The 2025 Polestar 4 Is a Different Kind of Electric SUV (There's No Rear Window, For One Thing)
This quick, electric coupe-like SUV has quirks that make it its own animal.
The fastest Polestar is about to go on sale, a coupe-like compact SUV with no rear window and a 0–60-mph time of 3.7 seconds. All of that power is electric and the five-passenger 2025 Polestar 4 is also billed as the brand’s most sustainable vehicle.
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Polestar is not a household name, if you haven’t noticed. The company with Chinese parents but Scandinavian roots is an electric startup of sorts but with some legacy behind it as a Volvo offshoot. Until June this year, it had a lineup of one: the Polestar 2 electric sedan. But the brand expects its sales trajectory to grow with the addition of the 2025 Polestar 3 midsize two-row SUV that is now on sale and which the company expects to be its volume-selling model.
The 3 is followed by the more niche Polestar 4 that hits showrooms later this year. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath did not intend to launch the two new models so close together, but software issues that delayed the 3 threw the cadence off.
While the Polestar 3 will attract more mainstream enthusiasts and potentially families, the Polestar 4 is the sportier option. It bows as a vehicle unfamiliar to many but with the manufacturer hoping it becomes one of those “if you know, you know” vehicles. Attributes that may help it join that club are a low-slung driving position, instant torque, impressive speed, and the sensation of driving a rear-wheel-drive car.
What is the Polestar 4?
Polestar is part of the Geely family, a Chinese conglomerate that also owns Volvo. The P4 rides on a Geely platform known as SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture). The electric SUV enters the world with a choice of a long-range single motor in the rear or a long-range dual-motor setup for all-wheel-drive capability.
The look is sleek, with a lowered nose for better aerodynamics, a lower roofline, and a body structure pushed back to ensure adequate second-row headroom.
The 4’s face is recognizable with the dual-blade LED headlights that are a Polestar signature, and a backlit Polestar emblem on the hood. Polestars forego grilles in favor of smart zones that house radar, sensors and other driver-assist tech. In back, the brake light extends across the width of the car and wraps around the sides. The Polestar 4 comes with 20–22-inch wheels.
The huge glass roof extends halfway down the back of the vehicle where it morphs into the hatch. Because there is no rear window, the Polestar 4 has a high-definition camera to project the world behind the rear bumper onto the digital rearview “mirror.”
Driving Without a Rear Window
We travelled to Madrid, Spain, to drive the Polestar 4 on California-style curvy roads and switchbacks. The cars were preproduction models but in the final stages of software tinkering before going on sale.
The P4 is equipped with a second-generation rearview mirror and camera from Gentex and is the first mainstream vehicle to offer it in lieu of an actual rear window. The camera tilts and pans to take in four lanes and allegedly provides greater detail when driving at night, but we did all our driving in daylight. The camera is mounted above the tailgate and encased, meaning the lens does not get wet or dirty. You can switch off the mirror’s camera-display mode, making it a conventional mirror so you can check on what the kids are doing in the second row.
We were surprised how quickly we adjusted to the digital view. Breaking the habit of turning your head to look out the back might take a bit of time, but acclimatizing to the image happens almost immediately. The one time it was a detriment occurred while backing out of a parking space onto a busy street. While the view broadened, seeing approaching cross traffic was tricky and the distance perception was not accurate—an approaching car was closer than it appeared. But the overall experience was far more user friendly than anticipated.
Powering the Polestar 4
Side graphics on the car tell the world this is a Polestar 4 and lists its 100-kWH/400-kW capability, referring to the dual-motor model that flings you forward with a combined 544 horsepower (400 KW) and 506 lb-ft of torque. With a single-motor model, the output is 272 hp and 253 lb-ft. It too has a 100-kWh battery and an EPA-rated range of 300 miles on a single charge, while the dual-motor version’s range dips to 270 miles.
For comparison, the dual-motor Polestar 3 has 489 horsepower, 620 lb-ft of torque, and an EPA-rated range of 315 miles. The optional Performance Pack boosts horsepower to 517. The 3 rides on Volvo’s SPA2 (Scalable Product Architecture), a dedicated electric-vehicle platform that also underpins the Volvo EX90.
We drove Polestar 4s with dual motors. This spec gives you both worlds: smooth acceleration, or stomp on the pedal for an exhilarating neck snap. Steering is excellent with sharp responses, and it’s precise and direct and worth noting there is a big difference between the light and firm settings. Overall, the steering is heavier than the more family-oriented Polestar 3.
The brakes have a strong bite and are generally smooth but can be touchy at times.
Drive Mode Disconnect
The 2025 Polestar 4 offers two drive modes: Range and Performance, and you can only change between them via the screen. Range mode disconnects the front motor for greater efficiency. Switching modes, however, does not change steering or throttle inputs or make any suspension changes. Those adjustments must be done manually, also via the screen. Polestar engineers said this is something that might change in the future, based on feedback.
A picture of a foot denotes the button to activate one-pedal driving and you can turn the Creep mode on or off. You can also choose from two electricity-regeneration levels—tap the setting on the screen to pick; there are no steering wheel paddles to make the adjustment.
The suspension is on the stiff side. The single-motor model has a fixed conventional suspension; dual-motor models have air suspension and semi-active dampers that work hard to smooth out road bumps.
There’s also an optional Performance Pack including 22-inch wheels, four-piston Brembo brakes, performance chassis tuning, and Swedish gold seatbelts, brakes, and valve caps.
To improve safety, the 2025 Polestar 4 has 12 sensors, 12 cameras, and one radar as part of its driver-assistance tech from Mobileye, with plans to add Lidar in the future for Level 3 hands-free driving. For now, the optional Pilot Pack includes Pilot Assist with lane change assistance initiated with a tap of the turn signal. We found the lane-keep system allowed the vehicle to veer slightly to the right and then make a correction, but again, these were preproduction SUVs.
Charging the 2025 Polestar 4
The 4 has up to 200-kW DC fast charging, with a motorized charge cover and bi-directional charging. The Polestar 3 has a larger battery and charging capacity up to 250 kW.
The 2025 Polestar 4 has a 400-volt lithium-ion battery from CATL with 110 prismatic cells that have a nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry providing 100-kWh capacity. It can take range from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes.
Inside the Polestar 4
Polestar head of design Maximilian Missoni said the 4 is an aerodynamic coupe on the outside with the utility and spaciousness of an SUV on the inside.
Keyless-approach functionality unlocks the vehicle as you near it, and the doors close with a satisfying sound that gives off an impression of quality. The interior is in the Scandinavian-minimalist style. Like Tesla and Lucid, most of your settings for various functions must be done on the screen, including steering-wheel and mirror adjustments or opening the glovebox. But the P4’s interior is not as stark and barren as a Tesla’s. Its look is inspired by sportswear and fashion; it is rife with sustainable and recyclable materials, notably a 3D MicroTech vinyl and a tailored knit upholstery made with 100 percent recycled PET. You can update the comfortable textile seats to Nappa leather, and they are heated, cooled, and offer a choice of massages. While the Polestar 3 has one of the best seat-adjustment systems in the business, the Polestar 4 seats are adjusted manually.
There is little room in the center console which has real estate for two cupholders, a wireless-phone charger, and little else. The narrow strip of usable space is encircled in a wide swath of leather trim, striking us as a wasted opportunity to provide more storage.
Second Row Compromised by Coupe Design?
Rear seats recline by pushing a button on the center console or from the screen up front. There is ample legroom and decent headroom despite the SUV’s low profile. The second row has a pulldown armrest with a rubber tray for a phone. A screen houses the climate controls and displays what song is playing. A smart touch: the vents for second-row passengers are in the B-pillar to better aim air at bodies. The cupholders are positioned in a pullout tray from the center console. There are mesh cubbies on the seatbacks.
There is a Harman Kardon audio system with up to 16 speakers, including some in the headrests. Our evaluation vehicle featured 12 speakers, but the audio provided rich sound in the quiet cabin.
Ambiance is a planetary thing, literally. Each spinning planet on the screen has a designated color to bathe the interior in; the screen also comes with information about the orb. Select from the sun, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, or take an educational trip to Mars to see what competitor CEO Elon Musk wants to colonize. Easter egg: a graphic of a car being sent to the stars in a poke at Musk who sent a Tesla Roadster into space.
Open the hatch to reveal a good-sized cargo area with a cover. Up front is a small frunk with room for a knapsack when you open the double-door covering the opening.
Infotainment Pioneer
Volvo and Polestar were among the first car companies to switch to an infotainment setup powered by an Android Automotive operating system, but with added layers of Polestar-developed software and a custom interface. That means it has Google built-in, including Google Assistant, Maps, Play Store, and three years of Google service connectivity. But it also has wireless Apple CarPlay and a wireless phone charger.
While the Polestar 3 has a 14.5-inch tablet-style center screen and 9.0-inch driver display, the 2025 Polestar 4 has a 10.2-inch driver display and more-horizontal 15.4-inch center screen that is propped onto the dash. The overall presentation is not as premium and the functions not as sophisticated as in the Polestar 3. But it has a split screen to run simultaneous apps, customizable widgets to put what you want on the home screen, four font sizes for graphics, and you can adjust the volume via the steering wheel—something you cannot do on the Polestar 3. There is also a knob for the stereo.
The climate controls are arranged along the bottom of the screen, and everything is carefully organized in a grid pattern. Use the screen to adjust the airflow pattern from the vents. Climate control can also be activated for up to eight hours when parked.
There are diagrams to show the functions of the different icons and if you press them, you get a large, animated display explaining what the feature is and how it works. It’s a great solution in this age of burgeoning software capability that can overwhelm a user. And once you set up your driver profile with all your preferences, it activates automatically via your phone when you enter the car.
Pricing and Delivery Dates
The 2025 Polestar 4 comes from a Geely plant in China, with plans to add production in South Korea late next year for export, including North America.
The 2025 Polestar 4 starts at $56,300 for the single-motor model and $64,300 for the dual-motor, which slots it below the Polestar 3 that starts at $74,800. It costs far less than the Porsche Macan EV which is its benchmark competitor and starts at more than $80,000. More reasonably priced competition includes the Audi Q6 E-Tron and BMW ix.
You can order a new Polestar 4 now, with deliveries to begin in November.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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