At present, low-speed high-torque permanent magnet motors are widely used in the sampling industry, manufacturing industry and energy industry. However, the research on low-speed high-torque permanent magnet motors is far from enough. The primary difficulty in the initial design of low-speed high-torque permanent magnet motors is the selection of pole–slot ratio. The pole–slot ratio has a great influence on the electromagnetic performance such as torque ripple and the maximum output torque of low-speed motors. Choosing the appropriate pole–slot ratio scheme can make the design of a low-speed motor more efficient. In addition, the optimization design of the motor is also a necessary process. At present, there are many studies on optimization algorithms. However, the research on sample point sampling and surrogate model fitting is not enough. Choosing the appropriate sample point sampling method and surrogate model fitting method can help one obtain a more accurate surrogate model, which lays a foundation for the optimization of the motor. Based on the above analysis, this paper first selects four representative pole–slot ratio schemes for comprehensive comparison of their electromagnetic performances. Secondly, two sample point sampling methods and three surrogate model fitting methods are combined to obtain six surrogate models, and the accuracy of the six surrogate models is compared and analyzed. Finally, a 37kW,160rpm prototype is made, and the comparison of the surrogate model optimization prediction results, the finite element simulation calculation results and the measured results is carried out to further prove the accuracy of the selected surrogate model. The work performed in this paper provides a certain reference value for the initial design and optimization experiment design of low-speed high-torque permanent magnet motor.