The first ‘real’ Polestar to debut bespoke chassis technology, with a British twist
Swedish EV innovator Polestar has revealed new insight into its forthcoming Polestar 5, a luxury four-door sports saloon developed to rival the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-Tron GT and Tesla Model S. For those not already familiar with the Polestar brand, it started life as a high performance wing of Volvo, before transforming into a high-end EV subsidiary.
It initially launched with the Polestar 1 as a halo model for the brand, with the 2 now in full production, and further 3 and 4 SUVs to come in the next two years, but a year after that, in 2024, Polestar 5 will be introduced, which is where things get really exciting.
That’s because the sleek four-door saloon will be built on Polestar’s own bespoke architecture, a brand new bonded aluminium structure being developed here in the UK, with expertise derived from brands such as McLaren, Aston Martin and Lotus – not to mention a few of the F1 teams dotted around the countryside. Polestar’s British R&D team started out small, with just 81 staff in 2018, but will grow extremely quickly with the expansion of its UK facility, eventually supporting a staff count of 800 by the end of this year.
The reason behind Polestar’s decision to set up a satellite engineering hub outside of its Gothenburg and Chengdu HQ and manufacturing centres was for a very simple and enticing reason. Polestar wants the Polestar 5 to not just rival the Taycan in terms of range or comfort, but also driving dynamics, something it’s investing in properly with this new ground-up architecture and the staff who know how to deliver it.
The bonded aluminium chassis itself will give engineers the chance to streamline its structure to reduce weight, and deliver specific proportions unique from any Volvo model. The construction method itself isn’t dissimilar to the system employed by Aston Martin, and should also yield excellent torsional rigidity. To this structure, Polestar will fit a low-line battery pack with a scoop taken out of the rear passenger section – as is found in the Porsche Taycan – but Polestar will allow for more rear legroom than the Porsche, something that will be mirrored in the 5’s ultimate chassis tune with a more relaxed GT-like setup being initially prioritised.
The Polestar 5 design will be directly derived from the 2020 Precept Concept, with only subtle changes to the detailing, panel junctions and lighting due. The proportions are the first thing that look accurate, with a long bonnet, wheelbase and sloping roofline. This style of long coupe-cum-hatchback is not unusual for modern electric cars – the Tesla Model S introduced the look as far back as 2009 – but for one key element that’s visible from the image and bespoke to the Polestar 5: a complete lack of a rear screen.
Other elements have also been directly brought over from the Precept, including the compact split headlights which are driven by a new interpretation of the Thor’s Hammer headlight graphic, while the grille has been replaced entirely, now forming both a home for the concept’s safety sensors and driving assistance functions. There’s also a small slip vent integrated into that same space which attaches air to its body, forcing it up and over the windscreen – a similar trick to that found on the Jaguar I-Pace.
As well as previewing Polestar 5’s exterior, the Precept Concept also gives us a glimpse at the future interior design, this time mimicking the Polestar 2 a little more closely with plenty of concept-car glitter applied. The interior is dominated by a portrait-layout touchscreen interface that now floats from the multi-material, wing-shaped dash. Not dissimilar to that in the Tesla Model 3, Polestar’s inclusion of a second driver display mounted behind the steering wheel keeps it from being quite as stark as the Tesla’s cabin, so too the multi-level centre console. The Precept Concept’s Android-designed user interface is much closer to production though, and has already been applied to the Polestar 2, and will be utilised on the Polestar 5 production car.
This is where the Volvo influence in Polestar’s future ends, a new high-end luxury electric car manufacturer who has invested not just in the right infrastructure, but the staff to execute it. We have a wait to see Polestar’s full potential, but by all accounts so far it doesn’t look like we’re about to be disappointed.
Keyword: 2024 Polestar 5 details emerge – British engineering base established for Porsche Taycan rival