The Polestar 4 brings something different to the premium section of the EV Coupe-SUV market. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

With the Polestar 4, the brand needed to do something different. They have. This electric Coupe-SUV is nothing quite like any of its talented premium badged mid-sized EV rivals and will be a desirable trinket for the right kind of customer. Whether it's the volume model Polestar needs is another question.

Background

The Polestar 4. It's a different kind of Polestar. A different kind of EV. And, the brand says, a different kind of mid-sized SUV-Coupe. The model number doesn't designate a larger car - the '4' fits into the range between the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 EVs - but it is, as that numeral suggests, the fourth design that this increasingly international manufacturer has bought us. The marque is grounded in Sweden and its cars are built in (and financed by) China. The models are partly engineered in the UK and are marketed by a brand listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York. The company's future will partly depend on this so-called 're-invention of the Coupe-SUV' because this Polestar 4 is expected to take over from the Polestar 2 as the company's top seller by 2025, by which time the brand expects to be selling 155,000-165,000 cars a year. Directly in its sights are models like the latest Porsche Macan EV, as well as existing players like the Tesla Model Y and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. To stand out, this '4' will need to make headlines - and already has, launched as the first production car to be introduced without a rear window. But there's a lot more to this Polestar than that - as we're about to find out...

Driving Experience

The drivetrain format looks quite familiar, with a choice of Rear motor or Dual motor AWD. But there's yet another borrowed platform for Polestar to bolt it all to, this one a Geely-sourced SEA chassis mated to which is a pretty substantial 102kWh battery pack with a targeted range of up to 379 miles for the rear-driven model - and up to 360 miles for the Dual motor version. The Single motor variant makes 268bhp and 62mph in 7.1s. The Dual motor AWD derivative has 536bhp and improves the sprint figure to 3.8s; that's faster than the more powerful Polestar 1. As with the Polestar 2, there's also a 'Performance Pack' version of the Dual motor derivative, which gets updated brakes, wheels and tyres as well as tweaks to the steel suspension. Talking of suspension, Polestar says that ride quality (a notable failing of the Polestar 2) has been more significantly prioritised here. The passive dampers of the Single motor model are exchanged for 'semi-active' dampers in the Dual motor version; and, unlike on the 'Performance' version of the Polestar 2, you don't have to adjust those with a spanner but can do so via the centre dash screen. The '4' has been engineered for as much self-driving tech as individual market laws will currently allow. LiDAR sensors (and a bank of radars and cameras) on the car create a 3D map of its surroundings in real time, allowing this Polestar to see up 600 metres away - or up to 7.5s ahead of the vehicle at highway speeds, allowing 'centimetre level' precision that enables the '4' to map the environment and traffic conditions around it. The result is the capability for completely autonomous highway driving (without the driver having to pay attention) and 'eyes-on' autonomous driving on other roads.

Design and Build

The Polestar 4 is a swept-back Coupe-SUV. Yet one with really impressive rear seat headroom. The reason why is also the reason for most of the headlines surrounding this car; the fact that it has no rear window. This is due to a repositioning of the header rail from its usual siting at the back of the roof to a position behind the rear passengers' heads - where the rear window would normally be. A roof-mounted camera that projects in the rear view mirror takes its place. Pressing a button turns that mirror into a regular one if you merely want to look at the back seat. Interestingly, there are conventional door mirrors, suggesting that Polestar's priority with this 4,839mm-long design wasn't to make this '4' class-leading slippery. It isn't: the drag coefficient is 0.269Cd, some way behind a rival Tesla Model 3's 0.208Cd figure. Finishing touches include a low nose, flush glazing, slim lights and retractable door handles. You might fear that the lack of a rear screen would turn interior of this car into a coal hole, but no. A huge standard-fit glass panoramic roof lights up the cabin with spectacular upward views and there's a smart back-lit panel stretching behind the seats. Rear headroom and kneeroom are excellent too. Polestar says a couple of 6-foot 2-inch adults will comfortably fit here and the back seats recline via buttons in the armrest, plus there's a rear seat touchscreen. It feels vastly more spacious than a Polestar 2, even though this '4' is only around 200mm longer. Up-front, this is the first Polestar with a landscape-format centre screen, an Android Automotive 15.4-inch display layout that's supposed to give the cockpit a wider, sportier feel. That's complemented by a 10.2-inch digital driver's instrument display and a 14.7-inch head-up display (which in a typically Swedish touch displays in yellow when it's snowing). The dash is typically minimalist and thoughtful use of textures and lighting gives an up-market feel. There's no under bonnet 'frunk', so luggage must go out back, where there's a 526-litre boot, extendable to 1,536-litres.

Market and Model

Polestar will later launch a 'Standard range Single motor' model, but for the time being, the line-up starts with the 'Long range Single motor' model at around £60,000. You'll need around £67,000 for the alternative 'Long range Dual motor' version. Most customers though, as usual with EVs, will acquire ownership under leasing or PCP schemes. All variants come with the rear view camera that replaces the rear window. It's interesting to see just how many things in medium modern cars that were previously thought essential that we now know we can do without.... Standard equipment also includes Polestar's 'Plus Pack', which includes comfort and technology upgrades. An extra cost, a Nappa upgrade can be specified in addition to the 'Plus Pack' and includes animal welfare-secured Nappa leather upholstery with ventilation and massage, along with additional head rest speakers for the front seats and rear comfort headrests. You might also want to spend more on an optional 'Pro Pack', which adds 21-inch wheels and subtle design details. Another option is the 'Pilot Pack', which includes the brand's 'Pilot Assist' semi-autonomous driving system and its extended features. The 'Performance Pack' increases the performance look and driving experience of the 'Long range Dual motor' version, with 22-inch wheels, 4-piston Brembo brakes, Polestar Engineered performance chassis tuning and Swedish gold details for the brakes, seat belts and valve caps. We should also brief you on the manner in which you'll need to buy or lease this car, since Polestar doesn't use conventional dealerships. The closest the brand gets to this kind of thing is what it calls 'Polestar Spaces' - basically automotive department stores in shopping centres. Currently, there are seven of these. The primary idea though, is that you should place your order online via the British section of the Polestar.com website. Then connect into the brand as and when you need to - they'll come to you when your car needs servicing, three years cover for which is included in the price.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the EV driving range figures in our 'Driving' section - 379 miles for the 'Long range Single motor' version and 360 miles for the 'Long range Dual motor' variant. A heat pump will be standard allowing you to maintain range in really cold temperatures. Charging takes place via a fancy motorised charging door. Both '4' models can DC charge at up to 200kW, which allows them to top up using rapid public charger from 10 to 80% in half an hour. There's 22kW AC home charging capability, which from empty to full requires 5 and a half hours on a 3-phase 22kW wallbox. If you've a more typical 7.4kW wallbox, you'll need almost twice as long as that. Bi-directional charging will also be offered, which will allow you to power other electrical items from the vehicle. Polestar is very hot on assessing the carbon footprint of its cars and the '4' is supposed to have the smallest carbon footprint of any of the brand's models to date. Tested by the company's life cycle assessment process, the 'Long range Single motor' version was found to produce 21 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime, over 200,000kms of use. With the 'Long range Dual motor' version, that figure rises to 23 tonnes of CO2. To give you some comparison perspective, a petrol-powered Volvo XC40 will emit 58 tonnes of CO2 over its life cycle.

Summary

This '4' encapsulates Polestar's gradual repositioning away from its former Volvo parent. Not least in the fact that it's the first car from this EV brand to be built on a Geely platform rather than a largely Volvo one. And the design here feels far more uniquely Polestar, not least in the polarising decision to do without a rear screen. The company says it doesn't use customer clinics as part of the development process, which is just as well because that feature wouldn't have survived that process. But you might like it. And you might well very much like this car. The competition it faces is formidable, but this '4' has enough about it to stand apart. Whether its premium pricing will allow it to sell in the kind of numbers the brand is hoping for is another question. Rarity though, might well be another draw of the '4'. It has plenty.