The modern era of electric vehicles has taken hold across the automotive industry, but is being shaped by newcomers. The Tesla Model S captured the public’s imagination in a way that the Nissan Leaf couldn’t and set the tone for everything that followed. Whether it’s fair or not, established automakers are seen as followers, not leaders, when it comes to electric vehicles. Although Volvo plans to electrify its own lineup, Volvo has launched an electric vehicle spin-off brand, Polestar, to capture some of that startup magic.
The 2026 Polestar 4 is a remarkable step in the evolution of this brand. It’s the first Polestar model that looks and feels like everything Volvo makes. But as the undying loyalty of car nerds emerges to be different just for the sake of being different, Polestar needs to offer more to attract tech-savvy buyers in a crowded market that already includes several dedicated brands. In other words, the 4 must be fantastic.
It is the most distinctive model from an established EV brand
Polestar has quite a backstory. It started as an independent company that raced and manufactured performance parts for Volvos. The Swedish automaker was so impressed with Polestar’s work that it bought the company with the aim of turning it into its own performance division similar to BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. Then electric vehicles became the new trend, the Polestar name was transformed into a standalone electric vehicle brand – one that leverages the resources of Volvo and its Chinese parent company Geely, but behaves more like a startup electric vehicle brand in the style of Tesla, Lucid or Rivian.
However, it took Polestar some time to establish its independence. The plug-in hybrid coupe Polestar 1 and all-electric Polestar 2 were recycled from Volvo concept cars. The Polestar 3 electric SUV brought slightly different design sensibilities, but shares the basics of Scalable Product Architecture 2 (SPA2) with the Volvo EX90. It’s essentially a sportier, two-row version of the Volvo.
The Polestar 4 does the most to give the brand a unique identity in the US. It looks nothing like a Volvo and is based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). In addition to using Chinese architecture, most of the components also come from China. However, final assembly takes place at a Renault factory in South Korea. This amazing feat of globalization was intended to circumvent U.S. trade policies that penalize Chinese-made vehicles, but it was wiped out by the Trump administration’s new tariffs on Korean-made vehicles.
It defies categorization
Just as Polestar is a globalized hybrid of established car manufacturer and startup, the Polestar 4 doesn’t quite fit into traditional automotive categories. It’s marketed as an SUV coupe, but its streamlined shape and road-hugging ride height make it look more like a buxom hatchback. At 190.5 inches long and 84.2 inches wide, it’s about two inches longer than a Porsche Macan Electric, but almost as wide. But it’s only 60.8 inches tall, about three inches lower than the Porsche.
These unorthodox proportions are complemented by an unorthodox design choice. The Polestar 4 has no rear window. Polestar argues that the windowless design increases rear seat headroom and that the digital rearview mirror (a feature already available in many other cars) provides better visibility anyway, as the camera view is not obstructed by roof pillars and passengers’ heads. Not only do these passengers get decent headroom, but they also get plenty of legroom thanks to available adjustable rear seats (part of the optional Plus package) and an extended wheelbase. Sitting in the back feels more like you’re in a luxury sedan than a traditional SUV.
It’s a shame that Polestar couldn’t make more aesthetic hay out of the rear window removal. From the outside you can only see an empty panel where the window should be. In contrast, the front has a distinctive beak-like shape with spotlights that look like phasers aimed at an enemy spacecraft. The frowning lower front bumper and lower body sides are made of black plastic to camouflage the 4’s thick midsection.
It shows that high-tech minimalism has disadvantages
The interior borrows heavily from the Swedish side of Polestar. It’s beautifully minimalist, but it’s definitely about form over function. The concave door panels with twinkling embedded lights and elegant center console wouldn’t look out of place in a plush living room. Polestar also uses sustainable materials, including yarn upholstery made from 89% recycled PET plastic waste or polyester-like MicroTech (nappa leather is also available).
This minimalism is made possible by the lack of physical controls. There is no start/stop button; You simply unlock the car, sit down to start it, and walk away when you’re done. And while you have a huge volume knob and a few seat adjustment buttons, things like adjusting the steering wheel, mirrors and vents are controlled via the standard 15.4-inch touchscreen. It is accompanied by a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 14.7-inch head-up display and a 5.7-inch rear seat screen are available as part of the optional Plus package.
The 4 uses the same Android-based infotainment system as other Polestar and Volvo electric vehicles, with integrated Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store. This offers a similar experience to Android Auto, and wireless Apple CarPlay is also standard for iPhone users. The software works just as well here as in other Polestar and Volvo models, but much more is required of it. Between the minimal physical controls and the sheer number of settings – from regenerative braking to steering feel – the screen looks more like a McDonald’s menu than the high-tech interface of a premium car.
Screen centering has been synonymous with technology since the release of the Tesla Model S, but that was over a decade ago. The use of touchscreens is no longer new, especially since they have become the standard interface for so many other things outside of cars. And in a car, a touchscreen is still harder to use than a knob or knob or anything that gives physical feedback. Polestar’s choice here smacks of a desire to copy Tesla, Lucid and Rivian, or perhaps save money on switchgear. What it doesn’t convey is the original mindset one should expect from a new car brand.
It’s good to drive, but not good enough to overlook its inefficiency
Polestar offers single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive versions, both with a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The single-engine Polestar 4 has 272 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in a factory estimated 6.9 seconds. Dual-motor models have 544 hp and 506 lb-ft of torque and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in an estimated 3.7 seconds. It’s pretty quick for the money. A Cadillac Lyriq-V will be a few tenths inferior to the dual-motor 4, but will also cost about ten grand more.
Behind the wheel, the dual-motor model feels as fast as it says in the spec sheet. It also accelerates without the brutal gut punch of some other electric vehicles, making it easy to lose track of how fast you’re actually going. The chassis reacts in a similarly cultivated manner. The 4 felt incredibly confident in corners, keeping the body flat without punishing occupants with overly stiff suspension. The steering, which responded quickly to inputs, made up for the general lack of feel when cornering, but was a laborious task on the highway. Even small inputs could send the 4 toward the next lane marker, and there was little feedback to warn the driver.
Given its motorsport heritage, it’s no surprise that Polestar places more emphasis on performance than efficiency. But the driving experience just wasn’t good enough to justify mediocre range figures of 310 miles for the single-motor version and 280 miles for the dual-motor version. This is unimpressive given the size of the battery and a big step backwards if you opt for the dual-motor model. I averaged 2.8 miles per kWh in cold weather, suggesting that these numbers will be difficult to achieve in less than ideal conditions.
The charging performance could also be better. Polestar quotes a maximum DC fast charging output of 200 kilowatts for the 400-volt 4, which is enough for a 10-80 percent charge in a claimed 30 minutes. Some 800-volt electric vehicles can do the same thing in 20 minutes or less. And even with a relatively powerful 11kW onboard charger, a full charge on a Level 2 AC wallbox takes 11 hours, according to Polestar. Currently cars are delivered with CCS (Combined Charging Standard) connectors, but Polestar is introducing Tesla Supercharger access with adapters.
It’s impressive, but not for the reasons Polestar wants
The most compelling thing about the Polestar 4 is its price. The single-motor model starts at $57,800 and the dual-motor model starts at $64,300 – pretty cheap for an electric SUV from a premium brand. The dual-engine Polestar model provided for this test drive featured the Pilot and Plus packages with driver assistance and convenience features, respectively, as well as 21-inch sport wheels, bringing the as-tested price to $71,600. But that’s also competitive with sporty alternatives like the Porsche Macan Electric and the Cadillac Lyriq-V.
Nothing else about the Polestar 4 surpasses the state of the art. Polestar copies the screen-centric interface of other EV brands, but doesn’t address their usability. The range, efficiency and charging performance are sufficient, but that is not a compelling reason to choose the Polestar brand over the competition. The unique design gives the 4 that “dare to be different” factor without any practical benefits. It’s nice to see an automaker try something new, but Polestar just didn’t go far enough.
