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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. Here, we look at the recently updated version.
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Background
The Polestar 4. It's intended to be a different kind of Polestar. A different kind of EV. And, the brand reckons, a different kind of mid-sized SUV-Coupe.
The '4' fits into the range between the smaller Polestar 2 and larger Polestar 3 EVs - and at its launch in 2023 was, as that numeral suggests, the fourth design that this increasingly international manufacturer had bought us. The marque is grounded in Sweden and its cars are financed by the Geely conglomerate in China and built either there or (as in the case of the '4'), in Busan, South Korea.
Directly in the Polestar 4's sights are sportier, more premium mid-sized EV models like the BMW i4 and the Porsche Macan Electric - maybe also the Audi Q6 e-tron; as well aspiring fashionable ones like the Tesla Model Y and the Lexus RZ.
To stand out, this '4' will need to make headlines - and did at its original introduction, launched as the first production car to be introduced without a rear window. But there's a lot more to this Polestar than that. It was lightly updated in Summer 2026, creating the car we're going to take a closer look at here.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 56750 | 71250 |
| Insurance group 1-50 | 45 | 48 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 124 | 124 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 367 | 367 |
| Min | Max |
| Length (mm) | 4840 | 4840 |
| Width (mm) | 2139 | 2139 |
| Height (mm) | 1534 | 1534 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 526 | 526 |
| Power (ps) | 268 | 536 |
| Torque (lb ft) | 343 | 686 |
Driving experience
This Polestar 4 might not be that much bigger than a Polestar 2 but it's very differently engineered. Under the skin lies the Geely 'SEA' (or 'Sustainable Experience Architecture') platform that we've seen used in an extraordinarily wide cross-section of cars - everything from a compact smart #1 to a large luxury Lotus Emeya. And the only battery available bolted to it is much larger than you'd get in a '2', 100kWh in size, 94kWh of which is actually usable. In short, it isn't only the looks of this car that make it a more ambitious thing than other mid-sized EV crossover models.
The drivetrain choice on offer feels more familiar. Either the Rear motor version we tried; or, if there's more in the budget, a punchy Dual motor variant that feels quite different and is for those after some serious speed. As you'd expect, it's the Rear motor version that most customers choose, which offers 268bhp, 0-62mph in 7.1s and a range of 385 miles. It's all you really need, unless you're set on taking on faster rivals like the Tesla Model Y Performance or the Porsche Macan Electric 4S, in which case you'll need the Dual motor variant's extra thrust. With that top model, adding an extra identical 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 on all models is limited to a quite un-EV-like 124mph. The Dual motor derivative can also be ordered in top Performance form, in which guise the car gets Polestar Engineered chassis tuning and beefier Brembo brakes.
As for drive impressions across the Polestar 4 line-up, well we'll start with this Sino-Swedish model'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. 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. On this rear-driven version, rather curiously, there are no drive modes - though you do get them on the Dual motor variant - 'Range' and 'Performance' settings, plus Launch Control too.
As the 12 o'clock marker on the steering wheel suggests, the brand wants its products to feel 'sporty', which inevitably means a somewhat firm standard of ride. Adaptive suspension is restricted to the Dual motor model. Even without that embellishment though, you could live with the standard passive set-up perfectly easily and it certainly promotes impressive body control through the bends.
As part of product updates introduced in Summer 2026, Rear motor and Dual motor variants feature a recalibrated chassis with high-capacity passive dampers, new spring and anti-roll bar settings and polyurethane rebound stops replacing internal rebound coil springs. Polestar says that the steering's been made sharper too.
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Design and build
The Polestar 4 is primarily a swept-back Coupe-SUV though as we completed this review, the brand was also getting ready to launch an estate version. The standard Coupe model we focus on here has 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. Out back, there's a 526-litre boot, extendable to 1,536-litres. Plus there's a 15-litre under-bonnet 'frunk' for the charging leads.
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Market and model
At the time of our review in Summer 2026, prices for this Polestar 4 were starting from just under £57,000 for the Rear motor version and from just under £64,000 for the Dual motor variant. Both those figures get to standard 'Business' trim; for £4,000 more in each case, you can have plusher 'Prime' spec. The top Dual motor Performance flagship derivative only comes in 'Prime' trim and cost from just over £71,000 at the time of this review.
With both trim levels, Polestar has recently added to standard equipment. The base version now gets rear privacy glass along with safety assistance features including Pilot assist, Lane change assist and Park assist pilot.
That's on top of the items which have always been incorporated as part of Polestar 4 spec. Which include 20-inch 'Aero' wheels, LED headlights with Active High Beam, power-folding frameless mirrors, deployable e-latch powered door handles, UV and noise-reducing laminated glass, rain-sensing wipers, an alarm and a big panoramic glass roof. Drive stuff includes Adaptive Cruise Control, multi-mode steering, Hill Descent Control and a 'One Pedal Drive' brake regen system. Polestar also includes a Digital key so you can effect entry via a 'phone app; and a heat pump to maintain EV range in colder months. And there are all the usual benefits of the 'Polestar Connect' 'phone app so that you can interact remotely with your car, locking and unlocking it from wherever you are and pre-conditioning the cabin's climate system before you get to it.
Inside, there's powered, heated front seats, a wireless charging mat, a 10.2-inch driver's display and a 360-degree camera system, plus the digital rear view mirror that of course you have to have because there's no rear screen.. Media connectivity's taken care of by a 15.4-inch centre display which has WiFi and 5G 'phone-tethering, plus the usual over-the-air updates, Bluetooth and 'Apple CarPlay' 'phone-mirroring. This monitor also comes with 12 months free use of the brand's 'Connected services plus' package.
Standard safety kit includes Advanced Collision Avoidance, along with Forward Collision Warning, with specific Collision avoidance not only for other vehicles but also for cyclists and pedestrians. You also get a Lane Keeping Aid, Lane Departure Warning and Rear Collision Warning and Mitigation. Plus there's Cross-Traffic Alert with brake support, Blind Spot Information with steer assist, Oncoming Lane Mitigation and a Post-impact braking system.
Is it worth upgrading to plusher 'Prime' spec? Maybe. That more expensive trim level adds interior upgrades such as a Harmon Kardon sound system, a head-up display, illuminated star knit door cards, a rear control screen, 12-way adjustable seats with easy ingress/egress, reclining and heated rear seats, 3-zone climate control and a PM2.5 particulate filtration system. For the exterior, Polestar 4 coupe 'Prime' customers receive an illuminated Polestar logo, Pixel LED headlights with adaptive high beam and a power-operated tailgate with foot sensor.
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Cost of ownership
Both '4' models can DC charge at up to 200kW. True, that's still some way off the 270kW speed of an 800V model in this class like an Audi Q6 e-tron or a Porsche Macan Electric, but it does allow this Polestar to top up using a rapid public charger from 10 to 80% in half an hour. What about AC charging at home? Well, if you've only a conventional 7.4kW wallbox, you'll need 13 hours and 47 minutes for a full charge (though in most cases, overnight charging will still be possible because only 8 hours and 16 minutes will be needed if the charge is only from 20-80%). With a three-phase 11kW AC supply, the full charge time is 11 hours - which you can reduce to five hours 30 minutes if you can three-phase AC charge using the upgraded 22kW AC charging system.
What else? Well at the time of this review in the 2026/2027 tax year, EVs were Benefit-in-Kind tax-rated at 4%. The insurance group for the Rear motor version is 45 - for the Dual motor it's group 48. Expected depreciation is predicted at 55% after three years and 36,000 miles - a strong showing. Servicing on a Polestar 4 is every two years or 18,750 miles, whichever comes first. The brand provides a disappointingly mediocre three year / 60,000 mile warranty and the usual 8-year / 100,000 mile battery warranty to 70% of battery capacity. Plus a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. There's 3 years of 24/7 roadside assistance.
Polestar says that the 4 coupe has a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of 20.3 tCO2e for Dual motor cars and 19.4 tCO2e for Rear motor cars. The Dual motor version has decreased by 1.1 tCO2e since launch, emphasising Polestar's continuous focus on sustainability.
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Summary
This '4' encapsulates Polestar's gradual repositioning away from its former Volvo parent. Not least in the fact that it was 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, especially in this updated form. The competition it faces is formidable, but we think 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.
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