Polestar 4 review

Up ahead

How much does a Polestar 4 cost?
How does the Polestar 4 look?
What is the Polestar 4 like inside?
What about the Polestar 4's performance and range?
Is the Polestar 4 good to drive?
What safety features does the Polestar 4 have?
Should I buy a Polestar 4?

Polestar calls its new mid-size electric SUV an "SUV Coupé" due to the eliminated rear windscreen allowing a coupe-like rear sloping roof line. Polestar says the new vehicle has the aerodynamics of a coupé and the interior space of an SUV.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said: “Polestar 4’s innovative interpretation of an SUV coupé offers great interior space and a stunning appearance.”

How much does a Polestar 4 cost?

The Polestar 4 starts at $78,500 for the rear-wheel drive, Long Range Single Motor, up to $88,350 for the all-wheel drive, Long Range Dual Motor, putting it in between the Polestar 2 and 3.

There is a choice of an additional Pro Pack for $2,500 which adds Swedish gold interior and exterior accents with 21-inch Pro wheels.

The Plus Pack is $8,000 and adds Harman Kardon premium sound, Pixel LED headlights, three-zone climate control, heated and electrically reclining rear seats, 22kW AC charging (up from 11kW AC), select interior, exterior, comfort and charging upgrades.

On the Dual Motor version of the Polestar 4 you can opt for an additional Performance Pack for $7,200 adding large Brembo Brakes in Swedish Gold, 22-inch wheels sporting Pirelli P Zero rubber and a uniquely-tuned chassis with electronically adjustable Active ZF dampers.

How does the Polestar 4 look?

Sophisticated Swedish design is a key part of Polestar's brand offering and the Polestar 4 takes this to hear with its innovative interpretation of an SUV coupé.

Aerodynamic efficiency was a key focus of the design, both to ensure a distinctive look but also to optimise the range of the electric drivetrain.

This is evidenced in the lowered nose of the vehicle, the fitting of retractable flush door handles, flush frameless window glass, rear aero blades and design tweaks to optimise air-flow around the rear light bar.

Other exterior design highlights include Polestar’s signature 'blade' daytime running lights that offer a clear visual separation over stablemates the Polestar 2 and 3.

There's also the central Polestar emblem complete with silhouette lighting, frameless exterior mirrors, LED headlights with active high beam and eye-catching 20-inch aero wheels, with the option of 21- or 22-inch wheels available.

Undoubtedly the most unusual and controversial aspect of the Polestar 4's styling is the complete absence of a rear windscreen. In place of the windscreen is a solid body-coloured panel that leads down to a full-width light bar.

To resolve the obvious reduction in visibility, Polestar’s designers have utilised a high-definition camera with high-definition screen integrated into the interior rear-view mirror.

What is the Polestar 4 like inside?

Having a screen for the rear-view mirror does take some getting used to.

The process of diverting your eyes from the road and having to refocus on the screen image is not as intuitive as using a traditional mirror.

However, you do gradually become accustomed to it.

The rear-view screen can also be switched from a camera view to a mirror for the purpose of checking on rear seat passengers, if desired.

Beyond this, the interior of the Polestar 4 is notable for its spaciousness and comfort. Because of the rear windscreen deletion, the rear seat was able to be lowered and moved back, giving ample leg room for even the tallest of passengers.

The author was able to comfortably fit in the back after adjusting the driver’s seat to suit his 188cm height, with at least 7-10cm to spare to the back of the driver’s seat.

A full-length glass panoramic roof is overhead but there's still plenty of headroom, even for an above-average height passenger, and even with the electrically adjustable seat back in its most upright position.

Aside from design, one of Polestar's other key brand pillars is its focus on sustainability, and the Polestar 4 is no exception. The interior fabrics feature a material called 'soft tech' which draws inspiration from the fashion and sportswear industries and is made from recycled PET plastic. This and other sustainability initiatives contribute to the Polestar 4 having the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar models.

The Polestar 4 dashboard features an Android-based 15.4-inch touchscreen with Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play built in. But Apple need not panic, as Apple CarPlay is also included.

As with its Polestar 2 and 3 stablemates, the Polestar 4 comes standard with OTA (Over The Air) update capability meaning owners can expect regular software updates, improvements and even new features to be automatically added when available.

The overall design theme is minimalist but still retains stalks for indicators and wipers, plus a volume dial in the centre console with play/pause functionality that allows access from the driver and passenger.

Standard are eight-way electrically adjustable driver seat and a six-way electrically adjustable passenger seat.

Additional packs add 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with manual leg cushion extension and easy ingress/egress function (with Plus Pack). Front seats with massage function, ventilation, and 4 additional Harman Kardon headrest speakers come with the Nappa upgrade. 

Cargo space is good with 526-litre cargo capacity with seats up, including under floor and 1,536-litre cargo capacity with seats folded, including under floor.

What about the Polestar 4's performance and range?

The Single Motor Polestar 4 boasts outputs of 200kW/343Nm and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.1 seconds.

That's decently quick, but nowhere near as rapid as the Dual Motor variant which ups the ante to 400kW/686Nm and shaves the 0-100 time to a heart-stopping 3.8 seconds.

That's enough to allow the Polestar 4 Dual Mmotor to lay claim to being the fastest production Polestar built to date.

Both variants feature the same 100kWh NMC lithium-ion battery utilising 400V architecture. Charging of the 100kWh battery can be achieved in 30 minutes (10-80%) on a 200kW DC fast charger or 5.5 hours (0-100%) on a 22kW AC charger, provided you’ve opted for the Plus Pack.

Range for the Single Motor model is an impressive 620km (WLTP), while the Dual Motor boasts a slightly lower 590km (WLTP).

Is the Polestar 4 good to drive?

Testing the Polestar 4 through the winding roads of the Adelaide Hills was an extremely pleasant experience.

All variants were smooth and quiet with a suite of safety systems that worked seamlessly.

There were no constant bells or chimes or the vehicle trying to yank the steering wheel in a different direction, they just worked.

Handling through the tight winding and often bumpy corners was soaked up by the chassis and suspension, the vehicles felt planted and stable with the active suspension giving an even greater edge over the standard setup.

What safety features does the Polestar 4 have?

The Polestar 4 is currently unrated by ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) or Euro NCAP, meaning it hasn't yet undergone their safety testing regime. However, the vehicle comes with an extensive range of standard safety features, including a wide range of advanced driver-assist systems. 

These include, front rear and side park sensors, 360-degree cameras, pilot assist and lane change assist (with Pilot Pack), adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance (including vehicles, cyclists and pedestrian avoidance), forward collision warning, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, driver detection, rear collision warning with mitigation, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, safe exit, post-impact braking and more. 

Should I buy a Polestar 4?

The most obvious rival for the Polestar 4 is the Tesla Model Y, which is currently Australia's best selling EV, and by quite a comfortable margin. There's no doubt that Polestar designers studied the Tesla Model Y long and hard when developing the brand's third model line, and and its most ambitious and impressive model to date.

As a result, the Polestar 4 measures up very well against the Tesla, particularly with regards to its fit, finish and materials, which are notably more premium. But it's also highly competitive when it comes to performance and range.

Hence, within the admittedly still fairly niche electrically-powered medium SUV category, the Polestar 4 is a standout. It drives superbly, is spacious and comfortable, and its ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are well tuned so as to avoid excessive and annoying driver interference.

This well-equipped and highly-polished vehicle deserves to be on the consideration list of anyone looking for a sophisticated, high-performance, luxury SUV with a competitive electric powetrtain and utterly distinctive styling.

Learn more about the Polestar 4