Polestar 5 is a new car that does not have a rear window

Polestar 5 is now a real, orderable car — not just a preview

Polestar 5 first turned heads as a pre-production preview with no rear window at the brand's inaugural Polestar Day event in Los Angeles. Since then, the car has gone from a "coming by 2025" promise to an actual, orderable production vehicle — and the details that have emerged since are worth updating on.

As a reminder, Polestar is a standalone Swedish electric-performance brand, separate from Volvo, though both companies are owned by China's Geely Group. At that original Los Angeles event, the Polestar 5 appeared alongside the Polestar 2, 3, and 4, as well as the Polestar 6 concept previewing the brand's future design direction.

It's officially here: the September 2025 reveal

Polestar formally unveiled the production Polestar 5 at IAA Mobility in Munich on September 8, 2025 — years later than the original 2025 target, but with a genuinely finished car rather than a pre-production tease. Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller called it proof that the brand's design and technology vision "is no longer a dream but a reality our customers can buy." The car is now available to order in 24 of Polestar's 28 global markets, with deliveries confirmed to begin in summer 2026.

One important caveat for American readers: North American pricing and availability had not been announced as of the Munich reveal, with Polestar saying only that details would come "at a later date." A Polestar 5 prototype has already been spotted testing on U.S. roads in Delaware, and Canadian pricing is unofficially expected to start around CAD 150,000 when the car arrives there, expected by 2027.

The no-rear-window design made it to production

The car's most talked-about quirk survived the transition from show car to production model: the Polestar 5 genuinely has no rear window. Polestar achieves the coupe-like roofline by moving the rear header structure behind the back-seat passengers' heads, relying on a digital rearview mirror and camera-based "virtual rear window" instead of glass. As originally noted, this shouldn't be a functional problem given how capable modern rearview camera systems are, though it remains the kind of design choice some buyers will need to see in person before deciding they're comfortable with it.

Polestar classifies the 5 as a full-size "F-segment" grand tourer, positioning it directly against the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes EQS/AMG EQS, alongside the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, BMW i7, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S.

Confirmed performance specs

Where the original preview was light on hard numbers, Polestar has now confirmed real specifications. The production Polestar 5 uses a dedicated bonded-aluminum platform with a 103 kWh battery and dual permanent-magnet motors, offered in two power tiers: a standard dual-motor configuration and a Performance variant reported at up to 872-884 horsepower. Polestar quotes a 0-60 mph time of just over three seconds for the Performance model and under four seconds for the standard car. The 5 also introduces Polestar's first 800-volt electrical architecture, enabling DC fast charging up to 350 kW, and features a rear-motor disconnect function that shuts down power to the rear axle to improve efficiency and range when full performance isn't needed.

Inside, the production car carries a 14.5-inch central touchscreen running Android Automotive, an optional 21-speaker, 1,680-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system with active road-noise cancellation, and eight airbags as standard — a notably generous count for the segment.

The StoreDot fast-charging bet actually paid off

The original StoreDot "extremely fast charging" (XFC) partnership wasn't just a promise that fizzled out — it was successfully demonstrated. In April 2024, Polestar and StoreDot charged a fully driveable Polestar 5 verification prototype fitted with a 77 kWh XFC battery pack from 10% to 80% in just 10 minutes, adding roughly 200 miles of range, with a sustained charge rate over 310 kW and a peak above 370 kW. It marked the first time XFC silicon-dominant cell technology had been proven in a real, driveable car rather than a lab-bench cell test. Whether that exact 77 k Wh StoreDot pack becomes a production option, or whether Polestar's standard 103 kWh production battery uses a related but distinct chemistry, hasn't been explicitly detailed — but the underlying charging-speed target the original StoreDot partnership promised is reflected in the production car's fast 800V charging capability.

Pricing and manufacturing

European configurators show a starting price around €118,600 (roughly $139,000), rising to about $166,000 for the Performance-based Launch Edition — before accounting for any import duties in markets outside Europe. As previously reported, production remains based in China, split across Polestar's Chongqing and Wuhan facilities, though the company has separately confirmed longer-term plans to diversify manufacturing, including future production of the smaller Polestar 7 SUV in Slovakia around 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Polestar 5 available to order now?
Yes — Polestar opened orders in 24 of its 28 global markets following the car's official reveal in Munich on September 8, 2025, with deliveries starting summer 2026. U.S. pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Does the production Polestar 5 really have no rear window?
Yes — the production car kept this feature from the original preview, using a digital rearview mirror and camera system instead of a physical rear window to achieve its coupe-like roofline.

How much horsepower does the Polestar 5 have?
The standard dual-motor version and a Performance variant reported at up to 872-884 horsepower, with 0-60 mph in just over three seconds for the Performance model.

How fast does the Polestar 5 charge?
The production car supports up to 350 kW DC fast charging on its new 800-volt platform. A 2024 prototype using StoreDot's experimental XFC battery technology successfully charged from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes.

Where is the Polestar 5 built?
In China, across Polestar's Chongqing and Wuhan manufacturing facilities.

How much does the Polestar 5 cost?
European pricing starts around €118,600 (about $139,000), rising to roughly $166,000 for the Performance Launch Edition; U.S. pricing has not yet been announced.

Watch the reveal

Polestar's own reveal video for the production Polestar 5 is below.