Polestar 4 review

The question “What exactly is the Polestar 4?” was on the lips of nearly every automotive journalist at its launch. While – logically – it's the fourth model from the Swedish electric performance brand, what’s less obvious is that the Polestar 4 is significantly larger than the 2 saloon, yet just slightly smaller than the 3 luxury SUV.

There was also considerable debate about how to classify the Polestar 4. It’s not really tall enough to be called an electric SUV nor does it have the low profile of a four-door coupé. However, its premium starting price, 4.8m length and expansive interior space led us to conclude that it will be cross-shopped with the Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3 and Porsche Macan Electric.

Our confusion didn’t end there though. Over the past few months the Polestar 4 has gained notoriety online as “the electric car without 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’re going to put that claim to the test in this Polestar 4 review as we rate it against the best electric cars. Read on to find out how it performs...

Two versions of the Polestar 4 are offered at launch: an entry-level long-range single-motor car that produces a respectable 268bhp and delivers a 0-62mph time of 7.1 seconds, plus a long-range dual-motor version. The range-topper benefits from a second motor on the front axle, doubling power to 536bhp and 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. We suspect running into its 124mph speed limiter would be akin to pulling a parachute.

The single-motor car feels noticeably more sedate, with performance more on par with a BMW iX3 or Tesla Model Y RWD. However, acceleration isn’t everything and the single-motor Polestar 4 is actually the version which lets you have a bit more fun.

While the dual-motor car is indecently quick from point to point, it’s not as involving as we would want from a performance SUV. The steering is quite darty off-centre so you have to keep making small adjustments to maintain your line while the four-wheel drive system is set up to be safe and conservative, favouring 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 particularly 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 less corrupted and 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 sections of country roads, with its low ride height and low centre of gravity playing a part in reducing 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, as does the more comfort-oriented BMW iX3.

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 suspect a single-motor car on standard 20in wheels (we’ve only driven Polestar 4s on 21in wheels so far) 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.

Speaker 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 officially matches the fastest Polestar 4, at 367 miles.

“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 lack of a rear window might garner a few headlines, but it’s the Polestar 4’s interior quality that is the real 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 that has gone before it, the 4 gets a large 15.4in infotainment touchscreen mounted in landscape orientation (rather than portrait). The screen has crystal-clear graphics and is responsive to touch inputs. It’s split into various 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-hand side of it is rather far from the driver, so you’ll likely have to lean forwards to jab at it. And because there are no physical buttons, it requires a lot of attention to accurately hit the icons on the move.

There’s a high-quality and perfectly-placed rotary dial on the centre console – and it’s a real shame that the only things it can do is control the volume and play or pause what you’re listening to. If it allowed you to cycle through menus and buttons on the screen, it would make the infotainment system in the Polestar 4 significantly 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 the door mirrors is done through the touchscreen then the touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel. It’s a fiddly process, although once they're set you can save them under your user profile, so in theory once it's done you won't have to do it again.

Unfortunately, when we test drove a Polestar 4 in the UK, the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel malfunctioned, making them unusable. Polestar assured us an imminent software update is set to rectify this and customer cars shouldn’t face similar issues – we’ll update our review as soon as we’ve driven the car with upgraded software.

Once you’re comfortable, you’ll find that the seats are wonderfully supportive. You sit in a lower, racier position than you do in a Porsche Macan Electric. Unfortunately, like that rival part of the 9.0in 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 2.5MP rear camera and its wide dynamic range. It gives a clear view of what is happening behind you as you drive, and even in torrential rain at night on the motorway the display is 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. This means you are 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, there's plenty of head, leg and shoulder room in the Polestar 4 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 the best car for dog owners though – the lack of a rear window is not exactly canine-friendly.

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, Porsche Macan Electric or BMW iX3. 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 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 for Polestar there are no trim levels as such. 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 sound system and a power-operated tailgate with foot 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 a quicker charging rate than a BMW iX3 but slower than a Polestar 3, EV6 GT, Audi Q6 e-tron or Porsche Macan Electric. In theory, its charging rate allows for a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes at a rapid public charger.

The Polestar 4 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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