It’s been three years since the long-awaited Polestar 5 made its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as a heavily-disguised prototype. In that time, the Polestar range has grown to include the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, and yet, we are still waiting for the sleek Polestar 5 sedan to hit the market.

Thankfully, the electric automaker continues to work on this new model. Roughly seven months after our spy photographers snapped it during testing in Scandinavia, a YouTuber and Carscoops reader filmed a Polestar 5 being tested in Germany.

Read: 2025 Polestar 5 Revealed, Aims To Be The New Electric Benchmark With 872 HP

Visually, this prototype resembles the others we’ve seen, except for the addition of a glistening white rear diffuser, rather than the more subtle black one. According to Sascha Pallenberg, who filmed the car, the Polestar 5 was filmed around the training area of Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany’s most decorated soccer teams.

Some players from the team even reportedly sat shotgun in the prototype for some short test rides, prompting speculation that Polestar may soon become one of the team’s sponsors.

Targeting High-Performance Rivals

Polestar will position the 5 as a rival to the Audi e-tron GT, Porsche Taycan, and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door EV, recently previewed with a dramatic concept. In 2022, Polestar said its flagship sedan could deliver 872 hp and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) through a pair of electric motors. It’s possible that power could be lifted slightly, particularly since the latest RS e-tron GT Performance delivers 912 hp, and the AMG could have upwards of 1,000 hp.

Regardless of the car’s final horsepower and torque figures, it should be an absolute straight-line weapon. Think 0-60 mph (100 km/h) in the low 3-second range, if not even slightly quicker.

Visually, the 5 will remain easily identifiable as a Polestar thanks to its aggressive split headlights and dramatic rear end with a full-width light bar. The interior will also remain similarly minimalist to other Polestar models, meaning the 5 will be mostly free of physical buttons and switches, as the vast majority of its controls will be found within the infotainment display.

Baldauf

As Carscoops recently revealed, 181 recalls were issued in the United States for rear-view camera problems, and it seems as though a new car is impacted by such a problem every other week. Earlier this year, Polestar issued two camera-related recalls of its own and as it turns out, one of the campaigns may not have actually fixed the fault.

According to a recall query opened by the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, Polestar first recalled 2021-2024 Polestar 2 models last year for rear-view cameras that may not engage when reverse is selected. Polestar’s fix was a software update in the infotainment display to free up enough memory for the camera’s image to be displayed.

Read: Brand That Thinks We Don’t Need Rear Windows Is Now Drowning In Reversing Camera Issues

However, the company’s solution wasn’t effective, and in April this year, it issued another recall for the Polestar 2, impacting a total of 27,816 vehicles. In this case, Polestar said a software update would ensure a high-speed signal connection between the Parking Assist Camera and infotainment display would always be maintained, rather than toggling on and off by request.

It seems that this second update wasn’t enough to address the issue. The NHTSA says that on June 21, it started to receive complaints from owners whose vehicles have been updated as part of the latest recall, but continue to experience rear-view camera issues. In July, the ODI spoke with Polestar, who confirmed that the over-the-air software remedy indeed failed to correct the issue.

The 2 isn’t the only Polestar model impacted by rear-view camera troubles. In May, the carmaker announced that the 2025 Polestar 3 is also facing similar issues and doesn’t display the camera image when the SUV is placed in reverse. At the time, the company did not specify if the 3’s fault was caused by the same issues as the 2, but said it would develop an over-the-air update to remedy it.

In one fell swoop, Polestar and Volvo have announced plans for two new models. Both will arrive before the end of the decade and be built at Volvo’s new manufacturing plant in Kosice, Slovakia.

Starting with Polestar, the brand has officially announced plans for an all-new model called the 7. It’s being billed as a premium compact crossover that will be launched in 2028.

More: Lucky Number 7? Polestar Pins Turnaround Hopes On Porsche Macan-Sized SUV

The company isn’t saying much about the model at this point, but confirmed it will use a “technology base from Volvo Cars, benefiting from group component sharing, cell-to-body technology with next-generation battery density and performance, as well as the next generation of in-house developed e-motors.”

Despite the heavy reliance on Volvo, Polestar said there will be a number of “adaptations” to deliver the performance and driving experience the brand is known for.

That’s not a lot to go on, but the company released a teaser image that shows the crossover under a sheet. While there isn’t much to see, the model will have an upright fascia with sizable lighting units. We can also see pronounced fenders and a prominent Polestar logo.

Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller said, “Working with Volvo Cars to develop and manufacture [the] Polestar 7 in Europe is a unique opportunity that will strengthen our position in our home market. Our strategy of utilizing Group architectures as the base for our future model lineup gives us access to the best, latest technologies, in a cost-efficient manner.”

He added the upcoming model will have sporty driving characteristics and a design that is instantly recognizable.

New Volvo Crossover Coming First

For their part, Volvo welcomed the news and confirmed the Polestar 7 will “follow a yet-to-be-announced, next-generation” model from the Swedish luxury brand. This means the mysterious Volvo should arrive before 2028, but the automaker didn’t give a timeline. However, Reuters is reporting “large-scale production” has been pushed back until early 2027.

While the company didn’t say much about their electric crossover, they confirmed the Polestar 7 will share a “common technology base with two forthcoming Volvo models, including the Volvo EX60.” It will be launched next year and ride on the new SPA3 platform, which will eventually underpin all future Volvos.

Volvo EX60

The EX60 is a mid-sized crossover and will be the first vehicle equipped with a multi-adaptive safety belt. It aims to provide better protection by “adapting to traffic variations and the person wearing it, thanks to real-time data from the car’s advanced sensors.” As part of this effort, it will factor in a person’s height, weight, body shape and seating position.

Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said, “Our collaboration with Polestar on the development and manufacturing of the Polestar 7 underscores how Volvo Cars and Polestar continue to leverage synergies to efficiently deliver outstanding cars built for our distinct customer segments.” He added this “builds on the success of our joint efforts on the widely acclaimed Polestar 2 and Polestar 3.”

The Kosice plant is currently under construction and will be Volvo’s third manufacturing facility in Europe. It will cost around $1.4 (£1.0 / €1.2) billion and have an annual production capacity of up to 250,000 vehicles.

Before they even reached customers, a small batch of Polestar 3s had to go back to the shop — again. Nineteen vehicles that were already reworked during production are now being recalled due to an issue introduced during that very process. The problem at hand isn’t a tiny one either.

The panoramic glass roof on these SUVs could detach while driving, which would be an alarming sight for anyone on the road behind them.

Read: Polestar 4 Pricing Is Out And So Is The Rear Window

According to Polestar, the 3s in question needed a paint rework during production. During that process, technicians used masking tape, and the automaker is worried that it wasn’t removed correctly. In cases where some is left behind, the glass and body structure might not adhere properly. Ironic in this case that additional tape might make two things not stick so well.

What to Watch For

That all said, Polestar does provide some insight for owners who might wonder if they own one of the affected cars. Beyond simply searching for their VIN through the NHTSA or their local dealer, owners can look for warning signs. These include water leaking into the cabin, an unsuspected increase in cabin noise, and errors with various electrical systems.

Oh, and there’s one more thing. Polestar points out that it’s possible that the roof could “separate from the vehicle.” Notably, it adds that this is an unlikely possibility and that it would probably include high speeds, a bumpy road, and somewhat dramatic acceleration or deceleration. All and all, it seems like this is a relatively small issue and one that very few owners will have to deal with.

Next Steps for Owners

Those affected can expect Polestar to remove any masking tape around the panoramic roof and replace the roof itself. Polestar 3 owners with a build date after December 3, 2024, don’t have to worry about this, as the manufacturer has mended the issue after that. The automaker will send out owner notification letters no later than August 18.