New Polestar 7: UK arrival confirmed for mid-size but upmarket SUV

It’s official: the all-new Polestar 7 – a “premium compact SUV” that’s expected to take on the Tesla Model Y and forthcoming BMW iX3 – will be launched in 2028 and is going to be built in Slovakia, which will make it the brand's first car constructed in Europe.

Assembly of the Polestar 7 will take place in Volvo’s new plant, which is currently under construction in Kosice, and will be based on its next-generation electric-car platform and technology. That includes new e-motors developed in-house and ‘cell-to-body’ construction where the battery pack forms part of the car’s structure. 

We suspect the Polestar 7 will use the new SPA3 scalable architecture that will underpin the Volvo EX60 being revealed early next year, although this hasn’t been confirmed. One benefit of this platform is to bring down the cost and complexity of production, because key components will be shared among all the cars based on it.

However, Polestar is keen to emphasise that it will be making changes to whatever platform the 7 uses, in order to “create the driving experience and performance characteristics that Polestar is known for.”

Polestar 7 design and desire for more mass-market appeal

The Polestar 7 was initially thought to be a replacement for the brand’s current entry point, the Polestar 2, but CEO Michael Lohscheller confirmed to Auto Express this isn’t the case. “At some stage we will announce a successor [for Polestar 2]. There will be a like-for-like-ish replacement,” he told us, suggesting that the car will continue to target big sellers such as the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4.

Instead, the Polestar 7 is therefore expected to dive head-first into the hugely competitive C and D-segment electric SUV market, which is currently dominated by models such as the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron. 

However, while the Polestar 7 will undoubtedly have its sights set on those rivals, Lohscheller explained that the car will sit “between the [Volvo] EX30 and EX40; this is where the heart of the market is”, suggesting that a smaller crossover is in the works. An official teaser image for the car has been released, and doesn’t reveal much except the headlight design, but our exclusive images show you what the new car could look like.

“Actually, very few real premium companies are there; there are obviously lots of mass-market [manufacturers], but we feel this is perfect – this is a big-profit pool, this is a big-volume pool,” Lohscheller added. “I want more volume, more profit, so this product is perfect.”

The boss suggested the 7 will bring fresh customers to Polestar, by making the marque more accessible. “The 7 has a really important role for us in terms of the size, but also as an entry into the brand,” Lohscheller said. “The [existing models] are exciting, but the starting price is also relatively high. I want to broaden that, and I think that’s where 7 could play a good role.”

Avarvarii

His comments about the 7 being a “premium compact SUV” that sits between the EX30 and EX40 would suggest a starting price of around £40,000. Indeed, it would need to undercut the Polestar 2, which currently starts from £44,950 in base Standard Range Single Motor guise, and the Model Y, which has a similar starting price.

The Polestar 7 will go on sale before the forthcoming Polestar 6 electric sports car, which makes sense, Lohscheller explained, because the 6 will sell in really small volumes. “While everybody loves it,” he said, “I also need to make money, right?”Philipp Römers, the firm’s head of design, said earlier this year: “Polestar is known for its progressive design, with each car standing out and creating its own buzz – so too will Polestar 7. It is incredibly exciting to bring Polestar’s design ethos to a new segment; 7 will be everything our customers expect from us, both in terms of design and performance.”

Building on this, Lohscheller told us he wants Römers and his team to “highlight the performance element even more, because that’s where the Polestar brand is coming from. I want to also show it in a bit more confident way; I think [Polestar] sometimes is a bit too modest, and a bit too humble”.

As such, we expect a tall but relatively streamlined shape, with coupé-like elements to the rear, disguising a practical five-door body. The boss did also warn us to “not expect a radical change” and that the Polestar 7 would be a “continuation” of the company’s current line-up”,  suggesting a family design lineage will be evident, despite the car’s cutting-edge underpinnings. A practicality-boosting closed-off rear window, like the one found on the Polestar 4, is also a possibility.

Future of Polestar

Elsewhere, Lohscheller said he expects 2025 to be the “strongest year in Polestar’s history”, despite a resolute commitment to remaining an electric vehicle-only marque. “We have three outstanding cars on the road and a growing, passionate customer base,” he said.

“We are building on the strong Polestar brand with design and performance at its core. But significant changes are needed to make this well respected progressive brand a successful and viable business.

“We are speeding up our retail expansion and commercial transformation, whilst adjusting our future model line-up and significantly reducing our cost base.”

The business is said to be targeting 30 to 35 per cent growth in annual retail sales volume by 2027, and a “positive-adjusted EBITDA” (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) in 2025.

The Polestar 2, 3 and 4 are on sale, and the 5 flagship saloon will arrive this year. It will be based on Polestar’s “in-house developed bonded-aluminium platform” and will be the company’s first model to use an 800-volt electrical architecture.

Lohscheller said the car, which has been part-developed in the UK, will be the highest-priced Polestar ever, with “nearly 900bhp”. It will comfortably surpass £100,000 in its fastest and most lavish specs, according to the company’s CEO.

The company will also look to challenge Tesla with its Polestar Energy home energy solution. It says it makes home charging “smarter, more efficient, and cheaper”, and can cut home top-up costs by up to 30 per cent via the Polestar Energy app. It’ll launch soon, collaborating with Octopus Energy in the UK.

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