About two years ago (“On the Move,” April 2024), I brought you the Polestar 2. You may not have seen another Polestar since. Even on the tech-friendly Peninsula, Polestar has been largely an under-the-radar electric vehicle brand.
It’s owned by Geely, the Chinese automaker that also owns Volvo, and there were many commonalities between the Polestar 2 and the Volvo S60.
Polestar is evolving rapidly into its own distinct flavor, though. The Polestar 2, a sedan, is still available, an SUV called Polestar 3, which I have not driven, has joined the lineup and now we have the Polestar 4, which it describes as having “coupe aerodynamics and SUV spaciousness.”
The most obvious comparison is with the Tesla Model Y, with the Polestar 4 being 3 1/2 inches longer, 3 1/2 inches wider and 3 1/2 inches lower.
Oh yeah, and the Polestar doesn’t have a rear window.
You read that right – there is no rear window. The Polestar engineers felt they could achieve better aerodynamics and some weight loss by not having a huge pane of glass at the back of the Polestar 4. There are the required two outside mirrors and inside is a digital rear view mirror – essentially a monitor of what the cameras mounted on the rear of the vehicle are seeing.
These digital mirrors aren’t new. I’ve seen them in cars for about five years now. That said, I’m not a big fan.
While a digital mirror can show you what’s behind you, it can’t tell you how far behind you it is in the same way that a physical mirror can. It’s not a problem in, say, backing out of a parking space, but if another car is on your bumper on the freeway, it’s difficult to tell just how close that other car is. It’s also more sensitive to the headlights of cars behind you than an inside mirror on its “night” setting is.
That is one of only two complaints I have about the Polestar 4 Dual Motor, though. Its 544 horsepower and 506 pound-feet of torque with all-wheel-drive make it the fastest vehicle Polestar makes, with 0-60 happening in 3.7 seconds and a range of 280 miles per charge. If you want to go farther, not faster, there’s also a single-motor Polestar 4, but the dip in power (272 hp/253 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 in 6.9 seconds) doesn’t buy much more range – an additional 30 miles (310 miles).
It’s smooth, solid and a great handler. I genuinely loved driving it.
The second complaint? It’s not unique to the Polestar 4 – in fact, it’s common with EVs, and if you’re choosing between this and a Tesla, it’s irrelevant, because both of them have it: Everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – is in the touchscreen. Adjusting the seats, adjusting the mirrors, opening the rear hatch. Opening the glove compartment.
The good news is that most of those things are things that you’d probably do infrequently and while parked. But other adjustments – entertainment, climate control, turning on the fog lights – it’s all in the screen.
European safety regulations soon to take effect will require certain essential functions come out of the screen, and frankly, that day can’t come too soon.
The base price of the 2026
Polestar 4 Dual Motor is $62,900 ($64,300 including destination) and it comes with LED lighting, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, continuously controlled active damping suspension, a full-length panoramic roof, a high-performance audio system with Google built-in and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto, an advanced driver assistance system with radar, 11 exterior cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
The one I drove had two options: 21-inch wheels ($1,800) and metallic paint – the shade is called “Snow” ($1,300), so the as-tested price is $67,400. That’s roughly ten grand more than a comparably-equipped Tesla Model Y, but the Polestar 4’s premium materials justify that extra expense, in my view.
Polestar has done a lot in a very short time in terms of building out an EV lineup and improving its offerings. It’ll be fascinating to see what comes next.
Mike Hagerty, past vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews at MikeHagertyCars.com.
