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4 102 kwh battery packs, with fast charging capability up to 200 kwh
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Range? 270 miles with dual motors, 300 miles with single motor (both estimated)
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No 800-volt charging, but the Polestar 4 has Android software on board
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About the rear glass…or lack of rear glass…
Polestar launched the brand first with a plug-in hybrid 1 coupe, followed by a conventional 2 hatchback as it launched its all-electric range.
This year Polestar 3 Swing for Efficient Performance with a seven-seat body style and U.S. assembly. It looks like a more solid option than the Polestar 4, an intriguing new model that combines coupe, sedan, fastback and SUV cues in a way that appeals to drivers drawn to Genesis GV60, Tesla Model Yor coming soon Porsche Macan Electric Car.
If you want to define it by body style, don’t. Ground clearance is low for SUVs. Four doors rule out coupes. Fixed glass over the rear passenger seat rules out hatchbacks. Sedan? With that roofline?
For the Polestar 4, genre is a construct. It explores a variety of body styles but doesn’t focus on any of them. That makes it an appealing new thing that gives it a lot of freedom with its own distinct but not fatal flaws: an overemphasis on touchscreen functionality, moderately fast charging, and an occasionally brittle ride.
How do I know? I drove it from central Madrid to the northwest hills near Segovia, and back. The Polestar 4 has a lot of the familiar feel of an electric car. But in some ways, it’s completely on its own.
2025 Polestar 4
Polestar 4 2025: Fast acceleration, fast charging
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0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds (AWD), 6.9 seconds (RWD)
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Range 300 miles (single engine), 270 miles (dual engine)
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400 volt DC fast charge at up to 200 kW; 10-80% in 30 minutes
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One-pedal driving in all driving modes—through a touch of the screen
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Other specifications: 2025 Polestar 4
Two Polestar 4s lurk beneath its sleek bodywork. There’s a nimble single-motor, rear-wheel-drive car, and a nimble two-motor, all-wheel-drive hustler. Neither has much steering feel, and the big wheels compromise its adaptive damping, but both still feel next-generation.
A 102-kWh battery powers both versions. In the single-motor Polestar 4, it’s not exactly powerful, with 272 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. Polestar says that’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds and an estimated 300 miles of range (EPA, not WLTP). If so many other EVs aren’t prone to needlessly over-accelerating, it’s all good.
Until you drive the twin-motor 4, that is. The same battery packs a punch here, with a net output of 544 horsepower and 506 lb-ft of torque. That cuts the 0-60 mph time to 3.7 seconds—and the range, too, to 270 miles. This is the car you want on the mountain passes that run northwest toward Segovia, where Seats and cyclists speed by at 12 mph. Find a spot in the lane ahead, hit the gas, and the twin-motor Polestar 4 will notice and find its place—all without the zither-like soundtrack of some other luxury EVs.
Single-motor cars get standard dampers and struts, but the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Polestar 4 has adaptive dampers to help it cope with the enthusiasm its powertrain can generate. It needs more compliance, even when equipped with the mid-range 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport EV tires from my test car. (The 4 comes standard with 20-inch wheels, and 22-inch wheels come on the AWD cars for the US market.) With the power delivery set to performance and the steering weighted at its normal—light—weight, the 4 tracks precisely on the highway while being jostled by rough patches of pavement, sliding over them rather than absorbing them.
The solution? Brake in those spots or engage one-pedal driving to reduce the impact. The two-pedal system works well, although one-pedal mode seems less eager to slow down than some other performance EVs I’ve driven recently.
In other solid news, the twin-motor Polestar 4 has a 3,500-pound towing capacity and a claimed 6.5 inches of ground clearance, but with looks like this, who’s going to stress any specs?
2025 Polestar 4
Polestar 4 2025 exterior and interior: Plenty of space, even in the interface
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Great style, inside and out
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Spacious: 190.5 inches long, 118.1-inch wheelbase, 18.6-54.2 cubic feet of cargo space (and small front trunk)
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Too many functions are hidden in the touch screen
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Solar system themed interior lighting
The 4’s exterior and interior styling surround a cabin with plenty of space—and Polestar takes that to a literal conclusion in the ambient lighting, which is modeled after objects floating around in our solar system: a rolling planetarium, minus the Doobie Brothers.
The 4 has an interesting wedge shape, punctuated by pickaxe-shaped LED headlights, and emblazoned with the Polestar logo. On the sides, the 4 has angular, chunky sills that hollow out what would otherwise be thick sheet metal. A strip of LED taillights pulls the rear end of the car towards the sloping rear roofline, all of which creates a wonderfully spartan effect.
I think the 4’s weak points are the long panoramic roof that extends over the rear seats and the short trunk lid that’s hidden in its shape. Polestar uses both of these to eliminate the rear windshield, and the fact that it doesn’t do enough to make the car visually distinct enough to overcome the vision problems it causes. For those of us who wear prescription glasses or get motion sickness, Polestar’s solution of a digital camera rearview mirror isn’t the answer. Mazda has pushed the 3 hatchback even further into the edge of style—and it stands out more.
The 4’s cockpit has also been simplified more than necessary. The 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster and 15.4-inch tablet-style touchscreen work well as displays. When they’re put to work through Google’s built-in interface to host a variety of functions that are typically toggled or toggled or turned with a knob, they create a kind of JD Power’s Dissatisfaction that other car companies avoid as questions from reporters. So many functions rely on the touchscreen and steering wheel controls—height adjustment and information displayed on the windshield, steering wheel position, etc.—that it can take minutes to set up the car for a driver who isn’t in one of the car’s available “preferred” settings.
That’s a step back, because the rest of the cabin is luxurious and clean for the electric vehicle category. The woven fabric seats are supportive and have solid adjustments. Polestar also offers genuine leather upholstery. The 4 has plenty of legroom and headroom thanks to its flat floor and form factor. And the lack of rear glass doesn’t make rear seat occupants as nervous as I’d like. The rear bench could use more support, although its optional power recline will coddle two large passengers while a third middle passenger snoozes on their shoulders.
2025 Polestar 4
2025 Polestar 4
2025 Polestar 4
2025 Polestar 4
Polestar 4 2025 price and tech: fully OTA
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$56,300 for the 4WD
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$64,300 for AWD 4
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Wireless CarPlay and smartphone charging standard
Available to order now, with deliveries starting in a few months, the Polestar 4 starts at $56,300 for the single-motor car, including a $1,400 destination charge. The dual-motor AWD car starts at $64,300.
Every Polestar 4 comes with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and a surround-view camera system. Limited hands-free driving comes as an optional package that combines 12 lidar sensors, 14 cameras, and radar sensors—and Polestar promises upgradeability via OTA updates without committing to the “full self-driving” antics. Other standard features include a power liftgate, panoramic roof, power front seats, and 20-inch wheels.
Options range from the $1,500 lidar-sensing Pilot Pack on single-motor cars (dual-motor cars have it standard) to the Pro Pack ($2,000 or $600, single- or dual-motor) that adds 21-inch wheels, gold valve covers, and gold-striped seat belts.
The Plus Pack raises the price to $61,800 or $69,800, depending on the engine. It adds 12-way power front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and reclining rear seats, a head-up display, and Harman Kardon audio.
Dual-motor cars with the Performance Package cost $74,300, which includes a sport suspension, 22-inch forged wheels and summer tires, as well as Brembo brakes with upgraded discs and gold-painted calipers.
The first version of the 2025 Polestar 4 will be assembled in China, an unacceptable situation given the tariffs. It will move to a factory in South Korea early next year, which may or may not address those tariffs. Polestar says that for now, price is price. With its striking styling and deliberate quirks, the Polestar 4 could become a popular car. In the world of electric vehicles, as we’ve seen, being different often pays off.
Polestar covered our travel expenses so we could bring you this test drive review.
