Polestar turns its attention to crossovers

Swedish electric startup Polestar shifts into high gear next year as it drives toward the sweet spot of the U.S. market.

Having secured a market toehold with its first volume model, the Polestar 2, the Volvo affiliate is now prepping to bring its first crossover.

The Polestar 3 is a Porsche Cayenne-sized model that will go on sale in the U.S. in the first half of next year.

"With this car, we bring the 'sport' back to the SUV, staying true to our performance roots," Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said. "It's also very aerodynamic and very engaging to drive."

Polestar has much riding on the new vehicle, especially in the crossover-heavy U.S.

According to company figures, it expects to sell 24,000 of the midsize crossover globally next year, increasing to 67,000 in 2024 and 77,000 in 2025.

In 2024, Polestar will introduce a compact crossover. The pair of crossovers will be essential to the EV maker's ambitions to grow its global sales tenfold to about 290,000 vehicles by 2025.

Mid-decade, Polestar will deliver a flagship sedan — the Polestar 5 — that will debut an in-house bonded-aluminum platform that will give the four-door GT a torsional rigidity superior to that of a classic two-seat sports car.

"Polestar 5 is a company-defining project," Ingenlath said. "Its progressive design and advanced engineering set the tone for Polestar's future."

Polestar 3: The five-seat midsize crossover coupe will debut globally in October. Unlike the Volvo-inspired Polestar 2 sedan, the Polestar 3 design features a sloping silhouette and headlight and rear light styling that is distinct from other Polestar vehicles.

The 2024 Polestar 3 is built on a new all-electric platform developed by Volvo for its next-generation vehicles, designed with dual motors and an expected EPA range of more than 300 miles. Once the technology is approved, the platform will also offer eyes-off, hands-off autonomous driving capability.

The Polestar 3 will compete with the Cayenne and Audi E-Tron, with production to begin at Volvo's South Carolina factory next year and U.S. sales beginning in the first half.

Polestar 4: The Porsche Macan-sized compact crossover arrives as early as the first half of 2024. It will ride on a new Geely Group-developed platform.

Ingenlath described the Polestar 4 to Autocar as "slightly more ground-hugging and has a bit more of a coupe type of roofline." It begins production in China starting late next year.

Polestar 5: The performance sedan will arrive in late 2024, but it could slip into 2025. A development prototype revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June featured a dual-motor powertrain that delivered a combined 884 hp.

The company said the Polestar 5 will debut a bonded-aluminum platform that delivers a stiffer chassis, enabling tight body control, high rigidity and improved driving dynamics. It will feature the next generation of Android Automotive, which will have advanced eye-tracking and proximity sensors to deliver information. Polestar will produce the model at a Geely-owned, Polestar-run plant in China starting in mid-2024.

Polestar 2: The startup's first mass-market model is a fastback based on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture, which also underpins the Volvo XC40 crossover.

The long-range, dual-motor Polestar 2 delivers up to 476 hp and 260 miles of range. But this year, Polestar added a single-motor version powered by a 78-kilowatt-hour battery that delivers an EPA-estimated 270 miles.

For its 2024 model, the Polestar 2 should receive under-the-hood upgrades, including more power, extended range and fast charging.

Polestar 1: The $150,000 carbon fiber-clad, limited volume coupe is discontinued, after production ended in December.
Roadster: Polestar is toying with the idea of a Porsche 911-type halo model, which could go on sale in the U.S. in 2026. The automaker teased the project in March with a swoopy hardtop convertible concept called the Polestar O2, hinting at the brand's next-generation design aesthetic. Based on the bonded-aluminum platform, the concept sits low and wide and features short front and rear overhangs, a compact 2+2 cabin design and a long wheelbase. Aerodynamics are maximized through disguised design features, such as integrated ducts that improve airflow over the wheels and body sides and rear lights that function as air blades to reduce turbulence behind the car.

Polestar design boss Maximilian Missoni described the O2 as a "meeting point between technology and art, between precision and sculpture."