New Polestar 4 coupe SUV – how is the £60k EV shaping up?

• Most powerful Polestar yet
• All-new coupe SUV with no rear window
• To start from £59,990

The Polestar 4 is closer than ever to production, and we’ve had a chance to drive a prototype that’s very close to the finished car. While it impressed us in many of the ways you might expect of a £60k EV, there were also some pleasant surprises hinting that the brand’s latest car up will be even better than we could have imagined – read on for our full impressions below.

Despite releasing its first car just five years ago, Polestar has established itself as a key player in the premium electric car market. The Polestar 4 follows in the footsteps of the exclusive 1 coupe, the popular 2 hatchback and the upcoming 3 SUV, and is poised to compete against EVs from other upmarket brands, such as the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and the new electric Porsche Macan.

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It will start from £59,990 in single-motor guise, while a doubly powerful dual-motor variant will also be available from £66,990.

What are the UK specs for the Polestar 4?

The entry-level Polestar 4 Long Range gets a single 286bhp electric motor powered by a 100kWh battery which can be recharged via 200kW rapid-charging, as well as 22kW AC charging. Its range stands at an official 376 miles.

The Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor features a four-wheel drive layout consisting of two motors which are powered by the same 100kWh battery. The setup produces an impressive 536bhp – more than any Polestar that’s come before – but its range suffers marginally compared to the single-motor model, with up to 360 miles possible.

What do you get inside the Polestar 4?

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There’s an impressive level of standard equipment across both models, with Polestar’s Plus pack fitted to UK cars at no extra cost. Infotainment is handled by a 15.4-inch touchscreen, with integrated Google Maps and Assistant, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The driver gets a 10.2-inch digital display, too, and there’s a vast suite of safety and assistance features. A large panoramic roof brings natural light into the interior, but you’ll spot the lack of any rear window – Polestar has fitted a rear-mounted camera connected to a digital display in place of a traditional mirror.

Buyers can pay extra for the Pro package (£1,800) which brings 21-inch wheels and unique design details, and the Performance package (£4,000), which is exclusive to the dual-motor model and adds 22-inch wheels and a host of performance upgrades.

The Polestar 4 is available to order now, with the first models expected to reach the UK in August.

Polestar 4 prototype review – Steve Sutcliffe

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We’ve been given an exclusive drive of the Polestar 4 on a couple of occasions – firstly in November 2023, when we tested a pre-production version in Los Angeles, and most recently again in March 2024 just ahead of its finalisation. 

Our most recent drive has left us thoroughly impressed with the Polestar 4 in more ways than we weren’t quite expecting initially. You see, it’s thoroughly refined and as fast as many EVs are, but what struck us was how driver-oriented it felt – not just for an electric car, but as a passenger car full stop.

We drove both the single-motor and dual-motor versions – the single-motor model felt fairly sedate, but its 7.1-second 0-62mph time is nothing to be sniffed at. The dual-motor version, however, offered some serious oomph, with a rapid 3.8-second 0-62mph sprint time, but most importantly it felt as exciting as it reads on paper.

While many EVs can suffer from the heavy weight of their batteries, neither version of the Polestar 4 feels particularly hefty on the move, thanks to their low centre of gravity and well-tuned suspension. While one of the downsides to the Polestar 2 was its unrelenting ride, the Polestar 4 feels as though it’s been made to strike a slightly better balance of performance and comfort, though we’ll reserve full judgment until we drive it on UK roads.

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It’s not just the drive that impressed us during our time with the Polestar 4. Even on this pre-production model, the interior felt well-built and cleverly packaged, for a genuinely high-end feel.

The loss of the rear window means that, while the Polestar 4 looks sleek and sporty from the outside, the rear seats feel spacious with plenty of head and legroom. It’s very comfortable in the back, with highly adjustable seating and dedicated climate control for rear occupants. The rear-view camera that replaces the glass window works well, and from the driver’s and front passenger’s seats the Polestar 4 feels more like a sporty Coupe laden with tech.

There’s a 10.2-inch digital driver’s display, as well as a large 15.4-inch infotainment screen in the centre of the dash. Polestar has opted for a Google-based operating system which works brilliantly, and yet it doesn’t feel that too many physical buttons and controls have been relegated to the touch screen.

All in all, the Polestar 4 is shaping up to be a thoroughly impressive EV that feels meticulously thought out. We look forward to driving a production version to give our definitive verdict.

Check out the Polestar 4’s competition by reading our list of the top 10 best electric SUVs…