TRIED AND TESTED
Polestar 5
Polestar 5 is a bold car with a very clear job to do. By Simon Harris.
TRIED AND TESTED
Polestar 5
Polestar 5 is a bold car with a very clear job to do. By Simon Harris.
Nothing in Polestar’s range has looked quite like this before. The 5 is the company’s first true grand tourer: a low-slung, broad, five-door electric GT that moves Polestar into a category it has not previously entered, taking on the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Electric directly. For a brand that made its name with relatively mainstream, design-focused EVs, this marks a major advance in ambition, price and performance.
There are two models. At the entry point sits the Dual Motor, priced from £89,500, with 748hp and 812Nm of torque; it reaches 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and is claimed to travel up to 416 miles on the WLTP cycle from its 112kWh battery. It also isn’t short on equipment.
Above it is the Performance version, starting at £104,900, which lifts output to 884hp and 1,015Nm, reducing the 0-62mph sprint to 3.2 seconds, although range falls to a still-decent 351 miles – however, both underperformed with the enthusiastic driving on our test routes. The duo are built around an 800V system and can accept 350kW DC fast charging, allowing a 10-80% recharge in roughly 22 minutes in ideal conditions – a figure that stands up well in this class.
What really sets the Performance variant apart is its active damping – combined with enormous 22-inch wheels – and this is where the Polestar 5 becomes truly rewarding to drive. With the active suspension working as intended, ride comfort is clearly better than in the standard Dual Motor model on its 21-inch wheels. Probably of more importance in this segment than it first appears, advanced suspension technology is not a bonus feature but the line between a car that is merely quick and one that can cover long distances in real comfort. On the move, it matches established rivals that have had far longer to refine this kind of GT.
For fleets, though, the substantial premium for the Performance variant – as if 748hp and 812Nm were not enough – seems hard to justify, when the Dual Motor is well equipped and is rapid and composed on the road.
The interior is less convincing. Although the cabin is tidy and well put together, it feels somewhat austere for the asking price, lacking the sense of occasion that shoppers familiar with the more detailed, tactile interiors of a Porsche or Audi will probably anticipate. The touchscreen-focused control system will require acclimatisation for newcomers to the brand; Polestar’s menu logic is not always where you would first expect it, so drivers unfamiliar with the setup will need time to adapt.
Even more unexpected is the total lack of a glove compartment – minor in itself, but difficult to overlook in a car costing this much. Polestar claims it was a decision made to maximise cabin space. The front armrest storage compartment is insignificant. Boot space also disappoints for a vehicle of this size; despite the 5’s substantial footprint, practicality does not fully live up to its dimensions.
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VERDICT
The 5 is a true flagship-style statement – evidence that the brand can produce something with genuine presence and serious performance credentials at the sharp end of the EV market, rather than only stylish everyday electric cars. For fleet and company car buyers, that distinction has a particular significance: this is a model likely to attract senior executives who want something distinctive, capable and special, without choosing the obvious Audi or Porsche. In a market where many senior figures are increasingly weary of the standard executive-car choice, the Polestar 5 presents a real alternative, with enough ability and performance to stand on its own merits, quirks in the cabin and all.
