Order books have opened for the flagship 2026 Polestar 5, which will start at $171,100 before on-road costs – the most expensive model from the Swedish electric vehicle (EV) brand yet.
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Developed from the Precept concept car, the Polestar 5 is an aluminium-bodied five-door, 'four-plus-one' seat grand tourer rival to the Porsche Taycan.
Measuring more than five metres long, its design 'inspired by aviation' and including a virtual rear window, like the Polestar 4 SUV introduced here last year.
The Polestar 5 will overtake the top-spec Polestar 3 Long Range dual motor ($154,545 before on-roads) as the most expensive model in the brand's lineup.
It's also the first vehicle to ride on Polestar's brand-new platform, which was developed entirely in-house by the company's UK engineering team and which is also expected to be used on the delayed Polestar 6 roadster.
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Polestar 5 order books have opened in Australia ahead of arrivals expected in the first half of 2026, with the automaker not expecting significant sales given the new model's position as the most exclusive Polestar to date.
The two-model grade lineup starts with the Polestar 5 Dual motor at $171,100 before on-road costs with the Polestar 5 Performance from $193,100 before on-roads.
The 5's Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA) uses high-strength bonded aluminium – which the automaker says comes partly from smelters powered by sustainable energy, with 13 percent recycled – in both the platform itself and 5's body panels.
Both model grades offer an 800V electrical architecture and come with the same 112kWh (106kWh usable) nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery that's a stressed part of the Polestar 5's structure.
The Dual motor has 550kW of power and 812Nm of torque for a claimed 3.9 second 0-100km/h time, with the Performance lowering that to 3.2 seconds courtesy of its higher 650kW/1015Nm outputs – both versions topping 250km/h.
There's up to 670km of WLTP electric range in the Dual motor, with the Performance offering 565km.
Helping achieve those distances is the ability to disconnect the rear motor on both versions, while DC fast charging at speeds of up to 350kW enables an 80 per cent charge in around 22 minutes.
There are also aerodynamic devices helping stretch the Polestar 5's mileage, with an 'aero efficient' light bar including an integrated rear diffuser helping deliver a 0.24 drag coefficient.
Four-piston Brembo brakes from the Polestar 3 electric SUV are fitted as standard, but with two-piece discs saving 12kg of weight.
They sit within standard 20-inch alloys, with three optional 21-inch designs and a 22-inch wheel option offered, all fitted with Michelin tyres.
The front double-wishbone suspension includes passive dampers on the Dual motor version, with the Performance gaining MagneRide adaptive dampers – tech seen on Ferraris and other sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette.
Although 'primarily' made to carry four people, the Polestar 5 includes '4+1' seating designed with the help of Recaro trimmed in standard 'microtech' material with leather in charcoal or zinc colours optional.
Occupants sit under Polestar's largest glass roof yet, at 1.25 metres wide and more than 2.0 metres long.
The cabin includes a 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster mounted to the steering column, as well as a 9.5-inch head-up display.
In the centre of the dash is a 14.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen featuring Google Built-in and Polestar-specific Android Auto compatibility. The touchscreen can be controlled via a console-mounted rotary dial.
There's a standard 10-speaker system or an optional 1680W 21-speaker Bowers & Wilkins setup for an extra $8800.
Driver assistance systems are operated by a combination of 12 cameras – including a driver monitoring camera – 12 ultrasonic sensors and a single radar, while the Polestar 5 comes with eight airbags.
Natural materials are used across the cabin, including on the lining of the 365L rear cargo area and 62L front luggage compartment.
Six colours are available, with all apart from Magnesium attracting an additional charge: $3000 for Space or Storm, $4000 for Snow and $10,000 for either Matte Magnesium or Matte Storm.
Polestar is riding a positive wave after a slow 2024, with a record global sales result in the first half of 2025 and strong local sales, which saw a 23.6 per cent year-on-year increase over the same timeframe led by the Polestar 4.
The Polestar 6 electric roadster is expected to be launched in 2027, after the Volvo EX30-based Polestar 7 SUV due the same year.
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Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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