A prototype of the Polestar 5 will make its dynamic debut at this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed on 23 June, the EV brand having also provided a first look inside its halo sedan with a series of new teaser images.
The latest evolution of the Polestar 5, set to be launched in 2024 as the Swedish-based brand’s answer to the Porsche Taycan and the Mercedes EQS, will be on display at the event’s ‘First Glance Paddock’ before its run up Goodwood’s famous hill climb. This marks the third time that Polestar has previewed one of its products at Goodwood, following the debut of the Polestar 1 prototype and the Experimental Polestar 2 in 2018 and 2021 respectively.
Polestar 5
“Goodwood is our favourite place to show our cars in an enthusiast environment,” CEO Thomas Ingenlath explains. “This year, we are thrilled to showcase Polestar 5 going up the hill! Our UK R&D team is doing an amazing job developing the car, and we are proud to be able to highlight their hard work at this early stage.”
Alongside the Goodwood announcement, Polestar has also released a series of pre-production teaser images of the camouflaged bodywork, as well as a first look at the cabin. While the aerodynamics have not evolved too much since a pre-production image surfaced in December, nor radically compared with the ‘Precept’ on which the 5 has been based, minor tweaks do include the more rounded wing mirrors and the now split ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlamps.
Though unfinished – hence the kill switch on the centre console and the far-from-seamless driver display – the interior shot suggests the Polestar 5’s cabin will share the same centre-mounted touchscreen as the Polestar 2, but features more dynamic touches like a flat-bottom steering wheel.
Polestar 2
Built on a new bonded-aluminium chassis for added rigidity, the sedan is expected to feature a rear-driving 595 hp(ish) electric motor mated with a 103 kWh battery. Range is speculated to be around the 450 – 550 km mark, CEO Ingenlath having previously stated his dislike to move into a “race for range” with competitors at the expense of refinement.
The brand has also confirmed that both the high-performance Polestar 2 BST edition 270 and a new electric roadster concept will be on display on Goodwood’s Electric Avenue. The former is a newly-announced, dynamic derivative of Polestar’s mid-sized crossover, and is based heavily on the Experimental Polestar 2. Limited to just 270 units across Europe, China and North America – hence the name – the BST showcases a new performance upgrade for the Long range Dual motor trim, ramping power up from 408 hp (300 kW) to 476 hp (350 kW) while increasing maximum torque to 502 lb ft from 487lb ft. Admittedly, while slashing the current 4.5-second 0-100 km/h time, this turn of speed is expected to drop the SUV’s estimated 400 km electric range too.
Read more: Polestar 5 to debut with bonded aluminum chassis
Alongside this, the ride height has been dropped by 25 mm, suspension springs are now 20 per cent stiffer, and specially-developed Öhlins two-way adjustable dampers have been fitted to improve road holding. The BST edition 270 also rides on bespoke 21-inch alloys.
Production of the BST edition 270 is expected to begin this summer with customer deliveries scheduled before the end of the year, though Polestar has not confirmed a starting price.
