Munich, IAA 2025. The lights go down. A sleek, storm-grey car glides onto the stage, and the crowd goes wild. That car? The all-new Polestar 5. As an EV enthusiast and someone who’s spent way too long looking at car press releases, I can tell you that most new cars are a little… predictable. But this one? This is different. Polestar, the Swedish brand with a racing heritage, has pulled off something genuinely special. They’ve managed to create a five-seater electric grand tourer that feels both futuristic and incredibly grounded.
I got to spend some time with it after the big reveal, and these five features really stuck with me. They’re not just about specs; they’re about a philosophy. It’s a car where every single design choice has a purpose.
The Thor’s Hammer, Evolved
Polestar has a cool origin story. It started as a racing team and a performance tuner for Volvo, so it’s no surprise that a little bit of that DNA made its way into their new cars. You can see it right away in the headlights. The Polestar 5 has what they call “dual-blade” daytime running lights (DRLs). If you know your Volvos, you’ll immediately see the family resemblance to the “Thor’s Hammer” DRLs. But here, they’ve split that iconic shape into two. It’s a smart, subtle way to say, “We know where we came from, but we’re on our own journey now.” It’s a simple change, but it gives the car a distinctive, almost aggressive, look that feels fresh.
A Charge Indicator You Actually Want to Look At
Let’s be honest, some EV charge indicators are a bit much. You’ve got light bars, big flashy graphics, the whole nine yards. Polestar, in classic Scandinavian fashion, chose to be understated. The Polestar 5’s charge status light is a thin white LED strip cleverly tucked into the black trim line above the rear quarter window.
When the 112 kWh battery is charging, the light pulses, getting faster as it fills up. Once it hits your desired charge level, it settles into a steady, soft glow. It’s elegant, functional, and completely non-intrusive. It’s the kind of small design detail that makes a luxury EV feel, well, luxurious. It’s there when you need it, and practically invisible when you don’t.
Missing Glass? No Problem.
This is the feature that always gets people talking. Like the Polestar 4 before it, the 5 doesn’t have a rear window. At all. A camera mounted high on the back of the car streams a crystal-clear image to a screen inside, giving you a perfect virtual rearview.
You might think, “Okay, a car with no rear window must feel a bit like a cave, right?” You’d be completely wrong. The Polestar 5’s panoramic glass roof is massive—78 inches long and 49 inches wide. It’s the biggest glass roof Polestar has ever used. The result is a cabin that feels incredibly open and airy, especially for back seat passengers. You don’t get a rear view, but you get a fantastic aerial view, and it completely changes the sense of space inside the car.
Style, Meet Sustainability
Step inside and you’ll notice the incredible attention to detail. The interior of the Polestar 5 is a direct evolution of the Precept concept car, with a focus on sustainable, premium materials. Take the front seats, for example. The backs have a beautiful woven pattern. That’s ampliTex, a material made from flax fibers sourced from a Swiss company called Bcomp. It’s an exclusive partnership, and it’s a brilliant example of Polestar’s mission in action.
And it doesn’t stop there. You can get seating in Bridge of Weir leather, a sustainable byproduct of the UK and Ireland’s beef industry. The door cards look exactly like leather, but are an equally convincing, convincing alternative. The floor mats and carpets? They’re made from Econyl, a recycled nylon from old fishing nets and carpets—the same stuff luxury brands like Gucci and Burberry use. The point is, this car shows you don’t have to sacrifice style for a conscience.
Low Profile, High Comfort
The Polestar 5 is a sleek, low-slung grand tourer. You might assume that a car with a large, 112 kWh battery pack in the floor would feel cramped inside. Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller, who is over 6’5”, can tell you that’s not the case. He confirms there’s plenty of space for his lanky frame on long test drives.
This clever packaging also means they didn’t have to compromise on storage. The car has a 2.3 cubic foot “frunk,” which is deep enough for a soft carry-on bag or some groceries. And the trunk in the back offers an additional 13 cubic feet of space. It’s got the sporty looks of a performance car, with the practicality you need for a road trip.
The model shown in these pictures is the top-of-the-line Performance Launch Edition, boasting 884 horsepower. While we’re still waiting on a final US price, it starts at €141,600 in Europe. It’s a serious machine with a serious price tag, but given its combination of design, sustainability, and real-world usability, it’s clear the Polestar 5 is aiming to be a whole lot more than just another electric car.
