The Polestar 5 Grand Tourer Blends Scandinavian Design With Sustainability

Futuristic electric cars are a dime a dozen these days. No longer featuring exhaust pipes or the ubiquitous front grills that kept conventional combustion engines cool, automotive design can now take on wildly different dimensions. The sky’s the limit but that isn’t always a good thing. Like with any paradigm-shifting technology, early adoption results in outlandish novelties that more than anything reveal the full extent, push the limits of these developments but don’t really address their applicability.

Curbing the tide is Swedish manufacturer Polestar and it’s just released Polestar 5 Grand Tourer (a type of vehicle that matches speed with distance capabilities). The car derives from the Precept concept. Though slightly heftier than previous variations, the car still has a recognizable shape – a sedan typology but this time with a cut-off slope “kamm-style” tail.

From an aesthetic and formal standpoint, It’s undeniable that Volvo was one of the company’s initial backers and that the two still collaborate on R&D and production. One might mistake the Polestar 5 GT for the Volvo S60 but on closer inspection will uncover some significant differences.

The latter is much more cutting edge when it comes to some stylistic flexes. Case in point: the front dual blade headlights. But that’s just some of the bells and whistles. True to Scandinavian design principle, there’s very little superfluous detail.

What really sets the new model apart, however, are its integrated sustainable materials and optimized technologies. “It brings the future to our present,” says CEO Michael Lohscheller. “Our vision for Polestar’s design, technology, and sustainability direction is no longer a dream but a reality our customers can buy. With its pure Scandinavian design inside and out, unique platform, powerful motors, sophisticated chassis, cutting-edge technology, and consciously sustainable materials, the Polestar 5 is a guiding star for the industry.”

Evident in its taut surfaces, streamlined contours, and low nose profile, the car was styled with the efficiency of aviation as inspiration. Its more dramatically undulating shape doesn’t take away interior space – especially in the back seat – like some sports variants do. A Gloss black or Shade cladding along the lower section of the doors concealed with the fact that the car is measurably taller than its predecessors. There’s also a wider-than-average glass roof.

Inside, the low hip-point driver’s seat is re-engineered in partnership with transportation seat producer Recaro. The two rear seats become a three seater when the armrest is raised. Regardless, each spot has its own climate controls. They’re upholstered in Charcoal MicroTech as a standard option or a special Bridge of Weir Nappa leather; an animal welfare secured, chrome free, natural by-product of the food industry.

The backrests are rendered in Polestar proprietary weave developed with flax-based BComp, a bio-based alternative to carbon fiber. Also incorporated are recycled materials like Econyl, derived from fishing nets.

When it comes to integrated technology, there’s the 14.5 inch portrait-center display (also found in Volvos) bolstered by an Android Automotive operating system with Google built-ins. Polestar High Performance Audio system with 10 speakers is available or the Bowers & Wilkins 21-speaker audio system with Tweeter-on-Top technology and 1,680 Watt power output. Another integrated upgrade: the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).