Polestar 4 review

They say mystery creates wonder and it seems that was the aim of the Polestar 4. It’s a head-scratcher in more ways than one – at least at first glance. 

Firstly, there’s the name. Unlike with, for example, Audi and BMW models, which are numbered according to size, the Polestar 4 and its stablemates have been named chronologically. In other words, it's the fourth model launched by the premium Swedish brand.

So if you're thinking it must be bigger than both the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3, you're only half right. It is bigger than the 2 (an electric saloon) but it's slightly smaller than the 3 (a luxury SUV).

Polestar 4 video review

There’s more potential confusion. The Polestar 4 isn’t really tall enough to be called an electric SUV nor does it have the low profile of a four-door coupé. But with its premium starting price, 4.8m length and expansive interior, it's likely to be competing with the likes of the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan Electric.

Finally, there’s the controversy over one thing the 4 lacks: a back window. Designer Max Missoni wanted a coupé roofline on a body that, due to its underfloor battery and need for generous rear-passenger head room, wasn’t naturally suited to one. The solution? Eliminate the rear window and replace it with a digital camera. Missoni insists the design choice is a bold innovation rather than a gimmick.

We’ll put that claim to the test as we rate the Polestar 4 against rival electric cars. Read on to find out how it performs…

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There are two versions of the Polestar 4: an entry-level single-motor car that produces a respectable 268bhp and delivers a 0-62mph time of 7.1 seconds, plus a pricier dual-motor version. The range-topper has a hefty 536bhp, dropping the 0-62mph time to 3.8 seconds.

The dual-motor car's performance is not quite as explosive as a Porsche Macan Turbo Electric out of the gate but traction is absolute and the way it continues to pile on speed is astounding. 

The single-motor car feels noticeably more sedate, with performance more on par with a Hyundai Ioniq 6. Acceleration isn’t everything though, and we actually found the single-motor Polestar 4 a bit more fun to drive.

You see, while the dual-motor car is indecently quick from point to point, it’s not as involving or confidence-inspiring as we would want from a performance SUV. The steering is quite darty off centre so you keep having to make small adjustments to maintain your line. Plus, the four-wheel drive system favours outright traction over expressive handling.

A Macan Turbo Electric is more engaging, as is the larger Polestar 3 (something we suspect is down to the fact that both those cars get a torque-vectoring device on the rear axle while the Polestar 4 doesn't). 

So the dual-motor car is quick, yes, but not that playful, unlike the cheaper, rear-wheel-drive model. As soon as you turn into a quick corner in the entry-level car you can feel that the front end is more feelsome, giving you greater confidence to place the nose exactly where you want it.

We were also impressed with just how tied down the Polestar 4 was on undulating country roads. Its low ride height and low centre of gravity help reduce the amount of jostling passed on to the driver (taller performance SUVs tend to toss your head around over undulations).

That said, we think it's a shame Polestar doesn't let you have adaptive suspension on the single-motor car. You get it on the dual-motor version and it provides greater body control when really pushing on. Without them, you can find yourself pogo-ing in your seat over big crests and compressions. You can have adaptive dampers on any Porsche Macan Electric.

Speaking of the Macan, it delivers a more supple ride around town than the Polestar 4. That’s not to say the 4 is uncomfortable. There's certainly a firm edge to the ride and it does occasionally trip up over sharp abrasions, but it settles down well as your speed increases.

We've driven Polestar 4s on 21in wheels so far, and we suspect a single-motor car on standard 20in wheels will be better still, thanks to the extra squidge provided by its chunkier tyres. On 21in wheels, road noise is well suppressed at speed but the pillarless windows generate quite a bit of wind noise, which can become a little tiring on long drives.

Speaking of long drives, the Polestar 4 has an official range of 385 miles for the single-motor version and 367 for the dual-motor car. That’s competitive compared with its key electric car rivals. The Macan 4 has an official range of 380 miles while the Turbo version matches the dual-motor Polestar 4.

“I like the brake-pedal feel in the Polestar 4. It makes stopping smoothly a simple task, which isn’t true of all electric cars.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

The Polestar 4's lack of a rear window grabbed headlines, but we think the interior quality is the star of the show. Everywhere you look there are slick materials that feel plush and tactile – including an innovative "3D-knit" fabric inspired by running shoes – and it all feels beautifully screwed together.

Somewhat confusingly it feels a step above the bigger and more expensive Polestar 3 when it comes to outright quality. You can specify your 4 with real leather seats, which might seem at odds with Polestar’s sustainability ethos. However, the designers were keen to point out that the Bridge of Weir leather used is a by-product of the meat industry. 

Unlike every Polestar car model before it, the 4 gets a large 15.4in infotainment touchscreen. The screen has crystal-clear graphics and is responsive to touch inputs. It’s split into configurable tiles and it’s helpful that you can save various shortcuts on the main screen.

That said, the screen is so big that the left side of it is quite far from the driver so you’ll likely have to lean forwards to touch it. It requires more attention to accurately hit the icons on the move than it would to use physical buttons.

There is a rotary dial on the centre console – and it’s a real shame the only things it can do is control the volume and play or pause the stereo. If it allowed you to cycle through menus and buttons on the screen, it would make the infotainment system much easier to use while driving.

Google Assistant comes as standard, so at least the voice-command system is relatively good. But even adjusting the steering-wheel position and door mirrors is fiddly: you have to use both the touchscreen and some touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel. You can save the settings under your user profile, so in theory you won't have to do it again.

Unfortunately, when we drove a Polestar 4 in the UK for the first time, the steering-wheel buttons malfunctioned, making them unusable. Polestar says an imminent software update will rectify this and customer cars shouldn’t face similar issues – we’ll update our review when we’ve tried another car.

In better news, the 4's seats are wonderfully supportive. You sit in a lower, racier position than in a Porsche Macan Electric, although like in that rival part of the 9in digital driver's display is easily blocked by the steering wheel.

What about the digital rear-view mirror – fitted to compensate for the Polestar 4's controversial lack of a rear window? Well, we found it easy to get used to thanks to the clarity of the rear camera and its wide dynamic range. It gives a clear view of what's happening behind you, and even in torrential rain at night on a motorway, the display was clear.

The problem comes when you’re reversing. Yes, it shows you a clear picture of what’s behind you (unless the lens is fogged up on a cold morning) but it doesn’t give you any perspective of how far away you are from it. That means you're entirely reliant on the reversing and 360-degree cameras on the infotainment screen – which, to be fair, are good and come as standard.

“The ambient interior lighting adds to the classy and luxurious feel of the Polestar 4. I think it’s a nice touch that the colours you can choose on the touchscreen are based on planets in the solar system.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Up front in the Polestar 4 there's plenty of head, leg and shoulder room but because you're surrounded by a tall centre console and high window line you feel comfortably snug, like you’re sitting behind the wheel of a sports car. 

Meanwhile, the rear seat space is positively palatial. Not only is there acres of leg room on offer but by moving the rear pillars back, the designers have managed to create lots of head room too. A six-footer has a hand's width of space above them, even without electrically reclining the sculpted and supportive rear seats.

Plus, thanks to a combination of gentle ambient lighting (with various colour schemes set using the infotainment system) and the vast panoramic roof that extends past your head, the rear compartment feels open and airy.

The Polestar 4 has 526 litres of boot space – more than you get in a Kia EV6 (490 litres) and just a bit less than the Porsche Macan Electric (540 litres).

We like the convenient hatchback boot opening, the underfloor storage for your charging cables and the inclusion of a 15-litre front boot. It's not, though, the best car for dog owners because of the lack of a rear window.

The rear seats fold down in two sections in a 60/40 split, rather than the Macan’s more versatile three-piece (40/20/40) arrangement.

“I’ve done lots of long journeys in the Polestar 4 and have been grateful for the decent-sized door bins and extra storage under the centre console. I also like that when you’re not using the well-placed cupholders you can cover them to make the interior design look even cleaner.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

The Polestar 4 is not cheap but it is competitively priced against the electric SUVs we consider its rivals. The entry-level single-motor car significantly undercuts an equivalent Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3 or Porsche Macan Electric. Even the range-topping dual-motor version looks good value, costing not much more than the significantly less plush Kia EV6 GT. 

Polestar is offering competitive PCP financing on the Polestar 4 compared to the Q6 and Macan, and if you’re lucky enough to have it on your company car list it’s even better news. All electric cars attract fantastic BIK tax breaks right now so it will set you back a tiny amount in monthly salary sacrifices compared with combustion-engined SUVs in the same price bracket.

As is the norm with Polestar car models there are no trim levels. All versions get electrically adjustable heated front seats, climate control, wireless phone-charging, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, and keyless entry. The dual-motor version adds adaptive suspension and four-wheel drive.

For the time being, the Plus Pack comes as standard, introducing a head-up display, pixel LED headlights, power reclining rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a Harman Kardon stereo and a power-operated tailgate activated by waving your foot below a sensor.

In other words, you don’t really need to add any optional extras, although we can see why long-range dual-motor buyers would opt for the reasonably priced Performance Pack. That includes 22in alloy wheels, high-performance Pirelli P Zero tyres, Brembo brakes and gold accents.

The Polestar 4 has a sizeable 94kWh battery pack that can top up at a maximum charging speed of up to 200kW. That’s the same charging rate as you get with the BMW i4 but slower than an Audi Q6 e-tron, a Kia EV6 GT, a Polestar 3 or a Porsche Macan Electric. In theory its charging rate allows for a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes at a rapid public charger.

The model has yet to be crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP but it has plenty of safety kit to prevent accidents, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, a post-impact braking system, a blind-spot warning system, lane-keeping assistance and more.

“It’s fantastic that the Polestar 4 offers such a long range from a full charge. But when I got home with an almost empty battery it took more than 13 hours to top it up to full from my 7kW wallbox because the battery is so big.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

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