Polestar 5 vs Porsche Taycan

What's the difference?

The Polestar 5 is utterly gorgeous. It's essentially a concept car come to life.

It perfectly balances sportiness and comfort, like a GT should, though the screen-heavy minimalism might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

If you’re after something faster and with more physical switchgear, there’s the Porsche Taycan, but it’s considerably more expensive.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Porsche says its Taycan models have always been performance-focused and this updated version is even faster than the car it replaces, in a straight line and point-to-point. It’s better equipped, more efficient, and yes, more expensive but every millimetre a Porsche in the way this EV sedan and wagon package has been executed.

It’s an impressive car likely to appeal to Porsche newcomers rather than traditionalists, although you may already have other Porsches in the garage. But with the Macan EV landing any minute and the pure-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman just around the corner it's a key part of the changing face of this iconic German brand.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

There’s no way around it. The exterior of this car is exquisite. It truly is a concept car that has come to life.

The front end is particularly fascinating as the split LED headlight set-up emphasises just how low-slung and wide this grand-tourer is.

Something surprising about the Polestar 5 is while it’s less than 1.5-metres tall, it’s more than five metres long, which makes it longer than a Toyota LandCruiser, for example.

While the tail-light set-up is stunning and angular, the rear section of the Polestar 5 is its most awkward.

Like the Polestar 4 Coupe, this car doesn’t have a rear window and that means there is a big slab of body coloured panel instead. It makes the overall silhouette rather back-heavy, especially when finished in lighter colours.

Inside, the design is virtually identical to a series of other existing Polestar models. It’s intentionally minimal with a major focus put on the large central touchscreen.

While the interior looks and feels premium, like other Polestars, it doesn’t make this flagship offering feel as special.

It doesn’t help that there are large sections of glossy piano black on the steering wheel, centre console and rear-seat armrest section. These are all areas that get used a lot, meaning fingerprints and grime will show quickly.

Porsche has freshened up the Taycan’s front and rear end, the nose losing the vents dropping down from the headlights as previewed by the original Mission E Concept in 2015.

Matrix LED headlights are standard with high-resolution HD available. But there are no major sheet metal changes to the bulk of the car. And why would you fiddle with it? The drag coefficient is an ultra-slippery 0.22.

Around the back the Porsche logo in the rear light strip has been given a cool three-dimensional treatment al la the 911, Panamera and other current Porsches. And if you have eyes for the Turbo or Turbo S the brand’s glamorous ‘Turbonite’ metallic silver colour is now available.

Inside is a screen-rich environment with a three-dial digital version of the brand’s five-dial instrument cluster customisable through roughly 5000 configurations and there’s a new multimedia software interface for the central screens with additional functions. A passenger display is a $2860 option.

The Polestar 5’s front seats are supremely comfortable and almost limitlessly adjustable, meaning they’re perfect for long-distance driving. Even if you do get a sore back, there’s a great massage function.

While the steering wheel is a lovely unit to hold and twirl, the buttons on it just aren’t intuitive, unless you’re shown what they do. They are touch-sensitive pads that are blank and don’t have any iconography on them.

Instead, the button's purpose is shown on the digital instrument cluster when you hover on them. There’s a considerable amount that can be adjusted from the steering wheel, but failing this you’re forced to use the touchscreen as physical switchgear is few and far between.

Sure the prominent, portrait-oriented 14.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system runs Google Built-in and has Google Gemini, but clicking through menus, especially while driving, for key functions isn’t intuitive. I’d love more physical buttons.

In terms of storage up front, there isn’t as much as you’d expect. There are two cupholders, a small centre console slot with a wireless charger, as well as a tiny centre armrest storage slot. There’s no glovebox.

As standard the Polestar 5 comes with a 4+1 seating configuration, meaning that while there is a small centre rear seat, the emphasis is put on the two outer seats. They’re almost like separate bucket seats and offer electric adjustment.

At a leggy 182cm tall, there’s adequate legroom for a car that’s more than five metres long. Headroom isn’t bad either, especially given there’s a panoramic glass sunroof and the fact the car is only 1.5-metres tall.

Many of the second-row controls are on the fold-down centre armrest. They’re touch-sensitive and rather finicky to operate.

Despite this car’s length, there’s only 365 litres of boot space, which is tiny for a car of this size. Thankfully there’s a sizeable underfloor section in lieu of a spare wheel.

At the front there’s a 62-litre storage compartment that’s big enough for charging cables among other odds and ends.

At nearly 5.0m long and 2.0m wide but less than 1.4m tall the Taycan is a low-slung large sedan.

In the front of the Taycan I’ve got plenty of breathing space, lots of headroom and enough shoulder room and you don’t feel cramped relative to the co-pilot.

In terms of storage, there are pockets in the doors with room for bottles, a couple of cup and bottle holders in the centre console as well as a tray under the flying buttress type upper console section.

A lidded box between the seats housing a couple of USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket is handy and there’s a decent-size glove box on the passenger side. 

Interestingly, an in-car video function enables video streaming on the central display (while the vehicle is stationary) and the passenger display at any time with the vision hidden from the driver by a lenticular-style screen.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have ample legroom and space for my feet. Problem is my head hits the roof solidly, even with the extra room afforded by the panoramic glass insert, which is a no-cost option from the Taycan 4S up.

Standard configuration is two rear seat positions, although a ‘4+1’ set up which adds an occasional centre rear position is optionally available. Trust me, that’s tight. 

On the upside you have adjustable ventilation for the rear seat passengers (climate control zones on the Turbo grades) with a small oddments shelf below them, slots in the doors for bottles and two more cup or bottle holders in the fold-down centre armrest.

No map pockets on the front seat backs, so while there’s some room for storage it’s not exactly over supplied in that department, or for breathing space in general.

Boot space is relatively modest at 366 litres in the sedan but the 60/40 split-folding rear seat liberates more space if required. The Cross Turismo wagon offers 405 litres and a much larger load aperture for greater flexibility. An 84L frunk sits in the nose of all Taycans.  

Interesting to note Taycans in other markets boast an extra 41L of boot space. It doesn’t feature here because Porsche Australia has made the high-end Bose sound system standard and its sub-woofer eats into available capacity. 

A power boot lid or tailgate and auto self-levelling to maintain the car’s ride height under load is standard but there’s no spare tyre of any description. A repair/inflator kit is your only option, which is less than ideal.

Cost-of-entry to the Taycan club stretches from close to $174,500, before on-road costs, for the entry-grade, single-motor RWD model to just under $373,600 for the flagship dual-motor AWD Turbo S. That’s an increase of between 2.7 and 6.6 per cent, varying by model.

MSRP - correct at time of publication

The heavy-hitting Taycan Turbo GT is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of this year at $416K, and we’ll no doubt see a sporty GTS variant within the next 12-to-18 months.

That price spread for the new Taycan pitches the Porsche against the likes of Audi’s closely related e-tron GT and RS GT, BMW’s three-tier i5 line-up and the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Highlight spec additions include ambient lighting, soft-close doors and an ‘Intelligent Range Manager’ which uses the nav and onboard systems to optimise energy use.

The ventilation system now features a heat pump which compresses outside air to heat the cabin and wireless charging is included across the board.

Then tip in adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, lane change assist, surround camera view (with ‘Active Parking Support’), rear side airbags and digital radio.

The base model picks up adaptive air suspension, alloy door sill protectors and a bigger, lighter battery.

That’s on top of a laundry list of non-safety or performance related inclusions like auto matrix LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, 14-way electrically adjustable heated front seats (with memory), partial leather trim, privacy glass, 10.9-inch central multimedia display, configurable digital instrument panel, 14-speaker/710W Bose audio (with digital radio), Apple/Android connectivity, an auto tailgate and more. 

While, depending on model, higher grades collect extra standard gear ranging from bigger rims and full leather interior to a panoramic glass roof and ventilated seats. 

Not bad, even in this elevated part of the market.

All Launch Edition versions of the Polestar 5 come with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up.

The entry-level Dual motor has total system outputs of 550kW and 812Nm, which aren’t small numbers. It’s enough to send this car from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

However, stepping up to the Performance boosts the total system outputs to an outlandish 650kW and 1015Nm. The 0-100km/h sprint is claimed to take just 3.2 seconds.

If you’re after raw speed though, the Porsche Taycan is quicker again, but it’s considerably pricier.

The entry-level single-motor RWD Taycan features a new electric motor that’s 10kg lighter and seven per cent more powerful but more notably produces 22 per cent more torque than the unit it replaces.

Both it and the additional motor fitted to the front axle of AWD models are permanent magnet synchronous units with outputs up across the range, the Turbo S producing a stonking 700kW and more than 1100Nm.

That 700kW peak number for the Turbo S comes courtesy of an ‘overboost’ function with Launch Control. And Taycan models equipped with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus have up to an extra 70kW courtesy of a 10sec push-to-pass button.

There’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle and a single-speed on the front of AWD variants.

Every Polestar 5 Launch Edition comes with a sizeable 112kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Thanks to this, the Dual motor is claimed to offer up to 670km of WLTP range, whereas the Performance offers up to 565km. Real-world range will likely be much less, especially if you lean into this car's performance potential.

An 800V electrical architecture allows the Polestar 5 to DC fast charge at rates up to 350kW. A 10-80 per cent charge is claimed to take 22 minutes.

AC charging, however, is capped at 11kW, which is surprisingly low given more an more cars are capable of 22kW. A 0-100 per cent charge is claimed to take 11 hours.

The Taycan runs 800-volt electric architecture which means it can charge at up to 320kW on a DC fast-charger which is 50kW more than its predecessor. In fact, charging at more than 300kW for up to five minutes is possible. 

You’re looking at a 10-80 per cent charge in 18min on a fast charger which is down from 37min. It’s 46min on a more typical 120kW charger.

An 89kWh lithium-ion battery is standard on the entry-grade Taycan. It boasts a nickel, cobalt, manganese cell chemistry which Porsche says delivers high energy content, lower internal resistance and higher charge and discharge currents. And it’s 9.0kg lighter.

All models above it feature the 105kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’, a roughly $12K option on the base car.

Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW and you’re staring down the barrel of nine hours for a 0-100 per cent fill of the smaller battery and 11 hours for the performance battery pack.

Official energy consumption on a combined urban, extra-urban cycle varies from 17.1kWh/100km for the single motor Taycan to 17.8kWh for dual-motor variants.

On the launch drive program, covering mainly rural B-roads on Tasmania’s east coast, we cycled through all models on offer and recorded a best figure of 21.5kWh/100km for the single-motor Taycan up to 22.0kWh for the Turbo S. Not bad.

Claimed range is 566km for the entry-grade Taycan, up to 626km for dual-motor models.

Interestingly, on 4WD models the - front electric motor can electronically decouple more frequently to improve efficiency.

During the Australian media launch of the Polestar 5 we only got to experience the flagship Performance grade. We’ll have to wait for another time to sample the entry-level Dual motor.

In terms of electric-motor power, there’s plenty of it. In fact, there’s probably too much. I only went full throttle once while driving and it was enough to terrify my passenger.

The amount of power on offer is the kind you’d tap into every now and then when you have new passengers onboard.

Unlike many EVs, the acceleration in the Polestar 5 Performance is linear and builds, rather than snapping your neck backwards.

There are three regenerative braking modes to select from, including two that are versions of one-pedal driving. My preference is the standard mode as it feels more natural to use both the accelerator and brake pedals in a GT.

The suspension set-up in the Performance trim is unique as there’s MagneRide adaptive dampers. The Dual motor, on the other hand, has a passive damper set-up.

There are a series of modes to select from and in practice the adaptive dampers help keep this 2.5-tonne beast in check. It’s surprising how comfortable this car can feel with the large 21-inch alloy wheels.

Adding to this, the steering wheel, even its firmest setting, is surprisingly easy to twirl. As a result, this makes the Polestar 5 a great balance of sportiness and comfort, just as a GT should.

While many of this car’s driving attributes defy its weight and heft, its turning circle does not. There’s no rear-axle steering and the fact it’s more than five metres long doesn't do it any favours. Prepare for many three-point turns.

In terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the Polestar 5 is naturally a quiet car given it’s an EV. However, with the Bowers & Wilkins sound system, there’s noise cancelling which makes the car even quieter, especially on the move.

Full disclosure. My preference when it comes to Porsche propulsion is pistons in cylinders; ideally six of them, horizontally opposed. 

But if the Taycan is on your shortlist you’re ready to move past internal combustion and there is no doubt this car is properly quick. 

The entry-level RWD model accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8sec (0.6 faster than the outgoing model) with the Taycan Turbo S at 2.4sec which is hypercar fast.

Porsche admits to having played around with some dual-clutch transmission-type mimicry along the lines of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But the boffins in Zuffenhausen left that to one side due to concerns over compromise to the car’s point-to-point ability. Porsche seemingly can’t entertain anything that makes a car slower.

It did, however, install a push-to-pass function on dual-motor versions which gives you a 10-second burst of extra performance which is fun.

Suspension is by forged alloy double-wishbone front and rear with some extra links at the back.

Adaptive air suspension is standard across the range, and ‘Active Ride’ is fitted to the upper variants which takes things one step further.

And it does ride very nicely. The launch drive covered second-class, coarse-chip B-road type surfaces and the Taycan smooths the road out beautifully.

Standard wheel diameter is 19-inch for the entry-grade, 20s for the 4S and Turbo, then 21s on the Turbo S. The cars on the launch program all featured 21-inch rims shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 or Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and even on those big wheels the car still rides well.

In terms of the steering… hey, it’s a Porsche. It’s fantastic. Accurate and direct without being too jerky or snappy. It does exactly what you want the car to do. The connection with the front tyres feels like it’s almost direct.

This car may be lighter than its predecessor but all models are over 2.0 tonnes so you’d expect it to be heavy and slow. It’s not. Point and accelerate through corners with supreme confidence. It’s beautifully balanced. What you’d expect from a Porsche performance car.

Physical braking is by big ventilated discs all around with six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed-calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. Suffice it to say they wash off speed effectively. 

Believe it or not the Turbo S’s front brake calipers contain no less than 10 pistons, clamping ceramic composite rotors. We gave all Taycan variants a solid workout on the Baskerville Raceway just north of Hobart and stopping power felt as strong and effective at the end of the session as it did at the start.

There’s also improved recuperation capacity for the regenerative braking system, up 30 per cent from 290 to 400kW.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, beware the 11.7m turning circle. What might appear to be a three-point turn situation often turns into a five-pointer.

And entry to cars fitted with Active Ride is made easier (when activated). As soon as a door is opened, the body raises by 55mm. May seem OTT but it makes life with the Taycan that bit better.

Although Porsche and ANCAP do not intersect at this stage the Taycan ticks just about every active (crash avoidance) safety box in the book.

The highlights are AEB (including pedestrian detection), 'Intersection Assist', 'Lane Keeping Assist' and adaptive cruise control (with ‘Swerve & Turn Assist’). There’s also a high-def reversing camera, a surround view set-up, lane-change assist and a head-up display.

If a crash is unavoidable there are 10 airbags onboard (dual front and front side, driver and front passenger knee, rear side and full-length curtains) as well as an active bonnet to minimise injuries in a pedestrian impact and multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial crash.

There are two top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

The Polestar 5 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,00km. This is fairly standard for premium brands.

Every Polestar 5 comes with five years of roadside assistance and logbook servicing is required every 24 months or 30,000km.

At this stage Polestar hasn’t announced service pricing for the Polestar 5.

Porsche covers the Taycan with a three-year, unlimited km warranty which is off the pace for the premium segment where five years, unlimited km is the norm. The high-voltage drive battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. The paint is covered for three years and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty is included.

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Thanks to fewer moving parts, servicing intervals for the Taycan are relatively lengthy at two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. 

With Porsche, final costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable service labour rates by state/territory).