the luxury and long-range capabilities typically associated with high-end vehicles. 

Based on Polestar's Precept concept, the production model features few changes and boasts a sleek, aviation-inspired design, built from bonded aluminium. 

This four-door car is both lightweight and rigid, with Polestar claiming its torsional rigidity surpasses that of many two-seater sports cars and supercars. Even without any impressive assertions, the Polestar 5's striking appearance makes it highly desirable.

Fortunately, it excels in every aspect, as our motoring journalist, Tim Barnes-Clay, discovered after driving the car at its UK media launch.

The Polestar 5 comes in two forms - the earlier briefly mentioned Dual Motor variant and the Performance - and let's say that the former is far from sluggish. Thinking it’s the more sensible option doesn't quite do it justice. 

It's incredibly fast, pinning you back in your seat while maintaining exquisite control. Point the grand tourer into a bunch of bends, and it navigates them with almost surgical precision, the chassis feeling composed and stable beneath you.

With a staggering 550kW (737bhp) from the Dual Motor and an impressive 812Nm of torque, it hits 0-60mph in a wildly quick 3.8 seconds. That poke makes overtaking on Britain's A and B roads utterly effortless. However, I did find the front seats to be a tad on the firm side.

This is where the Performance edition of the Polestar 5 shines. Its sophisticated MagneRide adaptive damping system alters the driving experience, softening the seats' firmness and providing a more luxurious ride. 

But the Performance model also teeters on the brink of lunacy. The figures alone hint at its prowess before you even take a pew behind the wheel: 650kW (871bhp), 1,015Nm of torque, and a face-melting 0-60mph time of just 3.1 seconds. Yep, this electric beast is poised to shake up your day - in a great way!

Indeed, those mere numbers can hardly prepare you for the sensation once you put the pedal to the metal. The response is so instantaneous that I found myself grateful for the headrest support. While it doesn't lack refinement, the Polestar 5 Performance will seize control of the tarmac with quiet yet spine-tingling aggression. 

Is the Performance version overkill for the average daily commute? Perhaps. But does it deliver an immense return on investment in sheer, unfiltered joy? Absolutely, without a doubt.

The Polestar 5 has a low-slung nose complemented by Polestar's distinctive dual-blade headlights, featuring Pixel LED technology. 

The design facilitates a close relationship between the wheels and the bonnet line, thanks to the grand tourer’s adept platform and a segment-exclusive front suspension layout. 

Gloss black or Shade cladding along the lower door sections visually lowers the vehicle's 142cm height, while the glasshouse aligns beautifully with the wing-like silhouette and streamlined roofline.

This sexy design delivers spacious back seats without kicking comfort to the kerb by repositioning the rear header structure behind the passengers' heads and using a digital rear-view mirror with a virtual rear window, similar to the Polestar 4. 

Between the front chairs sits a sleek centre console with a lockable storage compartment, topped with a rotary audio controller for the 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen. This screen runs on Polestar's Android Automotive platform with Google built in, supported by a nine-inch digital instrument cluster and a slightly larger head-up display.

For audio lovers, the Polestar High-Performance Audio system delivers sound through ten speakers, or you can upgrade to the Bowers & Wilkins setup with 21 speakers and a rib-shaking 1,680 watts of power.

At the back, the electric whip features a specially engineered aerodynamically efficient lightbar, complete with vent detailing and an integrated rear diffuser to boost airflow. With its flush frameless glass and retractable door handles, the grand tourer achieves an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.24 for the Dual Motor variant.

If you do fancy buying this car, you can be like a kid in a candy store when it comes to picking the colour you want your Polestar 5 to be. You can choose from six shades, including a couple of matte finishes: Storm, a bold, purposeful dark grey, and Magnesium, a lighter, silver-like hue.

The Polestar 5’s back seats are awesome, featuring cooling, heating and reclining options - and even massage functions. Rear passengers can also control the four-zone climate system. A clever 'foot garage' integrated into the battery structure increases legroom behind the front seats, too, letting occupants sit in a more natural posture.

But that's not all. The 5 is primarily designed as a four-seater. However, by adjusting the central armrest, it can handle a small fifth passenger, effectively transforming it from a 2+2 into a five-up machine. It also offers a slightly parsimonious 365 litres of boot space at the rear, made slightly better by the fact there’s a 62-litre frunk - a front storage compartment perfect for a carry-on bag or charging cable.

You’ll also find a minimalist aesthetic across the cabin. It contains a sea of natural materials and recycled textiles, topped off with a striking panoramic glass roof that stretches over two metres in length, creating an airy interior vibe. 

At the front, there’s respectable room, and the Recaro-designed seats offer a low driving position with admirable support, though, as implied earlier, a touch more cushioning wouldn't go amiss. They can be finished in Charcoal MicroTech or optional Bridge of Weir Nappa leather available in Zinc or Charcoal.

The Polestar 5 Dual Motor has an official maximum range of 416 miles on a single charge, while the Performance version offers up to 351 miles.

Its 800V electrical architecture lets the Polestar flagship charge at up to 350kW on a compatible DC charger. A 10-80% battery refill can take just 22 minutes, and an external indicator on the car's C-pillar quickly shows the 5's state of charge.

For most trips, a 350-plus-mile electric vehicle arguably already offers more than many people need. So, if your working life revolves around a big town, airports, and long motorway journeys when needed, the Polestar 5's mix of range and rapid charging is especially relevant.

Additionally, the Polestar 5 comes with a standard three-year/60,000-mile vehicle warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty.

The Polestar 5 Dual Motor Launch Edition starts at £89,500, while the Performance Launch Edition starts at £104,900. This places the beautiful electric grand tourer squarely in the premium automotive sector, which is precisely where Polestar sees itself being.

The brand is targeting consumers who have already experienced the usual cars in this segment and desire something more unique, exclusive, and striking. 

With the Polestar 5, you gain a real advantage: you can drive a car that personifies success while side-stepping the more mainstream choices of your contemporaries. 

What's more, you can have a blast - and you won't stop grinning while driving it. The only issue is, the 5 is so good-looking that your partner might get jealous that you're giving the car more attention than them.