Based on the Swedish CV90120-T light tank, the PL-01 concept tank was jointly developed by Obrum of Poland and BAE Systems of the United Kingdom in 2013. The engine compartment is located at the front of the hull, and the unmanned turret has options to mount 105mm or 120mm weapons to fire classic ammunition or anti-tank guided missiles. The PL-01 was designed with lots of angles to reduce its radar signature and mounts temperature-controlled cooled wafers on the hull and turret to increase its stealth technology camouflage, allowing the PL-01 to match the infrared signature of its environment to confuse the tracking systems of IR weapons.

The new Polish tank has modular armor protection with multilayer ceramic-aramid armor. Damaged add-on armor modules can be easily replaced in field conditions, and future upgrades can be readily integrated. The crew (commander and gunner) sit in the hull of the vehicle, and the rear part of the hull can be used to carry four infantrymen. A door is at the rear side of the hull, the upper part of which opens to the front while the lower part folds down to form a step. A high level of protection for the crew is achieved by a safety capsule embedded inside the vehicle, relying at the same time on highly effective active and passive protection systems such as the multilayer ceramic-aramid armor, additional spall liners for crew protection, automatic fire suppression and NBC protection system. The hull has a high level of protection against landmines and improvised explosive devices, designed to withstand explosions equivalent to 10 kg of TNT anywhere under the hull. The frontal armor with add-on armor modules provides protection against 30 - 40 mm armor-piercing rounds, and all-around protection against 14.5 mm armor-piercing rounds.