Polestar 4 long-term test

The car Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor Run by Steve Huntingford, editor

Why it’s here So we can find out what a model from Sweden’s prestige electric car specialist is like to live with

Needs to Combine comfort, quality and refinement with strong performance, family-friendly practicality and a good real-world range

Mileage 862 List price £60,750 Best price £56,750 Price as tested £66,750 Test range 310 miles Official range 385 miles Options fitted Prime Pack (£6000), Magnesium paint (no cost) and 20in Aero wheels (no cost)

6 June – Shining bright?

“Is that the one without the rear window?”

When people find out my new car is a Polestar 4, this is typically their first response. So, if nothing else, I guess Polestar’s decision to swap glass for a camera has helped raise awareness of the model by creating a talking point.

When I confirm it is indeed ‘that one’, the follow-up question I get is unsurprisingly: “Does that make it difficult to drive?” But before I give you an answer, let’s look at the 4 more broadly.

The first thing to note is that, contrary to what you might think, it’s smaller rather than bigger than the Polestar 3. For while most car brands that use numbers for model names link these to the size of the vehicle, Polestar names its cars chronologically; in other words, 4 simply signifies that this it the fourth model it launched.

And that’s not the only area where there’s the potential for confusion. You see, with its low nose and sweeping roofline, it’s easy to mistake the Polestar 4 for a rival to four-door coupés such as the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé and Mercedes CLA. However, when you climb inside you realise you’re actually sitting a long way above the road, as you would in an SUV.

Given that – like all current Polestars – the 4 is an electric car, that means it’s actually more of an alternative to the Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback and Porsche Macan Electric.

Mine is the entry-level model: the Long Range Single Motor. As a result, it’s rear-wheel drive (unlike the pricier, four-wheel drive Dual Motor variant) and has 268bhp (instead of 536bhp), but performance is still lively and the Single Motor car can go farther between charges: 385 miles, officially, instead of 367 miles.

At least as important, as far as I’m concerned, is the fact it’s the more enjoyable of the two versions to drive, thanks to more accurate steering. Indeed, I’m a fan of its major controls full stop, because the accelerator and brake pedals are also reassuringly precise – something that’s far from a given in electric cars.

One thing that is normal (at least with Polestars) is that there were no trims for me to choose between. So, it’s just as well standard equipment is pretty generous; it includes adaptive cruise control, wireless phone-charging, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, climate control, and a heat pump for efficient warming of the interior on cold days.

I did tick the box for the Prime Pack, though, which is loaded with additional luxuries; everything from a Harman Kardon Premium Sound​ System to lane change assist and heated and electrically reclining rear seats.

And speaking of luxuries, I’m seriously impressed by the quality of the Polestar 4’s interior. There are some unusual materials – including a 3D-knit fabric on the doors that was apparently inspired by running shoes. But they all work well together and look expensive, the big central screen features slick graphics, and everything feels very well screwed together.

Then there’s the sheer amount of space on offer, with those in the rear able to stretch right out, even when the driver’s seat is set-up for someone considerably taller than me – as I realised after our 6ft 5in sub-editor Chris Haining borrowed the car for a weekend.

And it’s not just leg room that impresses; there’s loads of head room, too, with Polestar claiming the missing rear window helps with this. Speaking of which…

Well, the camera feed that you get instead is displayed on a screen that’s located where the rear-view mirror would usually be, so glancing at it is much more intuitive than it would otherwise be. That said, I do find my eyes take slightly longer to focus on it than they would a conventional mirror.

In addition, objects appear to be closer than they actually are, so until I got used to this, I had the uncomfortable sensation that people were tailgating me when they were actually following at a respectful distance.

On the other hand, the rear-view camera gives a clear view of what's happening behind me, even in heavy rain and at night. And I’ve found the Polestar 4 isn’t especially hard to park or manoeuvre in tight spaces – mainly thanks to the clarity of the separate 360-degree parking camera.

So, now I'm looking forward to spending more time with the 4 and getting a clearer view of just how good a car it is in other respects.

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