Polestar 4 review: Mid-sized electric SUV boasts handsome Swedish design and one big surprise

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: the Polestar 4 does not have a rear window. That’s right, its design team instead employed a rear camera mirror set up to maximise rear-seat headroom and create a sleeker SUV/coupe design, at least according to Polestar. Beyond that significant exclusion, the Polestar 4 does a lot of things right.

The Polestar 4 launched in Australia in August 2024 and so far in 2025, it’s the brand’s best-seller locally with 1099 sales under its belt. Two models are on offer: the Long Range Single Motor and the Long Range Dual Motor, both using the same battery but one with a single rear-mounted motor, the other adding another motor for all-wheel drive. We tested the Long Range Single Motor fitted with the optional Plus Pack for this review.

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Polestar 4 pricing (plus on-road costs):

Both Polestar 4 variants in Australia use a 102kWh (94kWh useable) NMC battery that allows for a claimed 620km range rating (WLTP) and can be charged at up to 200kW for a claimed 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 30 minutes. Unlike the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 cousins – and its Polestar 3 bigger sibling – the Polestar 4 uses a 400-volt (not 800V) architecture, so its peak charging speed is slower. But 200kW is still a healthy amount that will surpass most EV chargers in Australia, and its 620km WLTP range is strong in the market as well.

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On the road, the Polestar 4 impresses with its refinement and comfort, while it’s also quite a good handler – and that’s in standard form, so models fitted with the Performance Pack are likely even sharper. The ride is surprisingly soft, with more suspension travel than we were expecting, but the steering is quick with good feel. It feels nimble from behind the wheel, but also not as firm as the smaller Polestar 2. With 200kW, the 4’s performance is more than fine and it has ample grunt, though those wanting more go will upgrade to the dual motor and its 400kW.

You can also tell that European engineers tuned the active safety features because they’re excellent. The 4 is actually built in China and uses a platform from parent company Geely, but not once in our drive did the lane keeping assistance go wrong or the driver monitoring annoy. The adaptive cruise control is excellent too, especially with its accurate and effective pilot assist level 2 autonomous driving capability.

And how about the rear camera mirror in lieu of a rear window? Well, this reviewer learnt to drive on trucks so I’m used to not having a rear window. Thankfully, the exterior mirrors are large enough to be quite useful (even if they adjust using the screen) and give accurate depth perception of the rear view. However, depth is not something you get from a rear mirror camera, so it took a while for me to get used to it. Thankfully, the 360-degree camera is quite detailed for parking.

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At first glance, the interior of the Polestar 4 appears to be from the business class lounge of a Swedish airport thanks to crisp detailing, an abundance of light and a high quality feel throughout. It definitely feels like a more premium space than rivals such as the Tesla Model Y and it feels special inside.

Cabin highlights include the textile trims on the door panels with switchable ambient lighting, the large volume dial in the middle of the centre console with its satisfying click when being used, and the elegant 7.2-inch digital driver’s display.

All Polestar 4 models use a ginormous 15.4-inch touchscreen that runs the company’s latest implementation of inbuilt Google software. Thankfully, it’s much easier to use than sister brand Volvo’s equivalent – in fact, the screen icons and general layout is fantastic. Screen quality is great, and the sound quality from the 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (as part of the optional Plus Pack of our test car) is rich as well.

Features of the touchscreen include wireless Apple CarPlay, FM and DAB+ digital radio (but no AM) and Google services such as Google Maps navigation and access to the Google Play Store so apps such as Spotify and YouTube can be downloaded. It also has a dog mode, which keeps the cabin cool for when you’re shopping to keep pets happy.

Seat comfort in the Polestar 4 is excellent, especially with the Plus Pack ticked, which adds very supportive and adjustable 12-way electric front seats. Storage is plentiful too, including large door bins, plus a big central box and tray underneath the centre console.

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The rear seat is spacious for the segment and the standard panoramic roof and lack of rear window – there’s a removable trim piece blocking access to the boot instead – make it feel airy. Rear seat comfort is excellent, aided further by the electric reclining rear seats of the Plus Pack, and the control screen used to control the climate and entertainment is a nice touch as well.

The boot isn’t quite as large as you’d expect. At 526 litres with the seats up, its claimed capacity seems generous thanks to a shallow floor. Thankfully, there is more storage underneath the boot floor and folding the rear seats opens the boot up to 1536 litres – there’s a large 15-litre front boot as well.

There’s no question that some EV rivals offer better value for money than the Polestar 4, while some ride better and others offer more performance with more impressive charging stats. But as an overall package, with its spacious and inviting interior, useable tech and comfortable driving experience, the Polestar 4 impresses. Don’t say we didn’t warn you about the rear window, though…

Standard equipment:

• 20-inch alloy wheels with a tyre repair kit
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting
• LED front and rear daytime running lights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Heated/auto-folding/auto-dropping (in reverse) mirrors
• Keyless entry and start with NFC key card
• Digital key for Apple devices
• Panoramic glass roof
• Electric tailgate
• 8-way electric driver’s seat with memory
• 6-way electric front passenger seat
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 10.2-inch digital driver’s display
• 15.4-inch touchscreen with connected services, including over-the-air updates
• Google integration include Google Maps navigation and access to the Google Play Store to download apps such as YouTube and Spotify (three years’ coverage, subscription afterwards)
• FM and DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Eight-speaker sound system
• 4x USB-C charging ports
• Wireless phone charger

Safety features:

• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection monitoring with steering assistance
• Adaptive cruise control with level 2 autonomous highway driving capability (including lane changing)
• Adaptive lane guidance
• Lane keeping assistance
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Cross-traffic support with braking
• Exit assist
• Road sign recognition with speed limit assistance
• Driver attention monitoring
• Auto high beam
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

The Polestar 4 received a five-star ANCAP safety rating earlier in 2025 with scores of 92 per cent for adult protection, 87 per cent for child protection, 81 per cent for pedestrian protection and 79 per cent for safety assist.

Options:

• Plus Pack with 12-way electric front seats, heated steering wheel and rear seats, 1320W 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, 14.7-inch head-up display, illuminated textile interior trim, illuminated Polestar logo, adaptive high beam, foot-operated power bootlid, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, tri-zone automatic climate control with rear control screen, power reclining rear seats, a PM2.5 air filter and upgraded 22kW AC charging: $8000 (fitted to our test car)
• Pro Pack with 21-inch alloy wheels, gold-striped seatbelts: $2500
• Performance Pack (only with Long Range Dual Motor and with the Plus Pack) with 22-inch alloy wheels, sportier chassis tuning, Brembo brakes, gold accents: $7200
• Electrochromic glass roof: $2000
• Body-coloured lower body cladding: $1400
• Rear privacy glass: $700
• Nappa leather upholstery (only with Plus Pack) in black or white: $5700
• Premium paint: $1750-$2300
• 21-inch wheels: $2500

Polestar 4 rivals:

• Tesla Model Y
• Kia EV6
• Hyundai Ioniq 5

Polestar 4 specifications: