Polestar has just announced the pricing, availability, and release date for the ‘4’ in Australia, the newest EV to join its growing pantheon of electric cars internationally, and an absolute headscratcher of a car for its omission of the rear window.
I had a bellyache about this back when the Polestar 4 was first shown (and a separate bellyache when another rear window-less prototype was shown). Polestar, at the time, defended the lack of a rear window innovation. “The rear-view mirror is replaced by a high-definition screen that shows a real-time feed from a roof-mounted rear camera – enabling a far wider field of view than what can be experienced in most modern cars,” the company said in an announcement last year.
The tone from Polestar has since changed slightly.
“With Polestar Precept we previewed a stunning new occupant experience by removing the rear window and pushing the rear header, which plays an integral safety role, further back. This means that now, rear occupants can have a unique experience in our SUV coupé.”
Ding ding ding, that’s cars as an experience, baby. But also there’s a hint of safety in there, which I would consider essential for a brand that grew out of Volvo.
How safe the Polestar 4 is on the road in Australia, we won’t know until it’s been out for a while, and I won’t have a good idea of it until I’ve gotten behind the wheel (probably around the time it releases in August). I do know that it’s not the only car on the road that commits the rear window – performance cars from the likes of McLaren and Lamborghini often forgo the rear glass – but we’re talking about what Polestar is calling a ‘SUV coupé’. If it were a track toy, maybe I’d give it more of a break, but I just can’t get over the removed glass.
It kind of looks cramped in the back there, too. Between the ascending walls on those rear doors and the axed rear window, my immediate impression is that it feels a bit closed-in. Polestar claims that without that rear window, the roof glass was able to be stretched beyond the heads of rear passengers.
In Polestar fashion, it’s also been developed with a focus on sustainability. The company claims that it’ll have the lowest carbon footprint of all cars at launch, with factories that it has been assembled in certified for clean energy use, and with low-carbon aluminium used in greater capacities.
And on the performance side, this is the most impressive thing Polestar has made yet. The car can achieve a 0-100km/h speed of just 3.8 seconds. That’s in a dual-motor model, with single-motor models also available.
The long range single motor model ($81,500) is capable of an estimated 610km WLTP range, shy of the Polestar 2’s impressive 655km range. Meanwhile, the long range dual motor ($93,050) is capable of up to 580km WLTP. Both of these are preliminary range targets, though, and may change before release. 20-inch wheels are included with base models.
Both cars can charge at a maximum of 200kW on a DC fast charger or 22kW on an AC charger. The infotainment system has also received some polish on top of the Polestar 2. Operating on Android Automotive, like all Polestars, the infotainment system now consists of a 15.4-inch landscape touchscreen. A HUD is also fitted behind the steering wheel.
The Polestar 4 is set to be available in Australia in August. Customers can also pick up the ‘Plus’ pack (including “comfort and technology upgrades”) for an additional $8,000, the ‘Pro’ pack for an additional $2,700 (including 21-inch wheels), and Dual-motor customers can pick up the ‘Performance’ pack for $7,200 (including 22-inch wheels, 4-piston Brembo brakes, performance tuning, and gold detailing). The previously extra ‘Pilot’ pack is available in all Australian models, including Pilot Assist and Lane Change Assist.
The car is positioned to be a higher-end alternative to the Tesla Model Y, but whether or not it’ll win over drivers, we’ll have to wait and see.
Image: Polestar
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