Polestar is taking advantage of the Goodwood Automobile Festival to run its prototype of the Polestar 5. What could be a serious rival of the Tesla Model S will once again pass under our noses in France, because of a dark resemblance story of logo.
The Polestar 5 looks like a large 4-door sedan, about 5 meters, with GT looks. This novelty from the Swedish brand should be marketed in 2024 in many markets, but not in France. In the meantime, the prototype is taking advantage of the Goodwood Festival of Speed to make its first laps under the eyes of the public.
The model is inspired by the Precept concept that Polestar had unveiled in 2020. The silhouette remains close to the concept, but we discover more on this June 23 on the expected performance.
A sporty engine for this Polestar 5
Polestar says it is developing a new premium electric powertrain. In the Polestar 5, we could then find a motorization displaying a combined power of 884 hp (650 kW), and a torque of 900 Nm. This power is delivered by two motors each located on an axle of the vehicle.
While Volvo, a brand from the same group, restricts all its vehicles to 180 km/h, we find ourselves a little surprised to discover this excess of power on a model developed by Polestar. The brand dedicated to electrified vehicles seems to be enjoying a grain of madness, which Volvo has lost.
We do not yet know the specifications of the battery, which will be associated with this future model, but we know that the car is based on an 800V architecture. A technology that can be found on Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT as well as on more affordable models like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The 800V architecture has the advantage of allowing long-lasting performance and fast recharges, which is particularly interesting for an electric sports car.
Equipped with an aluminum frame, the Polestar 5 seeks to lighten up. This regime will make it possible to achieve certain performances, but also to aim for a range of 600 km.
Polestar’s R&D manager, Jörg Brandscheid, is quite confident about the developments of this new model: ” The new powertrain we are working on will set a brand new benchmark for our high performance cars. The combination of solid electric motor engineering and advances in lightweight platform technology, leads to some truly amazing cars. »
The Tesla Model S Plaid in the line of sight?
By the size and the spirit of performance, one can imagine that the Swedish brand hopes to grab some market share from the American Tesla. The new generation of Model S is slow to appear in Europe, which could help Polestar’s business.
However, in its sportiest version, the Model S plaid is untouchable. It offers an estimated power that exceeds 1,000 hp. The model seems out of reach for Polestar. It may ultimately be with customers of more European models, such as the Porsche Taycan, that the Polestar 5 hopes to find a pool of buyers.
Why the vehicle is still unavailable on the French market
In France, following a legal dispute between Polestar and Citroën / DS, for a logo case that is a little too similar, the Swedish brand cannot market its vehicles. This therefore spares us having to choose the best car between the Polestar 5 and its main competitors… We will be able to observe it, by 2024, on our neighbors, where the similarity of logos does not pose a problem. to the brands concerned.