Polestar 5 arrives with up to 872 horsepower and no rear window

After what felt like an eternity since the Polestar Precept concept debuted over five years ago, the production version is finally here. Unveiled at the Munich Motor Show, the Polestar 5 is the Swedish brand's direct assault on the high-performance electric car market, with the Porsche Taycan right in its sights.

Billed as a four-door performance grand tourer, the new Polestar combines dramatic styling with staggering power figures, but it also makes some bold design choices that are sure to get people talking. From the outside, it is a faithful and striking evolution of the Precept concept. It maintains a low, wide, and aggressive stance, defined by sharp lines and a sleek, sloping roofline.

The front is dominated by Polestar's signature dual-blade headlights, which use advanced Pixel LED technology. The car's bodywork is taut and muscular, with retractable door handles and frameless windows preserving the clean look. It rides on large wheels, available in 20- to 22-inch sizes, that fill the arches perfectly.

The most talked-about design element, however, is at the back. Polestar's designers have completely removed the rear window, opting instead for a Kamm-style tail (similar to Polestar 4). This decision relies on a high-definition digital rearview mirror to show the driver what's behind, a decision that prioritizes aerodynamic form over traditional function.

Polestar is offering two powerful dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configurations for its new flagship. The standard Polestar 5 delivers a very healthy 738 horsepower and 599 lb-ft of torque. This is enough to launch the grand tourer from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds, with a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph.

If that isn't quite fast enough, the Polestar 5 Performance variant dials everything up a notch. This model boosts output to 872 horsepower and 749 lb-ft of torque. The extra power shaves the 0-62 mph sprint down to a blistering 3.2 seconds. The Performance model also gets a sport-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers that can adjust to road conditions in just three milliseconds.

All that power is fed by a large 112 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. In the standard model, Polestar estimates a WLTP range of up to 416 miles. As expected, the more powerful Performance model sees a slight reduction in range, offering an estimated 351 miles on a full charge.

Both Polestar 5 versions support DC fast charging at up to 350 kW, allowing the battery to go from 10% to 80% in as little as 22 minutes. For home charging, the car apparently has a 19 kW AC onboard charger, although it's quite difficult to imagine a standard home installation that would support that much power. In a clever touch, a small indicator light on the C-pillar provides a quick visual cue of the battery's charging status.

Inside, the Polestar 5 features a minimalist and tech-forward cabin designed primarily as a four-seater. The driver is greeted by three distinct screens: a compact 9-inch digital instrument cluster, a 9.5-inch head-up display, and a 14.5-inch portrait-oriented central touchscreen. This main infotainment system runs on Android Automotive and features built-in Google integration.

The front seats, developed with Recaro, can be optioned with MicroTech or premium Nappa leather and offer heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Rear passengers get a similar luxury experience, with reclining seats that also feature heating, cooling, and massage, all controlled from a panel on their fold-down center armrest. A "foot garage" carved out behind the front seats provides extra space for a more comfortable seating position.

The focus on passenger space extends to cargo, with 12.9 ft³ of room in the rear trunk and an additional 2.19 ft³ in the frunk. Polestar has also made thoughtful material choices, using flax-based trim instead of traditional carbon fiber and Econyl carpets made from recycled materials.

The Polestar 5 can already be ordered in 24 initial markets; unfortunately, North America is not yet on that list. In Germany, pricing starts at $140,500 for the standard model and rises to $167,400 for the Performance version. UK buyers will see somewhat lower prices starting at $122,900 and $144,100, respectively. The company has stated that pricing and availability for the United States and Canada will be announced at a later date.

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