Polestar 4 to target Porsche in premium electric SUV space

Bolder design, smarter tech, more customisation and live apps on a sizeable 15.4-inch touch-screen are some of the unique selling points that Polestar hopes will lure buyers to its first mid-size SUV, the battery-electric 2024 Polestar 4.

Due to arrive in Australia around August, following its global launch in May, the all-new Polestar 4 is a ground-up electric car rather than one based on a petrol-engined platform like the Polestar 2 fastback – the only model released in Australia so far by fledgling Chinese-Swedish EV-maker.

Like the larger Polestar 3 that will beat it on sale here around June, the Polestar 4 is built on parent company Geely’s SEA electric vehicle architecture.

Size-wise, therefore, it slots between the Polestar 2 and upcoming Polestar 3 (Polestar uses the next available number rather than allocating them according to size), landing the Polestar 4 in the sweet spot of the SUV market alongside everything from the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E to the Toyota bZ4X and Kia EV6.

And despite higher sales aspirations for the Polestar 4, the company has Porsche in its crosshairs with the upcoming Macan EV.

That’s one reason Polestar says it’s not chasing EV market leader Tesla on sales.

“Tesla is chasing volume; they are a mass-market production player,” said Graeme Lambert, global head of design and innovation PR for Polestar.

“We are a premium luxury brand with volume targets that are in line with that.”

Priced from $81,500 plus on-road costs, the Polestar 4 is a mid-size electric SUV with five seats.

That buys you the single-motor (200kW/343Nm), rear-wheel drive model with a 100kWh battery pack (with 94kWh of usable capacity). The WLTP range is 610km and acceleration to 100km/h takes a claimed 7.1 seconds.

Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloys, wireless phone charger, powered tailgate, 360-degree camera, dual-zone ventilation, heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and metallic paint.

A suite of active safety systems includes a forward-facing radar, 11 exterior cameras, auto braking in forward and reverse, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention monitor, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition and blind spot warning, plus seven airbags.

All Polestar 4 variants come with the Android Automotive operating system that also incorporates Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity through the 15.4-inch central screen.

“It’s hugely advanced compared to what we had in Polestar 2,” said Lambert of the additional functionality added to the multimedia system.

That includes the ability to run multiple apps on the home screen concurrently, in turn providing more information without having to toggle between apps.

“You can half-half the screen as Google Maps then in the next half you can customise… to 30 per cent up to 70 per cent, even 100 per cent Google Maps.”

He says there’s a “huge amount of customisation” – including the ability to save shortcuts for commonly used features – and that standard over-the-air software updates will add more functionality over time.

The $8000 Plus Pack adds a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, intelligent pixel LED headlights, powered steering column adjustment, electrically reclining rear seats, tri-zone ventilation, heated rear seats, rear entertainment screen, heated steering wheel and a 14.7-inch head-up display.

The maximum AC charge rate also doubles from 11kW to 22kW, lowering the full charge time to about 5.5 hours for those able to access three-phase charging.

DC fast-charging can be done at up to 200kW for a 10-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.

A $2500 Pro Pack adds gold-coloured seatbelts and valve caps as well as 21-inch wheels.

The Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor is priced at $91,500 plus ORCs and adds a front motor that doubles outputs to 400kW and 686Nm. The WLTP range drops to a still-impressive 580km and the claimed 0-100km/h time is 3.8sec.

It gets the same basic equipment level and options while also offering a $7200 Performance Pack option that brings 22-inch alloys and larger Brembo brakes with four-piston callipers up front, as well as sports tuned suspension.

The Polestar 4 Dual Motor also gets semi-active dampers for better comfort and control as well as a launch mode and Range and Performance drive modes.

But it’s the attention to detail with cabin materials and finishes as well as the low-slung design that will no doubt be a big part of the appeal with the Polestar 4.

The sleekly styled EV has a lower roofline than most rivals, giving it a sporty profile. It also means there’s no rear window, with Polestar instead fitting a camera high on the roof to provide rear vision via a screen where the central rear-view mirror would usually sit.

The cabin also boasts high-quality materials and a simple yet stylish design dominated by the large central screen.

In dual-motor guise the Polestar 4 is the fastest-accelerating model so far from the brand. But that’s only an entrée, with a quicker performance flagship almost certain.

At the recent New York motor show, Polestar’s global boss Thomas Ingenlath confirmed there would be a quicker variant, which would possibly be badged BST, denoting beast.

Lambert backed that up in a recent interview with Australian media.
“We have done BST projects in the past and we would be foolish not to consider doing BST products in the future,” he said.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au