2026 Polestar 4 First Drive Review

Polestar is quietly brewing up a strong lineup, and among electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts and early adopters, it’s already seen as a brand that’s full of promise and on the cutting edge.

While it faces an uphill battle to gain more mainstream recognition beside more established brands — all at a time when EV interest is waning — it’s leaning on tech and design to break through. But maybe Polestar doesn’t need to cater to the mainstream to be successful. It seems to be thriving making cars that cater to a very specific audience.

The 2026 Polestar 4 is the next model in its growing lineup, and the brand is already predicting that it will be its most popular model, so the need for it to be a banger is real, even if it is for a niche group of buyers.

But What Is It?

The five-passenger Polestar 4 slots between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar 3 in the lineup. The former is an older high-riding sedan, while the latter has a more traditional SUV shape and arrived more recently. A logical person might wonder why the models aren’t ordered sequentially, but Polestar names its vehicles in order of their debuts and not size. There’s a 5 (a four-door grand touring sedan) and 6 (a halo sports car convertible) incoming.

Polestar calls the 4 an “electric performance SUV coupe,” a body style that’s like the word fetch in Mean Girls — stop trying to make “SUV coupe” happen. Neither an SUV nor a coupe, the Polestar 4 is more like a high-riding sedan with a sloping roof, but rather than being boxed into traditional vehicle categories, the brand is trying to forge its own path.

Nowhere is that more clear than what is perhaps its most unique feature — or lack thereof: there’s no rear window. While Polestar’s initial claim that this design decision was made to create an “immersive rear occupant experience” without compromises seems like its marketing team went nuts with ChatGPT, the result is actually much more practical and tangible.

Polestar designers explain that achieving this swoopy, aerodynamic roofline with a traditional rear window would have resulted in significantly less headroom for rear-seat passengers, so the best solution was to get rid of the window entirely. It’s been replaced by a digital rear-view mirror, technology that’s already quite common, but this is the first non-commercial vehicle where it needs to be used at all times.

Other vehicles with this tech allow drivers to toggle between the live camera view and the regular mirror view, but the Polestar 4’s live feed from the camera is always on. Drivers can, however, turn off the camera briefly to look at rear seat occupants, which is helpful for parents with young kids.

The roof-mounted camera view offers a wider field of view than would be possible with a regular mirror, and it’s surprisingly easy to get used to. When you use either turn signal, the camera angles more towards that side of the car for an even better view of what might be lurking in your blind spots. There’s an adjustment period, but I was fully accustomed after a couple of hours behind the wheel. And the result was that there didn’t seem to be much compromise to headroom. My 6-foot-plus co-driver said he had plenty of room in the back to sit behind himself.

The standard roof is a full-length glass panel, which helps the cabin feel open and airy, even without the rear window. An optional electrochromic glass roof allows occupants to toggle between opaque and transparent glass depending on how much sunlight they want to let into the cabin.

Polestar has also made a lot of use of more sustainable materials like recycled plastic bottles, polyester, and fishing nets for the very minimal interior and found inspiration from sportswear design. Many traditional hard surfaces are covered in soft, technical textiles that have been 3-D knitted with recycled materials, similar to what you might find in a pair of comfy sneakers. In practice, the texture doesn’t feel crunchy at all, and its technical but luxurious vibe aligns well with Polestar’s ambitions. Ambient lighting that’s inspired by the solar system helps warm up the cabin, and the door panels are backlit for a lovely glow.

Not just about show, the cabin is also practical, with numerous storage cubbies, a 15-L frunk, and 60/40 split-folding rear seats that can recline for more comfort or be positioned more upright for increased trunk space. The trunk measures 526 L and has a 31-L underfloor storage compartment to keep small items out of sight.

The interior design is distinctly Scandinavian — clean, practical, and minimal without feeling cold. The bonus is that Polestar says the 4 has the lowest lifecycle carbon footprint of any vehicle in its history.

Performance and Powertrain

The Polestar 4 is built on a different platform than the 3 and is meant to be smaller and sportier. Single- and dual-motor powertrains are available, each with a 100-kWh battery capable of 200-kW DC fast charging, allowing it to get from 10 to 80 per cent in about half an hour in ideal conditions. The Polestar 4 also gets optional 22-kW level 2 onboard AC charging and is capable of vehicle-to-load (V2L) bidirectional charging, so you can use it as a mobile power station. 

The dual-motor all-wheel-drive version outputs a generous 544 hp and 506 lb-ft of torque and is rated to get about 451 km of range. Polestar claims this is the quickest production car from the brand to date, and it’s able to complete the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in a claimed 3.8 seconds. It has incredible straight-line speed, so passing other vehicles and scaring your passengers is effortless. It accelerated so quickly that it launched my phone straight out of the wireless charger. Its efficiency is rated at 24.9 kWh/100 km.

The single-motor rear-wheel-drive version outputs 272 hp and 253 lb-ft, with an estimated range of 499 km. The launch to 100 km/h from a standstill takes a claimed 7.1 seconds. Its efficiency is rated at a combined 21.7 kWh/100 km. I would have liked to see both versions surpass the 500-km range threshold, but during our day-long drive, it was outperforming the official estimates.

Like most EVs, the Polestar 4 displays very composed driving manners, feeling nimble and flat in corners, easy to manoeuvre around tight areas, balanced, and smooth and comfortable in most scenarios. However, the steering feels a bit lifeless even in its firmest setting. One-pedal driving feels easy to modulate and is also available with two strength settings. Visibility is also totally fine even without a rear window, and the various cameras make it easy to park.

Packed with Features

Polestar fancies itself a forward-thinking and tech-focused automaker, so it’s no surprise that there are almost no hard buttons in the cabin. Instead, all functions — media, climate control, mirror, seat, and steering wheel adjustments, and most other controls — are centralized in the 15.4-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen. If you’re used to how a Tesla operates, you’ll find this system familiar, but if you’re coming from an older system, there’s a steep learning curve to it.

The home screen is relatively customizable, but it also changes the layout based on context, which can be helpful, but I hate not being able to find functions where you last used them. A shortcut bar that’s always visible at the bottom of the screen makes it a bit easier to navigate, but it can still be distracting to use while driving.

The 10.2-inch driver information screen is much smaller and only displays relevant information like speed, remaining charge, and range info. It’s nice to have this extra screen instead of relying solely on the central touchscreen for vital information.

The infotainment system is powered by Android Automotive software and benefits from features like Google Maps, the Google app store, its virtual assistant, and more. Having Google Maps as the native navigation system increases user-friendliness with a familiar interface, but it also helps with EV trip planning. Google Maps makes it easy to locate charging stations and filter by speed or availability, and if a fast charger is selected, the system will precondition the battery for more efficient charging. The system will also update a driver’s estimated time of arrival if charging time is needed. The system also predicts how much range will remain when you reach your destination.

Users must connect their Google account to get the most out of the system, and oddly, it has wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility but not Android Auto (at least not at the time of this writing). Drivers are supposed to be able to control certain functions with the Google Assistant, but it was a bit glitchy during our drive. We drove pre-production models, so I’m hoping the experience is smoother once Polestar has had more time to clear the bugs.

Standard feature highlights include a heat pump for more efficient climate control, 360-degree parking cameras, an integrated dashcam, a pet mode, power tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, heated front seats, four USB-C charging ports, wireless phone charging, digital key for iPhone users, over-the-air updates, and all the expected driver assistance and safety features (adaptive cruise control, active front and rear collision avoidance and mitigation, forward and rear collision warning, driver attention monitor, lane-keep assist with steering assist, road sign recognition, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert, hands-on detection, interior radar monitoring for pets or children, and more).

A Plus package adds a head-up display, more comfort features, a heated steering wheel (which should really be standard in Canada), front seat ventilation, and heated rear seats. An optional Pilot pack adds lane-change assist to the safety suite. Three years of internet connectivity is included, but the Polestar 4 will require a data subscription after that initial trial runs out.

Final Thoughts

Orders for the 2026 Polestar 4 are open now, and it’s expected to arrive sometime in the last quarter of this year. Pricing starts at $64,000 and goes up to $82,500 before the $2,700 destination fee and taxes.

As Polestar rounds out its growing EV lineup, it’s putting its money where its mouth is by forging a path as an automaker that thinks about lifecycle sustainability and tangible solutions to limit its carbon emissions and use of virgin materials without sacrificing quality. It counters its quietly confident Scandinavian approach to design and engineering with bolder moves in terms of tech and not being afraid to innovate or do something unconventional.

As the EV industry gets increasingly competitive in a market that might not be ready to take risks, Polestar seems happy being a niche player. This Polestar 4 won’t be for everyone — it’s simply too different and too specific to be accepted by the mainstream — and that’s OK because the fringe is where innovation happens, and it’s a much more interesting place to play anyway.