Road Tested by Hugh Maguire.
Polestar started out as a performance tuning division for Volvo cars. Then in 2017 it was spun off as a standalone premium electric car brand. Both Polestar and Volvo are now owned by the giant Chinese conglomerate Geely. However they have kept the traditional values of Swedish design that Volvo was famous for and that’s a good thing.
Polestar currently have four models, the Polestar 2, Polestar 4, Polestar 3 and soon to be launched Polestar 5. Interestingly the numbers don’t coincide with the size of each model rather the order in which they are released.
So to the model on test here, the Polestar 4 long range single motor (LRSM). There are two versions of the Polestar 4 this one and a long range dual motor (LRDM) version with all wheel drive.
The Polestar is positioned as a rival to some well established heavyweights such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, Mercedes EQE, Porsche Macan electric, and Tesla model Y to name but a few so it needs to deliver to outgun these rivals.
So Has It any street cred?
I really like the chunky bold styling of the new Polestar 4. Its not a Volvo copy but a standalone design that works really well. Also it does not display any quirky “I am an EV” type design which makes it even more appealing. So top marks to Polestar for how it looks. It’s got real street cred!
However there is one item that some might find both looks strange and changes the driving experience somewhat. It has no rear window! Instead apart from the usual door mirrors and a reversing camera your rear view while driving is via a rearward facing camera with the screen where your rear view mirror would normally be. This has two effects. First I feel it makes the rear of the car a bit claustrophobic with no rear window. Second switching your focus from the road ahead to the ‘rearview screen’ that is really close to your face is difficult for your eyes to adjust to. Also to those of us who wear glasses for close up vision but don’t need them for driving the result is the close up image in the ‘Rear view screen’ is somewhat out of focus. You loose the depth perception that a real mirror gives. Also when reversing the view in the rear view camera makes objects seem very close to the back of the car something that’s really obvious when you look at the reversing camera only to see you are still far away from the object. So all of this takes a bit of getting used to. Buyer beware.
What’s it like inside?
Initial impressions of the interior are that its very nicely finished but very minimalist in execution. The seats are finished in a faux leather look and in keeping with the minimalist theme there are two screens and absolutely no buttons. That’s a shame.
The driver has a simple digital display which frankly lacks any design imagination. Just simple large digits for speed and range. It’s a bit underwhelming. Then there is the huge central touchscreen through which every function must go right down to opening the glovebox, changing the angle of the door mirrors or simply turning on the foglight. It is all through the huge 15 inch screen. That frankly is very distracting and often frustrating.
The infotainment comes with Google built-in as the core operating environment which is nice. There is some lovely ambient lighting inspired by the planets of the Solar system which creates a wonderful ambiance at night.
The Polestar 4 of course also boasts a host of safety kit and its all very well put together too.
From space point of view it’s pretty good with decent leg and headroom both front and rear. However rear seat occupants may find that due to the battery sitting under the floor you sit with your knees higher than your hip and that is actually uncomfortable over time. It even feels odd. Some other manufacturers like Porsche in the Taycan solve this by building the battery in such a way as to have a recess where your feet would be on the rear floor. There is plenty of storage space, multiple USC ports front and rear and wireless phone charging. I particularly like the huge tinted pano roof as it makes the cabin feel a bit more airy than its dark interior suggests. The electrically operated rear hatch opens to reveal a decent size boot.
What about performance?
Power output is some 200Kw (272bhp) with a single electric motor driving the rear wheels powered by a 100Kw battery. Performance is pretty good overall hitting 100km/hour from standstill in about 7 seconds.
Polestar claim a WLTP range of 620km but like all EV’s I came nowhere near that.
On mixed driving including motorway it managed 410km. Best consumption driven very gingerly was 20.9Kw/100km overall average was 23.6Kw/100km. Charging at a fast charger (max 200Kw) from 20% to 80% takes about 30 minutes. Road tax is €120.00.
How does it drive?
The suspension set up can feel a bit on the firm side at times on some country roads but it has to be to cope with the sheer weight of the car. The steering which has three settings for feel is quite nicely weighted while the brakes are superb providing massive stopping power.
Overall I really liked the way it drives. Grip is tenacious whether on wet or dry roads and there is good driver feedback. The Polestar 4 delivers in as much as any EV can in being quite good to drive.
Hugh’s Verdict.
Overall I really liked the new Polestar 4. But it is not without it’s drawbacks. First of all there is the lack of the rear window. This will put some people off for sure and it really does have an impact on the overall driving experience. Sure over time I guess one adapts but it will not be for everybody. The lack of any real buttons in how you operate the car is both distracting and frustrating and those rear seats while its spacious back there its actually not so comfortable due to that high floor.
Finally on numerous occasions the ‘Key” fob which also has no buttons did not recognise that I was approaching the car and so I often had to prod the recessed door handles (soon to be banned by the Chinese on safety grounds) to get the car to open.
On the plus side the Polestar 4 boasts Swedish cool minimalist design cues that are attractive and distinctive. It drives well in general and its quite a nice looking car.It boasts a 3 year vehicle warranty, an 8 year battery warranty and a 12 year corrosion warranty. So there is a lot to like about the Polestar 4 and in that I think it delivers as a premium electric car.
Prices start at €56,490. The LRSM Plus model costs from €67,090 while the test car LRSM Plus with some options cost €69,590.
Likes:
A premium product that looks and feels classy.
Quiet and refined.
Plenty of High tech on board
Dislikes:
No rear window
All functionality through touchscreen. No buttons.
Rear seating position not so comfortable.