Polestar has previewed the final production version of its new 5 grand tourer in a 'behind the scenes' video that explores how its design will be evolved from the striking Precept concept.
Polestar’s UK R&D centre has become a development hub for the ground-breaking Precept road car, as the firm presses ahead with a production car launch in 2024. Design work is ongoing, and at this early stage, it is clear that the production car will be marked out by a more steeply raked roofline, physical door handles, more subtly integrated side skirts and a gently reworked rear end.
Exterior designer Nahum Escobedo said "there's definitely a lot of things we still need to solve" but emphasised that the design tweaks will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. "From concept to production," he said, "we are very close to that idea."
The 5 was confirmed for production last year after being closely previewed by the Precept, a one-off originally used as a showcase for the ambitions of Volvo’s sibling brand. It featured a number of innovative materials with sustainability as a core theme: flax-based composites cut weight by up to 50% and achieve a reduction in plastic weight of up to 80%.
The Precept’s interior also uses materials such as recycled PET bottles, reclaimed fishing nets and recycled cork vinyl.
Polestar’s UK team are focusing on the development of the Precept, looking into challenging engineering solutions as the Swedish manufacturer looks to upscale and mass-produce the various sustainable materials used in the EV.
The brand will also significantly increase in the number of employees at the UK R&D centre at the MIRA Technology Park. The workforce will double to around 500 personnel in the near future, while the centre will continue to work closely with the headquarters in Sweden.
This isn’t the first time that Polestar has expanded abroad. Along with a factory in Chengdu in China, the brand will build the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV, due in 2022, at Volvo’s US factory in Ridgehill in South Carolina.
“Going electric is a pivotal moment in the history of cars,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “The combination of British engineering talent and Swedish expertise will ensure our cars are among the highest performing and most sustainable on the road.”
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Still looks sleek and beautiful, but it looks like the love child of the Audi A7 and a Tesla Model S.
That rear window I absolutely tiny with the rear roof spoiler mounted extremely low in the direct field of vision of the driver but I'm sure there will be cameras and a host of sensors to aid the driver.
So with this being the Polestar 5, I would assume the upcoming Polestar 3-based SUV will be logically called the Polestar 4, but this article refers to it as simply as the Polestar 3 SUV -- must be the writer's error.
I take it that this vehicle is being built using the platform hardware of the next Volvo 90 Series! The question becomes, if this vehicle comes out first, that would mean those waiting for the next S90, will be waiting at least 3 to 4 years from today. If the S comes out first, with the 5 presumably more expensive, would potential buyers be willing to spend more for essentially the same vehicle?
Good point, but I don't think that it's not that Jaguar can't, but their JLR leadership would rather use that type of resources on their money maker: Ranger Rover! That's why Jaguar will remain sedan based, move up market and use the BEV platform of another OEM or Tier 1 supplier.