The polestar formula 2030 concept is not for sale, but it previews the look of two cars the Swedish brand will build over the next three years. It is a low four-door design study with a clear message: Polestar wants to keep its signature shapes and bring physical controls back into the cabin.
Philipp Römers leads Polestar’s design team. Sources disagree on when he started. Electrek says he joined from Audi in 2024, while the other source says he took over at the start of 2025. He succeeded Maximilian Missoni, and the Formula 2030 is the first show car he has led from start to finish.
Römers says work on the concept began in February, after the company settled its overall strategy, technology roadmap and product plans. Those plans include the next-generation Polestar 2 and the forthcoming Polestar 7. The concept is therefore a preview of decisions already made, not a blank-sheet exercise.
A low four-door with no crossover DNA
The polestar formula 2030 concept measures 4,680 mm (184.3 inches) long and 2,021 mm (79.6 inches) wide. Its wheelbase is 2,780 mm (109.4 inches), and it stands 1,350 mm (53.1 inches) tall. Electrek calculates that it sits about 3 inches longer than the current Polestar 2 and roughly 5 inches lower. Polestar says the car falls between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar 7 in size.
Polestar’s own description is the most useful guide to where the car belongs. The company calls it a compact, practical four-door sports car. Römers’s team has not placed it in a crossover or SUV category. The main article compares its body style to the Volvo P1800 estate and the 2008 Saab 9-X Air Concept.
The silhouette follows a sports car recipe that is common in concept car design. The bonnet is long, the overhangs are short, and the cabin sits well back over muscular rear haunches. Twenty-two-inch center-lock wheels fill the arches, and gold Brembo calipers sit behind them. Electrek notes that the concept sits about 5 inches lower than the current Polestar 2.
If this silhouette feels familiar, Porsche‘s Mission S also blends historic cues with modern minimalism. Porsche Mission S Concept: Historic Cues Meet Minimalism offers a useful comparison.
The front end uses Polestar’s Dual Blade headlights, which now sit inside an aero wing above a sharknose and a deep splitter. Polestar says this front end previews the new Polestar 2. A single upright windscreen wiper, a nod to race cars, sits in the middle of the windscreen. A LiDAR sensor hides under an aerodynamic cowl and rises only when the car drives itself.
The rear breaks with the brand’s past. Polestar dropped its continuous light bar in favour of separate Single Blade lamps, which the company says are being introduced here ahead of series production. Electrek notes that the rear doors are hinged at the back and that the car has no B-pillar, which opens the whole side for access to four seats.
Römers describes the concept as a “bold evolution” of the brand’s design language. He says the car shows how Polestar applies its core values of design, performance and sustainability to future production cars.
A cabin built around the driver
The driver faces a curved 20-inch display, which Polestar calls the HyperDIM. It mounts on the steering column, and the steering wheel is a yoke rather than a conventional round wheel. The centre console carries a 12.2-inch screen on a tunnel that runs through the middle of the car.
The most notable change sits below that screen. Polestar placed eight physical controls for frequently used functions. Owners can swap between rocker switches and rotary knobs and program what each one does. Electrek and InsideEVs both describe this as a clear break from recent Polestar models, which route most functions through the central touchscreen.
Juan Pablo Bernal, Polestar’s head of interior design, explains the logic. He says the brand is rebalancing digital and physical controls because it now wants a stronger focus on the driver. Römers adds that the team wanted to bring the customisable screen features of today’s cars into the physical world.
The cabin of the polestar formula 2030 concept also changes with the drive mode. Polestar offers three modes: Performance, Normal and Autonomous. In Performance mode, the 12.2-inch centre screen lowers into the console, and the steering wheel and its display move closer to the driver. In Autonomous mode, the wheel and seat move apart.
Four individual seats use inflatable cushions and bolsters that adjust around each occupant. The seat backs are made from a flax-based composite rather than virgin plastic. Electrek reports that Google Gemini is built into the system, as it is in current Polestar production cars.
The rear cargo area is the least conventional part of the car. The tail lifts like a clamshell, and the boot floor is transparent. Electrek says custom Polestar bags are strapped beneath it with gold straps, and Man of Many says the Öhlins dampers are visible through the floor.
The front storage area holds two race helmets and a fire extinguisher, according to Electrek. Man of Many describes a Swedish Gold strut brace framing the same space.
Materials of the polestar formula 2030 concept and what is still unknown
The materials story matters as much as the styling. Polestar leaves low-emission galvanised steel exposed on some structural parts, which the company uses to reduce the emissions of its supply chain. Man of Many says the concept’s structure relies on Bcomp natural flax-fibre composites and bio-based polypropylene weaves rather than virgin plastics.
It appears in gloss, matte and satin finishes across the bodywork, and Road & Track says Swedish Gold accents appear on the brake calipers, valve caps and seat belts.
Polestar has not released any powertrain details. There is no battery size, range, power output or price. Polestar has not said whether the concept will drive as an electric sports car.
Powertrain details are still missing, so for a sense of where the brand’s production cars are heading, read Polestar 5’s Scandinavian Minimalism and Performance, which shows the finished design language.
Polestar says that “various design attributes” will reach the next Polestar 2 in 2027 and the Polestar 7 in 2028. Electrek reports that the Polestar 7 will be built in Europe. Electrek adds that the company plans four new models in three years.
Why the design matters for sales
Polestar needs volume.
The US market is closing. Under the federal connected-vehicle rule, Polestar is shut out of the US. Road & Track describes the brand as banned from the US starting in 2027. Europe therefore becomes the priority, which makes the next Polestar 2 and European-built Polestar 7 more important.
Römers calls the polestar formula 2030 concept “the essence of the brand”. Electrek reports a first-half loss of $842 million and a negative gross margin. A stylish concept cannot fix that alone, and Electrek argues that building and selling cars at a profit is the harder problem.
Material on the polestar formula 2030 concept is available at Polestar.com. The car is a design study, and Polestar isn’t saying it will build it. Its Single Blade lights, Dual Blade front and physical controls are the pieces to watch when the 2027 Polestar 2 arrives.
H/T wallpaper.com
Frequently asked questions
Is the Polestar Formula 2030 concept available to buy?
No, the Polestar Formula 2030 concept is not for sale. It previews the look of two cars the Swedish brand will build over the next three years.
How big is the Polestar Formula 2030 concept?
The concept measures 4,680 mm (184.3 inches) long, 2,021 mm (79.6 inches) wide, and 1,350 mm (53.1 inches) tall. Its wheelbase is 2,780 mm (109.4 inches), and Polestar says it falls between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar 7 in size.
Does the Polestar Formula 2030 have physical buttons?
Yes, Polestar placed eight physical controls below the central screen for frequently used functions. Owners can switch between rocker switches and rotary knobs and program what each one does.
What drive modes does the Polestar Formula 2030 cabin offer?
The concept offers three modes: Performance, Normal, and Autonomous. In Performance mode the 12.2-inch centre screen lowers into the console, while in Autonomous mode the steering wheel and seat move apart.
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