MOTORING REVIEW: Polestar 4 is big on style, comfort and performance

The Polestar brand is becoming more recognised here in recent times, with over 1,000 of their vehicles now on Irish roads. 

Polestar is a Swedish automotive brand that arrived in Ireland in 2022 with the launch of the Polestar 2 model, followed by models 3 and 4 in 2024, along with a revised Polestar 2. A Polestar 5's arrival is imminent.

My review car was the long-range single-motor version with a Plus Pack and powered by a 100kWh battery, with 272hp and 343 Nm of torque and a claimed range of 620km, which should quell any range anxiety. 

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An SUV coupe, it is stunning from every angle, slightly shorter and lower than the Polestar 3, but wider for more inside comfort. From the outside, you don’t notice that the car has no rear window. Designers say it allowed for providing extra space for rear seat passengers. 

The car opens as you get very close with the ‘blank’ key fob in your hand. There’s no on/off button, as your bum on the driver’s seat turns everything on and off when you sit or lift yourself to exit. 

The interior is both luxurious and minimalist. Sumptuous seating and high-quality materials give a premium feel. The dash has no knobs or buttons. The split 16.4-inch screen display features a colourful rotating planet of your choice, which determines the interior lighting colour - I chose bright red/orange Mars. This interface is powered by Google Automotive, so it has Google Maps built in. It controls almost all of the car’s functions, even the opening of the tailgate or adjusting the side mirror settings, with quick access to key features like climate control, permanently located at the bottom of the screen. You can also opt to use Voice Control to change the car’s temperature, radio station, or to navigate to a destination. 

The many apps include a recording facility that operates as a dash cam.

The driver’s screen provides all your driving information clearly, with your current speed shown large. With no rear window, a wide rear view is provided via a high-definition camera on the roof, sending the view to a wide ‘screen’ where the rear view mirror would normally be located. It can take a bit of getting used to, but it provides a much wider field of view than a traditional mirror. 

Cubbies include a large open area below the central console, which you can use to store an iPad or a bag out of sight.

A panoramic sunroof reaches from the A-pillars to beyond the heads of rear passengers, providing plenty of light, and is tinted to block out bright sunshine. Rear passengers can enjoy their own infotainment and climate control, and can heat their seats. 

The boot is opened by pressing a dark rectangle on the boot door. Luggage space is a very decent 520 expandable to 1,536 litres, and the floor level can be adjusted. A deep area below stores a tyre repair kit and cables, or you can put these in the 15-litre frunk under the bonnet.

There are just two drive modes, Normal and Sport. The latter should only be used on a sports track, as Normal provides more than sporty driving. 

On the road, my Polestar 4 was a pure joy to drive, with so much power on tap for overtaking or for motorway cruising. You feel very engaged behind the wheel, and the car’s low centre of gravity provides beautiful balance and weight distribution. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 7.1 secs. Energy consumption is claimed to be 17.8-18.4 kWh/100km - I achieved 20.4 kWh/100km during my lengthy test drive period. 200 kW rapid DC charging from 10-80 per cent takes 40 mins; home charging from 0-100 per cent, 5.5 hrs. 

You can opt for one-pedal driving, and set the feel of the steering wheel to light (for navigating city streets), standard (for motorways) or firm (for active driving on twisty roads). The Lane Keeping Alert was way too sensitive, so I switched it off.

When tested last year, the Polestar 4 scored a maximum 5-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

A top car for those who want their car to be different from mainstream models. 

The brand is mainly owned by Geely Holding and Volvo Cars, each of which has ties to the Geely industrial conglomerate in China. Polestar has its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, but produces its cars in facilities controlled by Volvo or by Geely.

My long-range single motor car is priced from €56,490; the long-range dual motor version from €78,390. Road tax is €120.