The characteristics of a new class of high-field permanent-magnet synchronous motor are analysed and both computational and experimental results indicating the synchronous performance are presented. The computational analysis is achieved by solving the non-linear magnetostatic field of the machine, using the finite-element method of field solution. Two- and three-dimensional field and machine representations are employed to predict and evaluate the synchronous performance of the high-field machine. The extensive use of field solutions to study the machine characteristics is made possible with the aid of a suite of efficient computer programs to generate the large volume of data required, solve a set of simultaneous equations repeatedly and retrieve results in a form suitable for analysis. The reliability and accuracy of the two- and three-dimensional field models are validated experimentally by comparing measured and computed synchronous performance characteristics. Furthermore, the field models are used to investigate the influence of certain design parameters of the motor on the synchronous performance, and some of the results obtained are compared with measurements. From this analysis, conclusions are drawn about the characteristics of this type of motor and the usefulness of the field models. A relatively large permanent-magnet synchronous machine is manufactured to a design based on the new configuration. Its performance is compared to that of a prediction based on the two-dimensional computational model.