2026 Polestar 5

Polestar considers its new 5 a flagship model. It features all the technology and design elements that distinguish the marque and places a strong emphasis on sustainability in the materials used — from the bare metal frame to the seat fabrics. It’s a 4-door car, described by Polestar as a grand tourer.

The Polestar 5 is completely new, built on a dedicated platform of bonded aluminum.

We expect the 2026 Polestar 5 to start at around $100,000.

The Polestar 5 has some strong competition. Cars like the Porsche Taycan, Audi S e-tron GT, and Mercedes-AMG EQS are likely to begin at higher prices, while the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S will no doubt start below. Before buying a new Polestar 5 all-electric luxury sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know how much you should be paying.

At its entry level, the Polestar 5’s two electric motors (developed in-house) create a massive total of 748 horsepower and 599 lb-ft of torque. That’s the entry level. The Polestar 5 Performance makes 884 hp and 749 lb-ft of torque. The former can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in only 3.8 seconds. The latter does the dash in 3.1 seconds. These times are in the same area as rivals with similarly prodigious amounts of power.

The company claims a high torsional rigidity, which helps with safety and can give the suspension engineers a great foundation on which to work their magic. The Performance variant also comes with an adaptive suspension for greater sophistication.

Range and Charging

There’s no official maximum range figure yet, but since Polestar calls this EV a grand tourer, it had better be good. The best range of any Polestar at the time of compiling this review is 350 miles, achieved by the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor model. We’re thinking maybe 325 miles for the 5. Not as good as the 400-plus figures of the Lucid Air (480) or the Tesla Model S (402), but slightly better than the Audi S e-tron GT’s 300 miles.

Polestar says the DC charging rate can reach 350 kilowatts (kW) and that the Polestar 5 can go from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes using a fast charger, which puts it about level with most rivals.

From an interior design standpoint, there seems to be a Tesla-like sparseness to the Polestar 5, that we’ve noticed other manufacturers moving away from recently. That said, there are upsides.

For example, cut-outs in the floor-mounted battery allow plenty of foot space for rear passengers, and the 5 has the largest panoramic glass roof of any Polestar (six feet by four). Recycled materials (including old fishing nets) are used for things like carpeting. In place of the standard fabric, Bridge of Weir leather (no chrome used in the tanning process) is optional. There’s a lockable compartment in the low center console between the front seats. And like the Polestar 4, this model also has a “virtual” rear window with a digital rearview mirror providing visual information on the surroundings.

With reclining rear outboard seats, the Polestar 5 is only really meant to accommodate four occupants, although the rear center armrest can flip up to take a fifth person if necessary. Behind those seats is a luggage area of 12.9 cubic feet, about the same size as the trunk of a Toyota Corolla midsize sedan. Under the hood is an extra 2.2 cubic feet of stowage area.

As an effective electric vehicle (EV) should be, the Polestar 5 is aerodynamic and relatively light. A drag coefficient of 0.24 may not mean much to the average person in the street, but trust us, it’s good. It’s achieved partly by employing retractable door handles and an integrated rear diffuser.

To keep weight in check, the Polestar 5’s body is made of aluminum panels built on an aluminum frame. One little detail we like is the charging indicator in the rear pillar.

We can’t help but be reminded of Tesla, with a touch of Kia around the tail. The Polestar 5 is the production reality of an earlier Precept design study that debuted in 2020. Things have moved on since then.

Infotainment system
Like systems across the Polestar portfolio, this one has Google Built-In, which is becoming something of an industry standard. We’ve found it easy to use, and it understands voice commands well. The central display is a 14.5-inch touchscreen set vertically.

Brembo front brakes
Among the braking fraternity (assuming there is one), Brembo is likely to be the thoroughly respected elder statesman. Wisely, Polestar fits this company’s excellent stoppers to the front end of every 5.

Active Road Noise Cancellation
The Polestar 5’s luxury credentials are underlined by its quiet cabin, which this standard technology makes all the more serene.

Bowers & Wilkins audio
The Polestar 5 offers this 21-speaker/1,680-watt system as an option, and we recommend at least giving it a listen, concentrating on the rich bass, clear mids, and crystalline highs. As you’ve probably guessed, we like B&W stuff a lot.

Head-up display
A 9.5-inch head-up display is available in the Polestar 5. We know this ability to project vital information onto the windshield within the driver’s line of sight is not fresh tech, but we miss it when it’s not there.

Recaro front seats
Like Brembo, Recaro is another highly regarded third-party supplier. This company specializes in making seats for sports cars. The ones in the Polestar 5 result from a collaboration between the two companies.

The battery in the Polestar 5 has an overall capacity of 112 kilowatt-hours (kWh), with a usable capacity of 106 kWh. That’s on the generous side for most electric vehicles at this time. An 800-volt architecture is also employed — a first for Polestar, although several rivals are already at this level.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Polestar’s basic warranty lasts four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This is typical for the luxury sector. The battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. Four years or 50,000 miles of roadside assistance is also included, along with complimentary scheduled maintenance for three years or 30,000 miles.

Safety

Standard assistance features in the Polestar 5 include 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and one mid-range radar.