2024 Polestar 4 review: International first drive
The Polestar 4 electric SUV is making a big play for the premium end of town. But does what is arguably the brand’s most important new model yet have what it takes?
2024 Polestar 4
There’s a lot riding on the Polestar 4, the Swedish brand’s latest weapon in a bid to be considered seriously in the premium electric vehicle arena.
Make no mistake, Polestar may have been known largely as a one-model brand for some years now, but an onslaught of new models over the next couple of years will see its portfolio expand, and by extension, its profile amongst the buying public.
And the Polestar 4 is arguably the most important model to date for the brand, an electric medium SUV that sits right in the sweet spot of what consumers are wanting from their EVs.
But forget the notion that Polestar is a Tesla rival. While that may be true of its first mass-produced model, Polestar 2, the back-to-back launches of Polestar 3 and the car we have here, Polestar 4, point to a brand that considers itself an unashamedly premium brand.
It has the big Germans firmly in its sights, and makes no apologies for singling out the new Porsche Macan EV as its benchmark. But, with a starting price some $50,000 more affordable than its German competitor, the question remains whether buyers will consider the Polestar against the Porsche or view it as a more expensive Tesla rival.
We attended the global launch in Spain to find out whether the Swedish brand has hit the right prestige notes with what should, on paper, become the brand’s volume seller.
How much is a Polestar 4?
Two variants of Polestar 4 are heading their way to Australia. The entry-level Long Range Single Motor kicks things off with its $81,500 (plus on-road costs) price tag. It’s powered by, as the name suggests, a single electric motor located at the rear axle.
It’s good for 200kW and 343Nm, outputs sent to the rear wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission.
Kicking it up a gear, the $93,050 Long Range Dual Motor ups the ante, its two electric motors – one at each axle – outputting a combined 400kW and 686Nm. Again, a single-speed automatic transmission shuffles drive to the front and rear wheels. The difference here is that the Dual Motor variant is fitted with an electronic clutch that will disconnect the front wheels in certain driving conditions, thus eking out every last drop of driving range.
Both models are fitted with a 100kWh battery module, offering decent range, hence the Long Range in the model designation. In Single Motor trim, Polestar says 620km is achievable – based on WLTP testing – while the Dual Motor, thanks to carrying some extra weight and increased performance stats, is good for 590km.
While the brand won’t admit it, the Polestar 4’s most obvious rival is the world’s best-selling car right now, the Tesla Model Y. It’s priced from $55,900 for the Rear-Wheel Auto, while the range-topping Performance asks for $82,900, both models undercutting Polestar’s newest player, and by some margin.
But Polestar says it isn’t targeting Tesla buyers. Instead, its sights are set firmly in the crosshairs of the premium brands, with the new Porsche Macan EV singled out as Polestar Enemy Number One.
The Macan EV has yet to land in Australia, with pricing expected to start around the $130,000 mark. That leaves the Polestar 4 straddling the gap between the Tesla Model Y and what it considers is its most obvious rival, the Macan EV.
Certainly, its equipment list speaks to a premium audience. Standard highlights across both models include 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and start, powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, a 360-degree camera, as well as a full complement of advanced safety technologies.
Optional packs include the Plus Pack ($8000), nappa leather ($7000), Pro Pack ($2500), and the Performance Pack ($7000, only available on the Long Range Dual Motor variant). You can read our detailed specification story here, including all available options.
| Key details | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor |
| Price | $81,500 plus on-road costs | $93,050 plus on-road costs |
| Options | N/A | Plus Pack $8000 Performance Pack $7000 Nappa leather upgrade $7000 |
| Price as tested | $81,500 plus on-road costs | $115,050 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Tesla Model Y | Porsche Macan EV | Audi Q6 e-tron |
How big is a Polestar 4?
The Polestar 4’s svelte design belies its dimensions, looking more like a large-ish liftback sedan than the medium SUV it actually is. That’s no bad thing, the 4 sitting low and wide on the road, and with a gently sloping roof leading into what is arguably its most striking feature (more on that later).
Its overall dimensions do fit firmly into the medium SUV box: 4840mm long, 2139mm wide (including side mirrors), 1534mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2999mm.
It’s a great-looking SUV from just about any angle, with sharp creases, frameless doors, flush-fitting retractable door handles, and a sloping roofline that are the hallmarks of an SUV coupe.
Up front, Polestar’s signature ‘Thor Hammer’ LED headlights lead into aero vanes that not only look cool, but also help channel airflow around the front of the car.
At the side, an aggressively scalloped section on the lower doors looks like it has come from the chisel of Michelangelo, while at the rear you’ll find the Polestar 4’s most unusual design feature – the absence of a rear windscreen.
It’s somewhat paradoxical that one of the main features that make a coupe a coupe (whether SUV or otherwise) is also one of the biggest drawbacks when it comes to cabin comfort.
Coupes of any kind, including the relatively modern phenomenon of SUV coupes, are defined by their sweeping roof line. And while that might look all sporty and sleek, that sweeping rear end actually robs the second row of valuable headspace.
Polestar’s solution was to eliminate the rear window, which allowed its designers to move the 4’s roof rear framework further back, thereby freeing up valuable head room in the second row while still allowing for that distinctive coupe silhouette.
Of course, not having a rear windscreen brings new challenges, which Polestar has attempted to overcome with a roof-mounted rear-facing camera that projects images onto a screen located exactly where a traditional rear-view mirror would be found. But is it any good? More on that later.
The cabin of the Polestar 4 is a masterclass in design and execution. The Swedish brand makes no apologies for its design-led philosophy, and nor should it, the 4’s cabin a beautiful and thoughtful place to spend time in.
Clean and uncluttered, the cabin oozes with Scandinavian minimalism while also playing to the brand’s sustainable philosophy.
Polestar has made much of its use of sustainably sourced materials. From plastics made out of recycled bottles, carpets fashioned out of discarded fishing nets, and even the use of pine oil rather than crude oil in the manufacture of its plastics, Polestar has laid its eco-credential cards on the table.
And even when buyers opt for the nappa leather interior, they can be assured the material has been ethically sourced from the food waste industry.
Up front, the Polestar 4 simmers with sporting intent. It looks and feels like a sports coupe, with comfortable and supportive seats that offer the ideal driving position. The vinyl-covered steering wheel, flat-bottomed of course, feels fantastic in-hand and features only the barest of switches and buttons. Its spokes beautifully frame the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster that again adheres to Polestar’s minimalism.
Nestled between the driver and passenger, a large centre console reveals a pair of cupholders under a retractable lid and deep central storage bin. A rotary dial, usually the domain of gear selection, instead controls the 4’s audio functions including volume.
Move into the second row and you’ll be greeted by the same level of uncluttered opulence as found in the front. Passengers are ferried around in business-class comfort with an abundance of space in all key areas. The 4’s flat floor ensures good amounts of foot space are on offer for all passengers and that signature roof design has freed up valuable head room.
The seat backs on our launch car featured power reclining, allowing for even greater comfort and especially useful on longer journeys. They’re part of the $8000 optional Plus Pack that also brings tri-zone climate control, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system amongst a long list of additional features.
The fold-down armrest has also been carefully designed and doesn’t look like an afterthought, as is sometimes the case. It reveals a pair of cupholders and handy storage tray ideal for smartphones or wallets.
Under that imposing windowless tailgate, and I’ll admit it takes a little getting used to the first few times you see it, there’s 526 litres of available cargo space. That expands to a generous 1536L with the second-row seats folded away, while up front under the bonnet, a further 15L of storage space is available.
| 2024 Polestar 4 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 526L seats up 1536L seats folded 15L under bonnet |
| Length | 4840mm |
| Width | 2018mm |
| Height | 1534mm |
| Wheelbase | 2999mm |
Does the Polestar 4 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
A new 15.4-inch touchscreen plays host to the Polestar 4’s infotainment system which, like the rest of the car, has been thoughtfully designed and integrated.
It runs the latest version of Google’s Android Automotive operating system, and that means it comes preloaded with a bunch of Google goodies including Maps, Assistant and the Google Play Store. Despite being an Android-based system, the set-up is Apple CarPlay compatible.
The interface has been designed by Polestar and, like so much else in the 4, reflects the brand’s philosophy.
With a clean and uncluttered interface, the infotainment system eschews colours and bling in favour of a simple three-tone design, where even the font (Unica 77) has been carefully selected to enhance the user experience.
It looks fantastic; a pleasingly simple interface that is easy to use, even if plenty of the car’s vital functions are buried inside menus, à la Tesla.
Things like seat and steering wheel adjustment are effected via the screen, as is opening the glovebox, climate controls and drive modes.
However, thanks to Polestar’s intuitive design, which features an easy-to-read shortcuts menu, finding those critical functions is easy, never leaving you floundering in a sea of technological frustration.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Polestar’s infotainment system is the best I’ve experienced yet, both in terms of functionality and aesthetics.
Keeping devices topped up are four USB Type-C outlets (two up front and two in the second row) as well as a wireless charging pad.
Integrated 5G connectivity allows for over-the-air updates and provides access to the Polestar App that offers remote access to vehicle functionality such as pre-conditioning, checking battery status, locking and unlocking the car, amongst others.
Is the Polestar 4 a safe car?
At the time of writing, the Polestar 4 had not been assessed by either Australia’s independent safety body ANCAP, or its European counterpart Euro NCAP.
That said, a full suite of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) underpin the Polestar 4’s safety credentials.
Standard safety technologies include forward and rearward autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring with braking, front and rear cross-traffic alert with braking, traffic sign recognition and driver attention monitoring.
The airbag count runs to seven and covers both rows of occupants.
| 2024 Polestar 4 | |
| ANCAP rating | Untested |
What is the range of a Polestar 4?
Both models in the Polestar 4 line-up are fitted with a 100kWh battery pack. It delivers 620km of range in the Long Range Single Motor and 590km in the Long Range Dual Motor variant.
Polestar claims the Single Motor will chew through 17.8–18.1kWh per 100 kilometres, while the slightly heavier and more powerful Dual Motor will use 18.7–21.7kWh/100km
While our carefully curated launch routes are probably not the best indicator of real-world useage, my time behind the wheel – exclusively – in the Dual Motor returned an indicated 24.2kWh/100km. Mitigating that slightly elevated consumption figure (compared against the manufacturer’s claim) were some beguiling mountain roads in Spain that provided the ideal canvas to showcase the performance-focussed variant’s sporting chops. I make no apologies.
There are several levels of energy recuperation – from off to single-pedal – that converts kinetic energy into electricity, which is then returned to the battery pack, helping to eke out more driving range.
The Polestar 4 is capable of fast charging at up to 200kW on a DC socket, or 22kW on an AC plug. Polestar claims it will take 30 minutes to top up the battery from 10–80 per cent, while using a 22kW AC charger will take a claimed 5.5 hours from 0–100 per cent.
We were unable to test charging times at the Polestar 4’s international launch.
| Energy efficiency | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor |
| Energy cons. (claimed) | 17.8–18.1kWh/100km | 18.7–21.7kWh/100km |
| Energy cons. (on test) | N/A | 24.2kWh/100km |
| Battery size | 100kWh | 100kWh |
| Driving range claim (WLTP) | 620km | 590km |
| Charge time (11kW) | 11h (estimated) | 11h (estimated) |
| Charge time (50kW) | 2h 15m (estimated) | 2h 15m (estimated) |
| Charge time (200kW max rate) | 30min (claimed 10–80%) | 30min (claimed 10–80%) |
What is the Polestar 4 like to drive?
Polestar was keen to push its performance focus of the newest addition to its growing line-up. After all, as the team reminded me, Polestar was born out of Volvo’s performance division (think M to BMW, and AMG to Merc). Phrases like “it’s in our DNA” and “performance brand” were keenly stressed.
Underscoring this ideal, my time at the global launch in Spain was spent – almost – exclusively behind the wheel of the Long Range Dual Motor.
With twin electric motors, one at each axle, pushing out 400kW and 686Nm, the Dual Motor is claimed to complete the sprint from 0–100km/h in just 3.8 seconds. And certainly, the 2355kg (kerb) mid-size SUV moves away smartly from standstill, in a manner that only EVs seem to be able to muster.
But Polestar’s team was also keen to stress that the 4 is more than just a “traffic light to traffic light” electric vehicle, that its sporty parameters extended to chassis balance and driver engagement.
To find out if they have succeeded, I needed to head out of town, via a decent cruise on Madrid’s motorway system that showcased the 4’s comfort and quietude. It also highlighted the Polestar 4’s trick camera-based rear-view mirror.
It’s a little confronting initially, the projected hi-res images of such clarity that they seem almost too good. But as good as the system is, it lacks that ability to move your head slightly to adjust the field of view. It feels a little unnatural at first, but once your brain recalibrates, it’s a decent setup and certainly a major step above similar camera-based side mirror integrations seen on some EVs.
And one clever feature is that when you activate the indicators, the field of view in the mirror adjusts to the indicated side, not by much, but just enough to bring into sharp clarity a different angle behind the car.
Our launch drive set off from downtown Madrid during peak hour, an early real-world application for how the Polestar 4 will most likely spend the bulk of its time.
With brisk take-off from standstill, the Polestar 4 is a joy to navigate around town – quiet, relaxed, refined.
Equally, the Polestar 4 is right at home cruising at sensible highway speeds (and in Spain that means 120–130km/h), with a near-silent ambience in the cabin (Polestar has chosen not to pipe fake electronic sounds into the cabin), and a comfort under wheel that simply glides over the smooth surfaces of the autovia.
It’s worth noting the Dual Motor variant comes fitted with adaptive dampers, with three settings to choose from – Standard, Nimble and Firm. My test car sat on optional 22-inch alloys, which made the Polestar 4’s supple ride comfort on the motorway all the more impressive.
Heading into the mountains outside Madrid offers an opportunity to exploit the 4’s performance bent and it is – largely – impressive. Yes, there is a tremendous amount of acceleration out of corners on tap, and yes, the chassis feels surprisingly nimble and agile (weight distribution is an impressive 50:50 front to rear).
But with the adaptive dampers in their firmest settings, the Polestar had a tendency to feel a little skittish over some of the more roughshod surfaces that comprised the launch route. The steering, too, felt a little vague on centre. It wasn’t terrible by any stretch, but certainly worth remarking on later back at base camp.
Polestar was quick to respond, revealing a mix-up with suspension hardware and steering software fitted to the pre-production car I was driving was the reason for those inconsistencies.
Polestar, suitably mortified, stated the situation was “regrettable, and highly unusual” and gave assurances that all Australian-delivered production models would be fitted with the latest – and correct – hardware and software.
To be fair, neither of those minor issues was enough to mar what was an otherwise enjoyable driving experience, the Polestar 4 a largely eager and willing mid-sizer when it came to driving enjoyment.
Braking, courtesy of some mighty big rotors both front and back, and retarded by big Brembo calipers, proved exemplary, eagerly pulling up the heavy SUV. Better still, the transition between regenerative and friction braking proved seamless, which is not something we can say about every EV on the market.
A very brief stint behind the wheel of the Long Range Single Motor variant proved it is arguably the more engaging of the two models, if not as quick off the line or out of corners. But its supple suspension tune on passive dampers demonstrated that Polestar’s engineers have ride comfort and compliance well sorted, software glitches notwithstanding.
Certainly, first impressions are good and point to a mid-size electric SUV that can mix it, and mix it well, with the rest of the segment.
| Key details | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | 2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor |
| Engine | Single electric motor | Dual electric motors |
| Power | 200kW | 400kW |
| Torque | 343Nm | 686Nm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single-speed | Single-speed w/front motor disconnect clutch |
| Weight (kerb) | 2230kg | 2355kg |
| Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit | Tyre repair kit |
| Turning circle | 11.6m | 11.6m |
Should I buy a Polestar 4?
Beautifully executed, both inside and out, the Polestar 4 is a masterclass in minimalist design. That it’s also, unfortunate software and hardware glitch notwithstanding, an engaging and sharp drivers’ tool only adds to the appeal.
We’ll reserve final judgment of the Polestar 4 when we cycle it through the Drive garages in Australia. But if early indications are anything to go by, the Polestar 4 has the right arsenal to mix it with the best in the prestige EV space.
The post 2024 Polestar 4 review: International first drive appeared first on Drive.
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