2026 Polestar 5 assessment: Fast drive

Don’t waste your cash on a Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT when you may have the distinctive new Polestar 5 with extra energy for lots much less of your money. And so they’re not the one two issues going for this all-new electrical grand tourer.

Means again in 2020, Polestar successfully set out its design and efficiency manifesto with the Principle idea automotive, a stunning five-door GT that preceded the electrical automobile model’s transfer additional away from its mum or dad firm, Volvo.

Since then, the Polestar lineup has stuffed out significantly, nevertheless it hasn’t forgotten that present automotive, taking the time to develop a manufacturing model based mostly on a bonded-aluminium platform, creating one thing suitably particular to high the vary. The result’s the Polestar 5.

It’s been a very long time coming, so does Polestar’s new flagship sports activities automotive supply well-heeled patrons a seemingly great-value various to different high-performance EVs?

How a lot does the Polestar 5 price?

Simply two variations of the Polestar 5 have been introduced thus far, beginning with the Twin Motor Launch Version priced at $186,249 drive-away in Victoria. It is a little lower than the entry-level Taycan prices, and it’s much more highly effective, evaluating favourably with the significantly costlier GTS variant of the Porsche.

What’s the Polestar 5 like on the within?

You sit low within the Polestar 5, which is an effective begin for a automotive stated to be all about efficiency, and whereas the inside shares so much with different fashions from the model, it nonetheless manages to really feel particular.

Low-set sports activities seats assist on this regard, and so they’re electrically adjustable each which manner, as you’d count on at this worth stage. Even after two lengthy days on the wheel, our backs have been twinge-free, so that they’re comfy in addition to supportive by means of the corners.

In step with Polestar’s inexperienced picture, the usual upholstery is an artificial materials, whereas real leather-based is an costly improve. The model’s ‘Swedish gold’ hue is discovered on the seatbelts and on the big rotary quantity management, welcome little pops of color that may be enhanced by the multi-colour ambient lighting.

The design is kind of minimalist total attributable to a scarcity of buttons all through the cabin, which appears to be like nice, however does imply an over-reliance on the big portrait-oriented touchscreen in the course of the dashboard.

It is a 14.5-inch show operating Android Automotive OS with Google Constructed-in, and it is rather slick and attractive-looking, too. It has Apple CarPlay as nicely, in fact, and is filled with connectivity and options, although it is not fairly as gimmicky as Tesla’s equal.

For the driving force, that is mercifully augmented by a separate 9.0-inch instrument show forward of the chunky, mildly flat-bottomed steering wheel.

The outer rear seats mirror the fronts by way of design and luxury, and so they even get electrical adjustment for the backrests.

For those who actually need to, you may carry somebody in the course of the again seat – the place there’s a seatbelt – nevertheless it’s a slim and comparatively uncomfortable place to be, and it’s clear that Polestar meant for the console between the outer seats to be in place for almost all of the time.

An enormous glass roof extends behind the heads of rear-seat occupants, which means they might not instantly discover there’s no window behind them. As an alternative, there’s a bulkhead between them and the boot.

This, and the rear seatbacks, can fold all the way down to accommodate longer objects when required. The boot quantity itself isn’t large at 365 litres, however the tailgate permits unobstructed entry and there’s some additional storage beneath the ground. All that is supplemented by a 62L frunk up entrance.

From the driving force’s perspective, the rear view is equipped from a roof-mounted digicam to the digital ‘mirror’ in the course of the windscreen. Apparently, studying from suggestions on the identical function within the Polestar 4, the model has altered the zoom stage and it’s much more pure to make use of now, with out requiring a momentary shift in your eyes’ focus.

What’s beneath the bonnet?

Two variants of the Polestar 5 have been confirmed for launch, each utilizing the identical 112kWh battery pack – of which 106kWh is quoted as usable – and two electrical motors for all-wheel drive.

The Twin Motor’s peak output figures are 550kW of energy and 812Nm of torque, which is sufficient for Polestar to say 0-100km/h acceleration in a speedy 3.9 seconds, regardless of the 2500kg kerb weight.

Polestar quotes the identical weight for the Efficiency variant, so its 650kW and 1015Nm outputs are sufficient to drop the benchmark dash time to simply 3.2 seconds (claimed). This mannequin additionally will get a chassis improve comprising Magneride adaptive damping and a decrease experience peak.

When it comes to vary, the Twin Motor’s official determine is as excessive as 678km relying on wheels and tyres, whereas the Efficiency mannequin’s quantity drops to 558km.

The Polestar 5 makes use of an 800-volt electrical structure which permits for quick DC charging at as much as 350kW. If you’ll find such a charger, the theoretical 10-80 per cent cost takes 22 minutes. On a three-phase 11kW AC charger, a 0-100 per cent cost takes 11 hours.

How does the Polestar 5 drive?

Polestar could not name the 5 an electrical sports activities automotive, nevertheless it fulfils that function whenever you need it to, and simply in addition to the Porsche Taycan does.

We drove from Narbonne in France to Andorra on day one within the Twin Motor automotive after which from there to Barcelona on day two within the Efficiency variant. And whereas we did our justifiable share of city driving and a little bit freeway, many of the route concerned tortuously twisty mountain roads, some slim and technical, others broad open and well-sighted. This was a transparent sign of intent from the Polestar workforce.

Even earlier than the street turned fascinating, the 5 proved itself a refined product. It’s a automotive that feels proper inside a number of metres because of the weighting of its steering and the easy manner its highly effective motors carry the automotive as much as no matter pace you need to be driving at. 

Within the default ‘Vary’ mode, the response to the accelerator pedal is clean and measured, although even on this setting you may summon up violent ahead acceleration if you happen to push the pedal down far sufficient. It’s laughable that the entry-level variant has 550kW, although in fact the electrical motors’ immediately produced torque is what defines the expertise, as in any quick EV.

Fortunately, there’s much more to the Polestar 5 than the type of straight-line acceleration that makes passengers really feel unwell.

The chassis of the Twin Motor mannequin is a revelation. Here’s a passive setup utilizing what Polestar refers to as “costly, high-capacity dampers” with conventional coil springs. To this are added hydraulic rebound stops and a bypass channel within the dampers that opens mechanically over high-frequency bumps to boost consolation.

And it’s a elegant setup, managing to be comfy and composed on every kind of street surfaces, whereas additionally delivering a fascinating, managed expertise when the roads turned mountainous. The Polestar 5 even feels agile regardless of its five-metre-plus size.

There’s not an unlimited distinction between the three energy steering settings – Mild, Commonplace and Agency – although we rapidly discovered a choice for turning the brake-energy regeneration system all the way down to its minimal as that resulted in clear brake pedal really feel and constant stopping. Certainly, it was one of many highlights of the expertise, permitting you to position the automotive confidently and precisely when hauling it down from excessive pace. And there was by no means a touch of fade regardless of repeated laborious use of the brakes.

When not relishing the physique management, the strong brakes and the communicative steering, we realised the Polestar 5 was in any other case extremely quiet and refined. Acoustic facet glass helps with that in fact, however regardless of the purpose, we completed our first day mightily impressed that Polestar had certainly created a correct GT, with out resorting to costlier chassis {hardware}. Might the Efficiency mannequin actually be price the additional outlay?

That is dependent upon much more than simply the way it drives, however there’s a delicate distinction in character between the 2 vehicles on the street, and never solely due to the elevated energy and torque outputs of the Efficiency variant. 

There are few locations you may actually use such outputs, so in day-to-day driving it issues little that the Efficiency mannequin punches laborious with an additional 100kW and 200Nm. However the extra highly effective rear motor does make itself felt elsewhere.

For instance, on one significantly entertaining part of hairpin-riddled street, the Polestar 5 Twin Motor needed to be massively provoked to elicit any slip from the rear axle, even with ESC Sport chosen. As an alternative, it rewarded clean, measured driving with relentless ahead movement.

In the identical scenario, the Efficiency automotive had a a lot friskier rear-end. Now, we’re not about to recommend it ought to have something as uncouth as a drift mode, however eager drivers will recognize the extra interactive again axle.

Indicating what an astoundingly good job the Polestar workforce did on the passive chassis, we are able to’t actually say that the – ostensibly extra refined – Magneride system leads to a greater drive.

There’s a fraction extra firmness to the experience in all conditions for a begin, although this can be all the way down to the lower-profile tyres, whereas the Efficiency feels heavier one way or the other. That might be due to a barely completely different energy steering calibration as Polestar quotes the identical weight for the 2 fashions.

When pushed laborious by means of corners, the Magneride dampers do hold the Polestar 5 flatter, however at no level did we complain about extreme physique lean within the Twin Motor mannequin, so sure, the Efficiency flagship is a bit more achieved, however not on the speeds most individuals drive at.

Given the roads on supply on the launch, you’ll need to forgive us for not finishing up a correct effectivity or vary take a look at on this event. We noticed consumption as excessive as 30kWh/100km beneath duress and as little as 12kWh/100km when ambling round city.

What do you get?

Solely the Launch Editions have been revealed thus far on Polestar Australia’s web site, and so they’re understandably loaded to the gunwales with gear.

2027 Polestar 5 Twin Motor Launch Version gear highlights:

• 20-inch Aero alloy wheels
• Adaptive cruise management
• Heated entrance and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Head-up show
• Park Help
• 15W wi-fi cellphone charger
• 4 USB-C ports
• 14.5-inch touchscreen operating Android Automotive OS
• Google apps and companies built-in
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi
• Over-the-air software program updates
• 360-degree digicam system
• 300W audio with 10 audio system
• Brembo brakes
• Heated, electrically adjustable, robotically folding and dimming door mirrors
• Adaptive Pixel LED headlights
• Computerized wipers
• Panoramic glass roof
• 12-way electrically adjusted entrance seats
• Energy-folding rear seats
• 4-zone local weather management
• One-touch up/down entrance home windows

Efficiency provides:

• 21-inch Efficiency wheels
• Magneride dampers
• Bowers & Wilkins sound system (1680W, 21 audio system)
• Swedish Gold particulars

Is the Polestar 5 secure?

The Polestar 5 has not but been crash-tested by ANCAP and is due to this fact ‘unrated’.

Commonplace security gear consists of:

• 8 airbags, incl: Entrance, front-side, inner-side, curtain
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• Bicycle owner detection
• Adaptive cruise management
• Blind-spot help
• Evasive steer help
• Lane hold help
• Publish-collision braking
• Reversing digicam
• Rear cross-traffic help
• Rear parking sensors

How a lot does the Polestar 5 price to run?

Polestar backs the 5 with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, with a separate guarantee for the drive battery. It’s lined for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

There are 5 years of roadside help included within the buy worth, in addition to over-the-air software program updates.

Servicing is required each 12 months or 20,000km.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Polestar 5

The Polestar 5 is just not the direct Porsche Taycan rival some will count on it to be, however we reckon that’s an excellent factor certainly.

Whereas Porsche puffs up the chest of its electrical providing, making out that it’s some type of electrical 911 equal, Polestar quietly delivers a correct GT automotive that’s searingly quick and succesful, with out forgetting that it’s probably for use at regular street speeds by regular individuals.

And it feels particular irrespective of how or the place you’re driving it.

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