Polestar 4 400kW 100kWh LR DM Plus Pilot/Pro 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

The Polestar 4 claims to be a really creditably dynamic mid-sized EV. Particularly in this top Long range Dual motor Performance Pack form.

Background

For this test, we're going to get a bit beyond all the mild controversy surrounding the lack of a rear window in the Polestar 4. And concentrate on how creditable its dynamic aspirations really are. We didn't feel those too keenly in the Long range Single motor version we first tried. But the AWD Long range Dual motor variant seems a more promising prospect with its adaptive suspension. And a Long range Dual motor version fitted with the brand's optional Performance Pack ought to be better still ...

Driving Experience

As the 12 o'clock marker on the steering wheel suggests, this Sino-Swedish maker wants its products to feel 'sporty', which inevitably means a somewhat firm standard of ride. Adaptive suspension is restricted to the Dual motor model - and then enhanced with 'Polestar Engineered chassis tuning' if you pay even more on that top variant for the optional 'Performance Pack' (which also includes bigger Brembo brakes). All of which creates the top model we're focusing on for this review. We're not talking Porsche Macan Electric standards of cornering driveability here - and steering feel is never involving as you'll find on that Zuffenhausen model - but there's no doubt that this Polestar hides its prodigious 2,230kg kerb weight exceptionally well on twistier roads at speed. With this Dual motor model, adding an extra motor to the front axle boosts total output to 536bhp and nearly doubles pulling power from 343Nm to 686Nm, lowering the 62mph sprint time to just 3.8s, without too much cost to EV range - a still-respectable 367 miles. Maximum speed is limited to a quite un-EV-like 124mph. As for drive impressions, well we'll start with this Polestar's party piece first; you might wonder how you're going to adjust to manoeuvring about a car without a rear window. It actually doesn't take long at all. You won't want to stare at the 8.9-inch digital rear view mirror you get instead for very long, but then you shouldn't be anyway and it works well - with a 121-degree field of view. It can pan left and right when indicating, you can adjust the display's brightness and view to make it look reasonably natural and there's a standard surround view camera system for tight car parks. The brakes feel natural too, which isn't always a given in a segment where rivals often struggle to combine regen force with friction retardation. Two screen-selectable 'One Pedal Drive' brake regen options are offered, 'low' and stronger 'standard', which are all you really need. There are three steering weight options too but Polestar doesn't think you need any fake drivetrain sound effects. Unlike on the rear-driven version, you get drive modes - 'Range' and 'Performance' settings, plus Launch Control too.

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

In Long range Dual motor form, the Polestar 4 was priced from around £67,000 at the time of this review, though Polestar's so-called 'seasonal offers' might reduce that figure little. The base Long range Single motor model starts at around £60,000. Here, we're focusing on a Long range Dual motor fitted with the optional 'Performance Pack', which for an extra £4,000 gives you bigger 22-inch forged wheels, Polestar Engineered chassis tuning, Brembo brakes and gold accents for the seat belts, the brake calipers and the tyre valve caps. 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. We should also brief you on the manner in which you'll need to buy or lease this car, since Polestar doesn't use many conventional dealerships. The primary idea remains 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 figure in our 'Driving' section - 360 miles for this 'Long range Dual motor' variant (compare against 379 miles for the 'Long range Single motor' version). A heat pump will be standard allowing you to maintain range in really cold temperatures. Charging takes place via a fancy motorised charging door. This '4' model 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

Polestar is still not quite ready to engage at the sharp end of the performance part of the mid-sized EV market. But if the uptake on this 'Performance Pack' amongst Polestar 4 Long range Dual motor customers is significant, you can bet this Sino-Swedish maker will start thinking about it. For now though, it has nothing to approach really dynamic class entrants like the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N or the Kia EV6 GT, but if you don't need the ultimate power of contenders like those, this Polestar 4 Long range Dual motor Performance Pack model might be worth a look.