Earlier this week I was able to take a sneak peek at Polestar’s latest model, the Polestar 4 SUV coupé. The Geely owned EV maker opened Polestar 4 orders for Australian customers at the end of January this year and first deliveries are expected between August and September, according to the configurator on Polestar’s website.
The Polestar 4 is an important vehicle for Polestar as it evolves from a one car electric brand to a three car brand and tries to solidify its position as a premium luxury EV maker. Launching the Polestar 3 and 4 SUVs is also an important step towards the company goals of improving profitability and becoming cash flow break-even in 2025.
During a product presentation by Graeme Lambert, Global PR, Design, Innovation and APAC at Polestar, we were told that Polestar considers the upcoming Porsche Macan EV more of a competitor for the Polestar 4 rather than Australia’s best selling EV, the Tesla Model Y.
Pricing for the Polestar 4 starts at $81,500 plus on-road costs for the Long range Single motor variant, and increases to $93,050 for Long range Dual motor variants. Driveaway pricing in NSW equates to just under $90,000 for a base model Long range Single motor, with the Pilot pack included for all vehicles at launch.
Optional packs and upgrades can raise the price quickly though. For example, the Polestar 4 I had access to was a top-spec Long range Dual motor fitted with optional Plus and Performance Packs, Nappa leather interior and gold paint which takes the driveaway price for this vehicle to over $135,000 for NSW customers.
At this price point the Polestar 4 is positioned well above the Tesla Model Y but still below the Porsche Macan EV, which starts at $133,700 plus on-road costs for the Porsche Macan 4. Porsche Macan Turbo variants will start from $180,100 plus on-road costs.
My time with the Polestar 4 was brief and I was unable to drive the car, but I sat in the front and rear seats and had a good look around inside. Polestar would not allow photos of the car to be taken due to the location, so all photos included in this article were supplied by Polestar Australia.
Minimalist interior up front
Polestar has taken their approach to minimalist interiors a step further in the Polestar 4, eliminating the gear shifter as well as hazard light and demister buttons that were present on the Polestar 2 centre console. The only thing that remains is a single volume control and play/pause button for audio on top.
Thankfully, criticisms from the Polestar 2 interior have also been addressed in the Polestar 4. The centre console is lower and narrower, which gives drivers and front passengers more legroom. There are also two cup holders in front of the centre armrest which also includes a decent storage compartment underneath.
Gears are selected using a stalk mounted on the right-hand side of the steering column, leaving the left-hand stalk for indicators and lights. Cruise control and audio functions are controlled via haptic feedback buttons on the steering wheel, which felt cheaper and less satisfying to use compared to other controls in the car.
Materials used throughout the cabin felt premium, especially the animal welfare-secured Nappa leather which is a $7,000 upgrade. This upgrade also adds two headrest mounted speakers to each front seat, plus ventilation and massage functions. Woven material on the doors and dash felt different and might take some getting used to.
Roomy and luxurious rear seats
Polestar is well known for strong and unique design elements on their vehicles and the Polestar 4 is no different. The most controversial aspect of the Polestar 4 is the lack of a rear window and the digital rear view mirror that replaces it.
Lambert explained that the Polestar 4 was designed from the start without a rear window and this enabled Polestar to create a more spacious and luxurious rear seat experience. My first impression sitting in the rear seats was that it does feel special back there compared to other vehicles.
The rear seats are roomy, comfortable and seem to be positioned higher than the front seats which gives good visibility through the front of the vehicle. Headroom in the back is excellent due to the glass roof extending all the way over the rear seats. Foot room underneath the front seats was limited though with the front seat positioned down low.
Some of the rear seat luxuries require the optional $8,000 Plus Pack, such as heating, electric reclining and a rear screen for adjusting climate control settings. The panoramic glass roof is standard, although the electrochromic option which turns the glass roof opaque is a single $2,700 option which also requires the Plus Pack.
Large screens with lots of customisation
Infotainment in the Polestar 4 is provided by a centrally mounted 15 inch landscape screen, 10 inch driver display as well as head-up display in vehicles fitted with the optional Plus Pack. Just like the Polestar 2, the underlying OS is Android Automotive so the car natively supports Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store for additional apps.
The large landscape screen in the Polestar 4 means there is plenty of space for viewing maps as well as other widgets on the screen at the same time. Car settings are more customisable than previous versions of Android Automotive, with options available to tweak everything you can think of.
While exploring the screens I also noticed some new features that weren’t available on the Polestar 2 such as a built-in dashcam. Interior ambient lighting surrounds the cabin, adding a nice uplifting touch without being obtrusive. Colours are based on the solar system and facts about each planet are displayed on the screen as you cycle through the settings.
Exterior design and storage
The Polestar 4 is a striking car in person and it will stand out on the road with its unique rear end, especially in gold paint like the example I saw. Overall, the vehicle looks sleeker and more rounded compared to the angular lines found on a Polestar 2.
Design of the front daytime running lights has evolved from Thor’s Hammer, seen on Volvo cars, into what Polestar calls their Dual Blade design. Another thing that stood out for me was the number of external cameras fitted to the car, there are 11 in total plus 12 ultrasonic sensors and front facing radar used for adaptive cruise control.
Storage space in the back of the Polestar 4 is large and easy to access with the electric tailgate. Polestar lists a total of 526 L including a small underfloor section with rear seats up or 1536 L with the rear seats folded down. Gear can also be loaded all the way up to the roof of the boot because there is no rear window to block.
Range and driving
Driving impressions for the Polestar 4 will have to wait until test vehicles are available, but early reports from overseas markets suggest the performance aspects of this vehicle live up to expectations of the Polestar brand. I am very much looking forward to test driving Polestar’s quickest vehicle to date.
In terms of range, the Long range Dual motor I saw was charged to 91 % and was showing 511 km range on the dash. From my experience driving Polestar 2, the range shown on the dash is much closer to real world results than the 580 km WLTP range listed for this variant. Long range Single motor variants are slightly more efficient with a WLTP driving range of up to 610 km.
Conclusions
I think the Polestar 4 is a big step up from the Polestar 2 in terms of interior space and comfort, addressing criticisms of the Polestar 2 like the cramped rear seats. Price wise it also jumps up from the Polestar 2, but it feels suitably more premium and luxurious. It will be interesting to see how much of this atmosphere remains in lower priced variants.
Final judgement on the overall package will have to wait until we are able to drive the Polestar 4. More time will also need to be spent examining the features and comparing variants in person to see which optional upgrades are worthwhile.
Full specifications of the Polestar 4 can be found on the Polestar website here: https://www.polestar.com/au/polestar-4/specifications/
Tim has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.