Overview
Polestar’s eye-catching Precept concept car has been given the green light for production, and it’ll be called the Polestar 5 when it launches sometime in 2024. This futuristic four-door hatchback will challenge the Porsche Taycan, the Tesla Model S, the Lucid Air, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS. Polestar has confirmed essentially nothing about the 5, so we can only guess that it will offer dual electric motors, a large battery pack with a competitive driving range (think 400 miles, minimum), and eco-friendly interior materials. The company has said that it plans to build an entire manufacturing facility in China devoted to building the 2023 Polestar 5 and intends the new plant to be carbon neutral.
What’s New for 2024?
Based on the stunning Precept concept, the 5 will be an all-new model for the fledgling Polestar brand when it eventually reaches the market. Polestar hasn’t given a lot of details on timing, but the company has said that the 5 is set to be launched in 2024.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
There’s been no mention of price yet, but electric powertrains and luxury interiors don’t come cheap. Combine the two and you’re looking at a starting price at or near the six-figure mark. When we learn more about the 5’s price, features, and options, we’ll update this story with those details.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Like the smaller Polestar 2 sedan, we expect the 5 to offer standard all-wheel drive by utilizing two electric motors—one mounted in the front and one in the rear. The Polestar 2’s setup generates a combined 402-hp and rocketed that car to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds at our test track. The 5 will likely come with an even higher horsepower figure and should be slightly quicker than the 2 in order to put more pressure on performance-oriented models of the Taycan and Model S.
Polestar
Range, Charging, and Battery Life
In order to compete with tomorrow’s EV luxury sedans, the 5 will need to offer at least 400 miles of driving range per charge. Both the Model S and the Air currently have models that exceed that mark, so Polestar would be wise to shoot for that bogey. All of the latest charging methods will likely be offered, including Level 2 home charging and DC fast charging for public stations.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
We hope Polestar retains the interior of the concept car as the 5 makes its way to production. It looks gorgeous and is constructed from sustainable materials such as flax, recycled cork, recycled plastic bottles, and reclaimed fishing nets. Two rows of captain’s chairs mean there’s room for four, although a rear bench seat may also be available in the production car. Like many electric cars, the 5 should offer two trunks for storage—one in the rear like a normal sedan and a second, smaller one upfront.
Infotainment and Connectivity
From what we’ve seen of the concept car, a massive 15.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is mounted vertically in the center of the dashboard and runs the latest version of Polestar’s Android-derived software interface. A secondary 12.5-inch screen serves as a reconfigurable gauge display, and two smaller monitors on the door panels project views in lieu of traditional exterior mirrors. How much of this will make it to production is unknown, but the exterior camera system seems unlikely.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Precept concept car wears a roof-mounted array of sensors that suggest the 2024 Polestar 5 could have some next-generation driver-assistance features, including even an autonomous driving mode. For more information about the Polestar’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features are likely to include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous driving mode
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Polestar’s standard warranty coverage could change between now and 2023, but as of publication, the company offers a fairly basic warranty package that matches key rival Tesla. Despite the company being a spin-off division of Volvo, Polestar does not offer any complimentary scheduled maintenance as the Swedish automaker does.
- Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- Electrical components are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
As more information becomes available, we’ll update this story with more details about:
- Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
Source: www.caranddriver.com