7 things you need to know about the new Polestar 5

Polestar has just pulled the 'överdrag' off its most ambitiuos car yet - the Polestar 5, a fully electric grand tourer, born out of the Precept concept car - first demonstrated to the world in 2020. The Gothenburg-based EV powerhouse likes to do things a little differently and has been quietly carving out its niche though minimalist design and Scandinavian heritage, for almost a decade now.

Originally a racing team back in the 90s, turning Volvo's typically safety-conscious road cars into high performance track stars, Polestar established its own identity becoming a standalone brand, as of 2017. Now competing with the likes of Porsche and Audi, on the EV world stage, their aim is not to please everyone. Focusing their efforts on performance, comfort and sustainability, Polestar hasn't gone after the mass market - which is evident from the latest edition of its road car line up.

Here are 7 things you should know about the Polestar 5 Launch Edition.

The Polestar 5 is the closest you'll get to a concept car - that's economical enough to buy and compliant enough for the open road. There is something quite inherently Scandinavian about concept cars - clean, visionary, unembellished - so who better to make one a reality? With an emphasis on aviation style aerodynamics - giving it that taut appearance like a fighter jet fuselage - and its kammback sloping rear-end, this car probably wouldn't turn many heads if it suddenly morphed into a drone.

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

There are not one, but two options to choose from, with surprisingly little difference in price. The Dual Motor is the basic model, although there isn't much that's basic about it. And of course, there's the Performance version. For the extra £15k you get 60kW more power (200Nm more torque), MagneRide adaptive damping that reads and reacts to the road 1,000 times per second, gold brake callipers, 22-inch rims and some subtle sporty details. However, there's a trade off - the Dual can disengage the rear motor when cruising and therefore has more range, which can be quite an important decision maker for some.

One of Polestar's proudest elements of their new car is the frame, giving it its racer rigidity. Once again, working as a high performance race team, the engineers and designers have developed their very own (and first) in-house hot-bonded aluminium chassis. This is a notoriously difficult undertaking and is what has allowed the concept to maintain its low roofline and elegant shape - while also providing better handling and improved crash performance (in case you were wondering). Made responsibly, from green energy smelters and recycled aluminium, it treads much lighter on the planet than steel.

Polestar’s CTO, Lutz Stiegler, explains: “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.”

Polestar's 10-speaker or Bowers & Wilkins 21-speaker sound system, with noise cancelling technology and laser-line ambient lighting throughout the cabin - for starters. The main focal point is the 14.5-inch touchscreen display that runs off Android Automotive, with a fully integrated Google interface and maps. In the back you can recline the seats and look up through the two metre long panoramic sun-roof and enjoy a gentle back rub at the same time.

Thankfully you won't have to stop and sit in a service station any more often than you would in a normal car - or for much longer either. Amazingly the 800V architecture can take charge from 10% - 80% in just 22-minutes - barely enough time for a flat white and a pain-au-chocolat. The Dual Motor edition delivers a combined output of 550 kW (737bhp) and up to 416 mile range, while the Performance edition tops it up to 650 kW (871 bhp) but with less range at 351 miles. The result is 3.8 and 3.1 seconds 0-60 mph acceleration, respectively.

Can savoir-faire and environmental care share the same stage? It's an age-old conundrum that Polestar is dismantling with carpets woven from recycled fishing nets and seatbacks finished in bio-based flax composites (an eco-friendly version of carbon fibre). Using sustainable materials extensively throughout the car, sustainability is more design ethos than box ticking exercise at Polestar - and it's something they are striving to lead the way in for premium EVs.

Compared it to its GT rivals from the likes of Tesla, Audi and BMW, the Polestar ranks in quite reasonably. Starting at £89,500 (Dual) and £104,900 (Performance) its noticably less than the E-tron, and not a huge amount more than the mass-produced Model S. For a brand that started producing its own cars within the last decade, impressive headway has been made already. Hotly anticipated, we are looking forward to the release of the Polestar 6 Roadster next year, and test driving the GT in Spring. Stay tuned!

Dual Motor Launch Edition

550 kW power | 737 bhp | 812 Nm torque | 0-60mph in 3.8s | 155 mph top speed | 416 mile range | 112 kW 800V lithium-ion NMC battery | From £89,500

Performance Launch Edition

650 kW power | 871 bhp | 1,015 Nm torque | 0-60mph in 3.1s | 155 mph top speed | 351 mile range | 112 kW 800V lithium-ion NMC battery | £104,900

Visit Polestar's website for more information about the Polestar 5