Human beings have been building cars for over a century. And in that time, we’ve established a few basic ground rules. The wheels go at the bottom. The steering wheel goes in the front. And if you want to see what you’re about to back into, you look out of the piece of glass at the back. But now, Polestar has looked at the rear window and said “No, that’s boring.” So, they’ve thrown it in the garbage.
Say hello to the Polestar 4. A car that attempts to fix a problem that absolutely nobody had, by replacing a perfectly good piece of glass with a television screen. So, does that set the precedent for this car or is it actually brilliant?
Performance
Motors – The Polestar 4 is available with two powertrains. There’s a single, RWD motor configuration that develops 272 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque (203 kW & 343 Nm). 0-100 km/h in this version takes a respectable 7.1 seconds. But if you want that feeling of getting pinned to your seat, it’s this dual-motor version that you’ll want. It puts out 544 hp and 506 lb-ft of torque (406 kW & 686 Nm) which is enough to catapult this car to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.
This makes the Polestar 4 the fastest Polestar to date. But it doesn’t have to give that neck-snapping acceleration when you’re just driving around town. In the touchscreen, you can change the power delivery to be more relaxed. This provides a gradual build up of power and not like as though you’ve been strapped to the front of a rocket.
Battery, Range, & Charging – The 2026 Polestar 4 utilizes a 100 kWh battery pack. In the single motor version, it’s rated to drive for up to 499 km (310 Miles). This dual motor version has an estimated driving range of up to 451 km (280 Miles). But the actual driving ranges vary on a number of different factors. So, to give you a more accurate driving range, the trip computer can show the “certified” driving range or the “Dynamic” driving range. The Certified range is what the car can do under ideal conditions. The Dynamic range adjusts based on the current conditions and driving style. So, if you use the climate more or if you drive like a jackrabbit, then the range indicator will reflect that.
When needing to recharge, the 100 kWh battery pack can accept up to 200 kW of power. 10% to 80% is estimated to take 30 minutes while 0% to 100% from an AC 11 kW charger will take about 11 hours.
Braking – Like many other EVs, the Polestar 4 uses regenerative braking to recoup some electric energy. It has a one-pedal mode with two different functions. “Standard” is like a traditional one-pedal with strong regenerative braking slowing the car down when lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal. This mode brings the car to a complete stop in a smooth manner. The other is a “Low” one-pedal mode where it provides enough regenerative braking to slow the car down but not as much as the full one-pedal mode. Additionally, you can choose to make the car creep or stand still when stopped through the infotainment screen.
But there is an issue. If you have the creep mode enabled, the car will creep forward. However, if you press too hard on the brake pedal, for example enough pressure to just rest your foot on it, then the auto-hold function will be automatically enabled. And there’s no way to turn this feature off. So, it defeats the purpose of having the creep function because almost all of the time, the auto-hold will be enabled.
Handling – Like many other EVs, this one is as heavy as a rhino at over 2.3 tonnes. So like many other EVs, it has a planted feeling when you toss it through corners on an interesting road. The steering can be firmed up as well as the suspension but the feel is more so traditional SUV rather than GT3 race car.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – Despite having 21-inch wheels and low profile tires, the ride of the Polestar 4 is surprisingly good. Although it does not have the air suspension of its bigger brother, the Polestar 3, the adaptive dampers in this PS4 cope well with city potholes. Further aiding to the comfortable ride are the seats. Polestar has always provided some of the most comfortable seats in this segment and the ones in this PS4 are no exception. They have just the right amount of adjustments with enough padding.
Interior Space – Polestar considers the 4 a coupe-SUV despite it looking more like a high riding sedan. But as such, it is plenty spacious from both front and rear occupants. At 6‘4”, space in the front is plentiful. Behind my taller than average driving position, my knees don’t touch the back of the front seat and my hair doesn’t brush up against the panoramic moonroof.
Behind the seats, there are 526 L (18.6 cu-ft) of cargo space. If you need more, fold down the backrests and that number jumps to 1,536 L (54.2 cu-ft) of space. And up front? Yes, there is a frunk. It’s not going to carry your grocery bags but it’s enough for something like the charging cable.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – The Polestar 4 has a very quiet cabin. Tire noise is the most prevalent sound that is audible in the cabin on highways but it is a few levels lower than in some other luxury EVs. Wind noise is negligible and there are no fake EV sounds coming from the speakers when accelerating quickly.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – Now for the most important numbers of this car. The price. It starts at $59,900 CAD ($56,400 USD) for the single-motor version. This dual-motor version is an additional $5,000 CAD at $64,900 CAD ($62,900 USD). Add to that the Plus package, the Performance package and a couple other standalone options and it’s easily a $90,000 CAD, before fees & taxes.
Gadgets – The standard Polestar 4 has some luxury features but this car is best enjoyed with the addition of the Plus Pack. As standard the Polestar 4 has heated front seats, 8-way power adjustable front seats, Eco-friendly upholstery, 2-zone climate control, wireless phone charging pad, and a power liftgate.
Selecting the Plus Pack adds a head-up display, Harmon/Kardon audio system, 12-way adjustable front seats, heated rear seats along with a heated steering wheel, and a rear climate control zone. Other convenience gadgets include Nappa leather upholstery, surround view cameras, and 21 or 22-inch wheel options.
The infotainment system is displayed on a 14.5-inch touchscreen and it operates on the Android Automotive OS. It includes Google Assistant and other Google Apps for seamless integration with your Google account but wireless Apple CarPlay is standard. It does take a few taps of the touchscreen to reach certain sub-menus but the icons are large and clear. Up to 6 driver profiles can be programmed which then save various parameters of the car and infotainment system such as seat position, radio stations, and favorite apps. Speaking of which, you can download and play multiple apps on the touchscreen including YouTube but the car does have to be stationary for some of these apps to function.
Interior Design – The actual design of the cabin is very minimalist and almost the same as the Volvo EX90 which in turn is the same as a Tesla. From the climate controls, to the mirror controls, to the drive selector, it all mirrors a Tesla. These, and other controls, are very frustrating to use. Much like a Tesla, the Polestar 4 has no physical controls apart from the volume knob on the center console which also integrates the track skip. Thankfully the window switches are traditional in operation.
The key fob also does away with buttons. The car recognizes the fob as it is approaching the car and it’ll unlock. However, this key is known to lose its charge quickly and it consistently needs to be placed on the wireless charging pad to recharge. But the lack of key buttons means that you cannot remotely open the car for someone else. You have to hand them the key in order for them to open the car to grab something out of the trunk for example. At times, the car also failed to recognize the key fob whether I was standing right next to the driver’s door or was already inside the car with the fob in my hand.
I understand that these simplified controls make for a cleaner design and reduce costs for the company, but those costs are never passed down to consumers and it increases distraction as now the driver needs to take their eyes off the road to make sure they select the item they want in the infotainment system. Additionally, having screens in place of physical controls doesn’t make for a luxurious interior. If screens mean luxury then luxury watch makers like Rolex, Tudor, Richard Mille would just place a screen on their watches. But they don’t.
Exterior Design – Now for the elephant in the room. Why did Polestar get rid of the back window? Well, by deleting the rear window, Polestar says their engineers managed to improve the aerodynamics, free up passenger headroom, and maintain the sleek, coupe-like silhouette. To compensate for the lack of a rear window, the Polestar 4 comes with a digital rearview mirror. This is great because it gives you an unobstructed view out of the back. But it’s not a perfect solution. Not only is it different from literally every other car out there but your eyes have to constantly re-adjust between looking down the road in front and looking at a close up TV screen. That’s why I’ve never personally liked using these on other cars.
To me, this reasoning to removing the back window sounds a little suspicious. They could have easily fit a small window on that tailgate that didn’t have a complicated to manufacture organic shape. And there are a few good looking coupe SUVs on the market, like the Toyota C-HR for example, that still have a back window. If it’s for structural rigidity purposes, why not just add a bit more material around where the window would have been? I think Polestar did this just for the sake of being different which doesn’t necessarily translate to better.
Safety – The 2026 Polestar 4 comes with a slew of driver and safety aids. The only option is the addition of the Pilot Pack which adds Pilot Assist and Lane Change Assist. This is a hands-on system. It’s great for keeping the car centered in the lane and adjusting speed but you have to keep your hands on the steering wheel and be paying attention to the road ahead.
Eventually, the Polestar 4 will have chauffeur technology to allow for eyes-off, hands-free point-to-point driving on highways and in certain other environments. But for now, hands on the steering wheel and pay attention to the road ahead.
Warranty – The 2026 Polestar 4 is covered by a 4 year / 80,000 km new vehicle warranty. The battery pack is covered by an 8 year / 160,000 km warranty with Polestar claiming that it will hold up to 70% of its charge capacity during that period, whichever comes first.
Conclusion – In the end, this is not a car for me. I think it’s taking a controversial step that it didn’t need to. Polestar’s designers and engineers could have added a small window without ruining the great exterior styling. And that interior is too sterile for my liking. There are too many screens, not enough physical controls and I don’t want to interact with an AI to change a setting. But if you don’t mind being driven around by an AI and the Tesla-like controls but without your neighbours & your other neighbours & your other neighbours Tesla-like styling, the Polestar 4 is a futuristic EV that will have people stop and stare at it. Just make sure you bring a cloth with you to wipe that rear camera for the mirror.
Thank you to Polestar Cars Canada for providing the Polestar 4. www.Polestar.com
2026 Polestar 4 Gallery
