2026 Polestar 5 Prototype Drive: This One Targets Lucid, Porsche, Tesla, and Other High-End EVs

• Polestar
• Porsche
• Tesla

Polestar, Volvo's electric brand sibling, is seeking to leapfrog its Swedish parent in the automotive pecking order. It's an ambitious move because although Polestar launched with a stylish and powerful PHEV coupe that cost 156 grand in 2020, most of the brand's U.S. sales have been the workaday Polestar 2 battery-powered compact SUV.

That started to change earlier this year when Polestar introduced the 3, which is a two-row mid-size SUV/tall wagon, costing about $70K and up. It's a comfy machine, but it hardly exudes elegance and prestige. There's also the Polestar 4, which is a similarly sized—and slightly cheaper—hatchback with a sleeker shape. It's been on the market in Europe for a while but won't be arriving in America until later this year.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

But the flagship of the lineup will be next year's Polestar 5, which we just had a chance to drive in prototype form at the Millbrook test facility in the U.K. Based on the 2020 Precept concept, the 5 is a stunningly sleek four-door sedan. Low, wide, clean, with a muscular stance and a pure silhouette, it's a gorgeous machine that will swivel heads wherever it appears.

It's also chock-full of interesting design details such as a huge glass roof, solid sheetmetal where the rear window normally appears, and a front face identified by Polestar's twin hockey-stick headlight bars. With a 0.24 drag coefficient, the elegant Polestar 5 is the complete opposite of the trendy butch SUV look.

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The 5 introduces the new Polestar Performance Architecture, constructed of aluminum (a sizable portion of it recycled) panels bonded and riveted together. The bonding produces a stronger and stiffer structure than spot welding and doesn't compromise the heat treatment of the aluminum panels. But it's no lightweight, likely weighing close to 5600 pounds.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

That's largely due to the 106-kWh underfloor NMC lithium-ion battery, which operates at 800 volts. Up to 350 kilowatts of DC charging can be accommodated, if you can find it. But with it, Polestar claims you can charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes. The cars we drove had CCS charging ports, but our version might get the new NACS standard.

Roughly the size of a Porsche Panamera, the 5 has plenty of room for passengers, both up front and in the rear seat. In fact, the goal was to achieve the interior space of the Panamera Executive models with a smaller car. That heavily tinted and ultrathin glass roof is one of the tricks designed to achieve this goal. Another trick is to interrupt the battery between the front compartment and the rear seat, leaving the rear footwell at a lower level to produce a comfortable rear seating position despite the gracefully falling roofline. Finally, the lack of a rear window allows a much higher and stronger structure connecting the C-pillars to better support the glass roof.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

This strategy has worked well, and the 5's rear seat is very roomy with great headroom despite the low roofline. The only downside is that there's no room to slide your feet under the front seats if you really want to spread out. The large center armrest folds to provide space for a fifth passenger in a pinch.

The 13-cubic-foot trunk doesn't look huge due to the intruding wheel wells, but the rear seats fold to triple the volume. There's a small frunk as well.

The interior is clean and uncluttered with lovely finishes. This is the Scandinavian design ethic, and the 5 interior seems even more refined than the typical Volvo. Materials are all top quality, although with a significant amount of recycled content. The available nappa-style leather from Bridge of Weir is made using a chrome-free process from Scottish cows that are animal welfare certified.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype interior

All Polestar 5 versions will share these features, as well as two motors and all-wheel drive. Given that the motors are permanent-magnet synchronous types and produce drag even when they're not powered, the rear units have a disconnect when their power is not needed, making the 5 a sometimes front-driver. When you do put your foot down, those motors produce a total of either 738 ponies in the base Dual Motor or 872 ponies in the 5 Performance. We estimate runs to 60 mph should happen in around three seconds, based on the 3.9-second time we recorded for a heavier and less powerful Polestar 3 Performance model. EPA range is expected to be at least 300 miles.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

The suspension consists of control arms front and rear, and the 5 Performance will come with adaptive MagneRide dampers to optimize ride and handling. The chunky brake rotors are clamped by four-piston Brembo calipers in front.

Polestar let us drive the 5 Performance within the somewhat sterile confines of the Millbrook Proving Ground. On the one-mile straight, with a launch-control start, the 5 Performance is a rocket, much like any of the high-powered EVs. With such performance on hand, accelerator response was strong at any speed, and the transition from front-drive to all-wheel drive, as the rear motor was engaged, was seamless.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

On the two-mile oval, the Polestar 5 felt comfortable, quiet, and stable. Modern electric power steering has certainly improved, and with Polestar's thoughtful calibration, it felt both responsive and confidence-inspiring—even at 140 mph. The driving position is excellent, with a great view of the road thanks to the sloping hood and a steering wheel that adjusts lower than most. It frames a properly positioned 9.0-inch instrument cluster.

Millbrook's 2.3-mile handling track is draped over hilly terrain and is very demanding due to limited sight distance and next-to-no runoff. In other words, it's more like a challenging country road than a racing circuit. The Polestar 5 Performance's suspension provided great control of body motions without any harshness. The steering feels smooth and linear, even when the road demanded a sudden and unexpected input.

The same goes for the brakes, which are fully drive-by-wire. The pedal is firm and natural, with just a bit of softness when first depressed to help the driver look smooth, even with a sudden stab at the pedal. The blending of the regen and friction brakes is unnoticeable.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires developed for the 5 Performance are said to be a compromise between grip and rolling resistance. A staggered layout is used with the 5 Performance, with 255/35R-22s in front and 295/30-22s in the rear. This is said to improve steering feel. These are not huge tires for a car that weighs 5500 pounds, so we suspect that the 5 will not be a track monster. But we think it will feel great in the real world.

As you would expect for a Volvo-affiliated machine, the Polestar 5 comes with a full slate of safety features, including inner side airbags for the front passengers. All cars will also have 12 cameras—11 pointing outside and one monitoring the driver—as well as a midrange radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors. We had no opportunity to evaluate any of the related ADAS systems.

Nor did we play much with the 14.5-inch portrait-oriented central screen. It uses the Android Automotive OS, which typically provides good usability and great flexibility. Over-the-air updates are part of the package.

2026 Polestar 5 Prototype

It's too early for official pricing, but we expect the 5 to open in low six-figure territory. Since the car is assembled in Chengdu, China, much will depend on the future tariff situation. That lofty price puts it in league with other high-end electric cars such as the Lucid Air and the Tesla Model S, as well as sedans from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche. Whether the Polestar badge will command respect in that rarefied market remains to be seen. But on its merits, the Polestar 5 definitely delivers a new and tasty flavor in that group.