We’ve gotten a glimpse of the Polestar 5 straight from the source but those were merely computer-generated renderings. Spy photographers have caught a prototype of the brand’s next flagship undergoing testing at a secret test track in Europe for the first time. Although the background is blurred, we suspect this car was being evaluated in the Hällered Proving Ground, 80 km or 50 miles east of Gothenburg, Sweden, the hometown of Volvo and Polestar.
Like the renderings from earlier this year, this prototype proves the Polestar 5 is essentially the production version of the Precept show car. From the front, you can immediately see the split Thor’s Hammer LED headlights peeking out while the lack of a grille means it has the same thin bar filled with equipment for its driver assistance feature. Like the recently revealed Polestar 3 SUV, the door handles are flush with the body and pop up only when the car is unlocked. Like the Precept, the production Polestar 5 ditches the rear window in favor of a rear camera. There’s also what appears to be a piece of plastic on the rear end of the car, which could be testing equipment or a retractable rear spoiler
The rest of the car looks just like the Precept. It has a low-slung side profile to give it that coupe-like look while optimizing its aerodynamic performance. In the rear, the Polestar 5 retains the upside-down C-shaped LED taillights that span the width of the vehicle. Other key changes versus the Precept include traditional instead of suicide doors, traditional side mirrors, and a cluster on the windshield housing sensors and cameras for the driver assistance systems. Eventually, the car will gain LiDAR sensors to enable some degree of autonomous driving depending on the regions in which the vehicle is sold.
When it arrives in 2024, the Polestar 5 will be the final vehicle in Polestar’s product blitz. It will follow the Polestar 3, which we saw for the first time this week, and the Polestar 4, a compact SUV aimed at the upcoming Porsche Macan EV, Lexus RZ 450e, Genesis Electrified GV70, and Tesla Model Y.
The Polestar 5 will be underpinned by a brand-specific version of Volvo Car Group’s second-generation Scalable Product Architecture (SPA2), which will make extensive use of aluminum to cut weight and improve the car’s overall rigidity. Polestar will use in-house-developed bonded aluminum, that cuts mass and makes the car more rigid without sacrificing crash safety performance. This means the body and platform will be built together, resulting in less overall weight thanks to a lighter body-in-white.
Powertrain information hasn’t been released yet but expect a large battery to be standard on the Polestar 5. It’s likely getting the same 800-volt charging architecture coming to the Polestar 3 to enable shorter charging times at public stations. The new P10 electric motor, which uses a two-speed gearbox, could also make its way into the Polestar 5. On its own, the unit can make over 600 hp. When combined with a second electric motor mounted on the front axle, the car could generate upward of 800 hp.
Unlike the Polestar 2, Polestar’s upcoming models including the Polestar 5 will be rear-biased thanks to a more powerful rear electric motor. Expect a driving range of at least 300 miles depending on the battery size and power output.
