Polestar to tune all future models locally

Polestar has announced it will invest in a local chassis tuning program for all future EVs it sells in Australia, including the fast new Polestar 5 four-door coupe.

In an interview with carsales at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Polestar chief engineer Joakim Rydholm said that in the future all Polestar models would feature locally-tuned suspension and steering tailored for our unique road conditions.

When asked if the Geely-owned Volvo sister brand would develop vehicles specifically for Aussie roads, Rydholm replied: “Australia, USA, China – they all have special roads, and we’ll have a special setting for that.”

Despite not specifically tailoring the current Polestar 2 for our roads, last year the emerging EV brand sent a chassis engineer out for the local market launch, who then fed back to senior execs the significant additional challenges our roads pose compared to Europe, China and the US.

Polestar has so far not conducted vehicle development Down Under, but it says it will in the future and Rydholm added he will personally oversee the final development of any local tuning himself to understand what works well on typical Australian country roads.

“I will have to go there myself, spend the time. It helps to at least know what works very well there,” he said.

Local chassis tuning is part of a new strategy by Polestar to deliver class-leading chassis dynamics, with Rydholm claiming that cars like the new Polestar 5 would set a benchmark for both suspension and steering feel – even alongside more established rivals like Porsche.

The investment in local tuning reflects the growing importance of the Australian market for the Polestar brand. The Polestar 2 was the fourth most popular EV in this market in 2022, with sales up 150 per cent year-on-year.

With a raft of upcoming models like the Polestar 3, Polestar 5 and the crucial Polestar 4 mid-size SUV on the way, the expectation is that the fledgling brand will continue its meteoric rise here.

News of Polestar’s local R&D investment comes only months after Hyundai parked its own local tuning program Down Under, where Kia continues to tune all of its new models.

If successful, the Australian Polestar chassis tune could become an integral part of every model’s global development program, mirroring the approach of other car-makers that incorporate local ride and handling testing earlier in vehicle development programs to improve the end product.

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