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Last year, Polestar announced its most practical electric car yet in the Polestar 4. But this week, during the car’s North American debut at the New York International Auto Show, we finally got an official launch price and a chance to check out its most controversial features. .
Positioned as a slightly smaller, more affordable version of the Polestar 3, the company’s latest EV SUV has plenty of merit as it appears to be Polestar’s most attractive mainstream offering yet. The good news is that while the cost was initially said to be around $60,000, the launch price actually comes in at a bit less than that. Pricing for the Polestar 4 starts at $56,300 (including destination) for the standard long-range single-motor version with a range of about 300 miles, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant with about 270 miles will set you back $64,300.
That’s certainly still much higher than many of its competitors including the Tesla Model Y that starts at $43,900 (before federal incentives) or the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at $47,400. But after talking to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, I get the sense that the company is kind of okay with it, as they view the 4 as a more approachable but still very premium offering among EV SUVs.
On the outside, the Polestar 4 retains the good looks we saw on its bigger brother but with a few twists. It has a slightly pointier nose and is steeper, and it’s also a bit less complex because it doesn’t have a front spoiler like the 3. The Polestar 4 still relies on the low, coupe-like SUV shape that’s common now. However, to ensure rear seat passengers have ample room, Polestar has ditched the rear window entirely, opting instead for a simple slab of metal with cameras and a rearview mirror with a built-in screen.
At first, this may seem like a step too far, even for an electric car that may not be subject to the same burden of tradition as gas cars. But Ingenlath explained that there are a lot of advantages that come from this design change. By not having a rear window, Polestar manages to push the rear seats further back while maintaining ample headroom despite the sloping roofline, creating a spacious cabin. I had no trouble getting on and off, and even with the front seats pushed as far back as possible, I still had enough legroom in the back. What’s more, unlike most cars, the Polestar 4’s rear seats can recline, adding to the relaxed feeling.
Another major advantage is the practicality. As it is, the rear windows on many SUV coupes are too small to provide much useful visibility. And that’s before you consider any passengers or luggage that might further obstruct your view. By replacing the rear window and mirror with a camera and display, the Polestar 4 can offer an unobstructed perspective from the rear of the car. But perhaps more importantly, the idea of a car not having a rear window was almost unheard of, as there are thousands of cargo trucks on the road today without a viewport at the back.
Although the idea may seem unnerving, Ingenlath remains confident. He simply asked customers to “try it.” He added: “There’s a lot to do with psychology and people’s natural opposition to change. But innovation is about questioning the rules that existed in the past that don’t necessarily need to be the rules of the future.”
The company’s Scandinavian heritage is evident through the streamlined interior design. However, Ingenlath said the goal is not to simplify for the sake of simplifying. By creating a new fabric made from recycled plastic bottles called Soft Tech, Polestar was able to wrap the cabin in a sustainable 3D material that allows ambient lighting to shine through while remaining extremely durable. Above, the fixed glass roof is electroplated, allowing it to switch from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button.
One thing that caught my attention is that like all Polestar cars, the 4 looks like a designer car. As someone who got his start making cars for VW, Audi and others before becoming CEO of Polestar, Ingenlath said the company really cares about the little details like typeface and typography. You can see this in things like the text on the driver’s side door, which includes the car’s name and its battery size, creating a beautiful and informative sticker. Instead, there are features like ambient lighting, which uses a naming standard based on the planets in the solar system (blue with a touch of green for Earth, red for Mars, etc.). “We simply love what we do, and we love indulging that passion,” Ingenlath said. “We have to find people who share our passion for this kind of quality and technology.”
Unfortunately, we haven’t had a chance to take the four for a drive yet. But as electric vehicle competition continues to increase, it’s clear that Polestar is gaining ground as a manufacturer that embraces innovation through its vehicles. With pre-orders going live sometime in April and deliveries scheduled for Q4 2024, it won’t be long until we get a chance to experience what the Polestar 4 feels like on the road.
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