Like many other EV makers, Polestar has largely followed Tesla down the minimalist route, filling its cabins with screens, clean surfaces, and very few physical controls in models such as the Polestar 4 and 5. That approach is now set to change.

The company has confirmed it will begin reintroducing more physical switches inside its cars, a move that will likely be welcomed by drivers who prefer not to hunt through menus to adjust basic functions.

Review: We Drove The Polestar 4 And It Wants To Change Your Mind On EVs

Take the Polestar 4 as it stands today. Physical controls are limited to the steering wheel, the seat adjustments, the stalks, plus a Play and Pause button and a volume dial on the center console. Beyond that, nearly everything lives inside the touchscreen.

To its credit, Polestar never removed every physical button. Still, the cabins can feel pared back to the point of austerity. Speaking to InsideEVs while previewing upcoming models, Polestar head of design Philipp Römers confirmed that more buttons are on the way, though he stopped short of detailing which functions will regain dedicated controls.

More Color And Customization On The Way

Römers added that Polestar plans to add more interior color options, noting that its customers are on average roughly 10 years younger than those of Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. Improvements will also be made to the Android Automotive-based infotainment system, and it will soon offer more scope for personalization.

Unfortunately, we won’t see new Polestar interiors for quite some time. For example, the updated Polestar 4 ‘wagon,’ complete with a rear window, will likely retain the same cabin as the existing model. Similarly, the Polestar 5 grand tourer will get a familiar minimalist cabin.

The first real glimpse of a revised interior could come with the second-generation Polestar 2, recently teased ahead of its launch next year. After that, the new Polestar 7, due in 2027 and positioned above the current Polestar 3 SUV, should follow suit.

Polestar’s designers and engineers may be working overtime to prepare four new EV launches by 2028, but management is already looking beyond the rollout. High-performance variants are on the agenda, suggesting that expansion will not come at the expense of speed.

Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO, spoke about the future during a media gathering at the Gothenburg headquarters in Sweden. As reported by Auto Express, he said:

“In terms of how we will continue to deliver performance with our future models, I think we’re going to deliver a more consistent way in terms of performance cars, in terms of the specifications. We want to focus a bit more on performance, because that is where we can do even better going forward, on track, on acceleration, but also in terms of being superior to others.”

More: One-Off Polestar Arctic Circle Edition Models Are Rally-Inspired EVs Ready For Action

Just a few months ago, Polestar was forced to shut down its last UK-based R&D facility as it took a $900 million loan from parent company Geely to survive heavy losses. Despite the closure of the engineering center responsible for the development of the Polestar 5, Lohscheller believes that the brand still has the expertise to take on BMW M, Mercedes-AMG, and Audi RS.

Central to this strategy is the expansion of the “BST” (short for “Beast”) moniker, which will evolve from a limited-production experiment with the Polestar 2 BST Editions into a high-performance sub-brand. Note that Polestar itself used to be the performance sub-brand of Volvo.

More: New Polestar 5 Doesn’t Need A Rear Window To Put Porsche On Notice

While the CEO didn’t get into details, candidates for future BST variants are the next-gen Polestar 2 sedan, the recently updated Polestar 3 SUV, and the Polestar 4 coupe crossover, which will soon gain an estate bodystyle.

As for the Polestar 5 grand tourer, it already packs 872 hp (650 kW / 884 PS) in Performance guise, meaning that an even hotter version could challenge the likes of the Audi RS e-Tron GT, Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.

Back in 2024, the company revealed the track-focused Polestar Concept BST that was based on the 6 roadster. However, the rollout of this model has been pushed back, with focus being shifted to more profitable models in mainstream segments.

Polestar

Polestar may be wrestling with the sort of losses that keep finance teams awake at night, but it is not backing off. The Geely-owned brand has four new EVs lined up before 2028, each aimed at the market’s sweet spots. On the way are the 5 grand tourer, a more practical wagon take on the 4, a fully reworked 2 sedan, and an all-new 7 compact SUV. Busy times ahead.

The “Wagon” Polestar 4

Polestar’s current best seller is the 4, though its coupe-style roofline has always leaned more toward drama than practicality. That changes in the fourth quarter of 2026, when a new variant arrives with roof rails and a redesigned tail, complete with an actual rear window. Revolutionary, we know.

The aim is to attract a “wider customer base”, which is executive-speak for people who enjoy seeing out the back.

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

CEO Michael Lohscheller says the updated 4 “combines the space of an estate and the versatility of an SUV with the dynamic performance that is Polestar”. In plain terms, it keeps the same underpinnings as today’s car but swaps in a reshaped silhouette and a roomier cabin. Same bones, more boots-and-dogs potential.

The Next-Gen Polestar 2

Next up is a full new generation of the Polestar 2, due in early 2027. The current Tesla Model 3 rival has been around since 2019 and received a mid-lifecycle update in 2023, so a deeper rethink feels timely.

More: 2026 Polestar 2 Looks The Same But Hides Major Interior Upgrade

An official, albeit blurry, teaser suggests the 2 will trade its slightly crossover-ish stance for something lower and sleeker, complete with split LED headlights and a pared-back bumper design. Less high-riding fastback, more grounded sports saloon. Or at least that seems to be the direction of travel.

Europe-Built Compact SUV

Then there is the Polestar 7, landing in 2028 as a contender in Europe’s largest EV segment. And yes, Polestar’s naming scheme remains mildly baffling. It will be built in Slovakia and share its hardware with Volvo models. Lohscheller describes it as a “progressive performance-driven car” offered at “a very attractive price point”.

The Grand Tourer Is Here

At the top of the tree sits the Polestar 5 grand tourer, which only reinforces the point about that confusing nomenclature. Revealed in production form at the 2025 Munich Motor Show, it is scheduled to begin European deliveries in summer 2026. This is the halo car, the statement piece.

It rides on a lightweight bonded aluminum platform and, in Performance guise, packs a dual-motor setup producing up to 872 hp (650 kW / 884 PS). That is comfortably in the realm of serious performance, and proof that Polestar still wants to talk about speed as much as sustainability.

Optimism Despite Heavy Losses

All of this comes against a complicated financial backdrop. Last year, Polestar posted its best-ever retail sales, shifting 60,119 vehicles, up 34 percent, while also wrestling with deepening losses.

Even so, the mood at the top remains upbeat. Despite what Lohscheller calls a “challenging geopolitical and economic environment”, he remains optimistic about the future: “We are targeting the heart of the EV market, where customer demand and profit pools are high.” Confident words. Now comes the hard part.

Polestar