2026 Polestar 4 Review
Polestar adds an attractive and sporty compact SUV.
- The Polestar 4 EV delivers up to 544 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
- The new Polestar 4 will be in dealers in December.
Polestar, an upstart EV brand that has stumbled due to tariffs, trade policy, and a few features that got on my last nerve, is adding attractive and sporty new models.
The 2026 Polestar 4 compact SUV aims to compete with vehicles such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, Cadillac Optique, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, electrified Genesis GV70, Mercedes GLC with EQ technology, and Volvo EX30.
Polestar doesn’t report U.S. sales on a monthly or quarterly basis, but it’s safe to assume that’s not out of humility over its huge success. For the past few months, the brand’s entire lineup in the U.S. has consisted of just one vehicle, the larger and more expensive Polestar 3.
The four Korean-built cars (I wish Polestar would spell out their full names every time they mention it, but I have a life) are scheduled to arrive at dealers in December of this year. This is the first new model in a series that aims to give the Swedish brand a showroom full of attractive vehicles by 2028.
The sporty SUV looks great, is fun to drive, and has many nice features.
I spent a hot fall day driving a top-of-the-line 544-horsepower all-wheel-drive Polestar 4 from the Hotel Van Zandt near the river in downtown Austin, Texas, driving around town, highways, and the winding roads of the surrounding Hill Country.
Main features of Polestar 4
- Electric range with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive
- 10% to 80% charge in 30 minutes at 200 kW
- 14.7-inch head-up display with Plus Pack
- RWD: 310 miles of range. AWD 280 miles
- RWD: 272 hp, 253 lb-ft of torque
- AWD: 544 hp, 506 lb-ft of torque
- 20, 21, or 22 inch wheels
- video rearview mirror
- no rear window
- tinted glass roof
- Apple CarPlay
- wireless device charging
- Google speech recognition, navigation, and search
More models means more confusion
Prices for the 4 start at $56,400, which is $11,500 less than the 3. The 3 is bigger and more powerful, but the curvaceous 4 is quicker to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds versus 4.5 seconds for the most powerful model.
You may be wondering, “Why is 4 smaller and cheaper than 3?” (I know I did.)
That’s because Polestar numbers its models in order of release rather than ascending order of price, space, and features.
Even if you think you’re confused now, you’ll be even more confused.
Polestar’s growth plans include:
- 4 – Compact performance EV SUV to be released later this year.
- 5 – Sports sedan will arrive in 2026. It is expected to be Polestar’s most expensive vehicle.
- 7 – Produced in Slovakia and scheduled for production in 2028, it is billed as a “premium fully electric compact SUV” and will share systems with the next-generation Volvo XC60. I think it will cost less than 4, but honestly, who knows.
It could be a new version of the now discontinued 2, Polestar’s smallest sporty coupe. Timing undetermined.
2026 Polestar 4 Trim Levels and Prices
- Base long range single motor RWD with pilot pack: $56,400
- Long Range Single Motor RWD (with Pilot and Plus Pack): $61,900
- Long Range Dual Motor AWD with Pilot Pack: $62,900
- Long Range Dual Motor AWD (with Pilot and Plus Pack): $68,400
- Long Range Dual Motor AWD (Pilot, Plus, with Performance Pack): $72,900
All prices exclude $1,400 destination charge
Keep simple things simple
Polestars have always been fun to drive, but they were a pain to get started. Thankfully, 4 changes that. Proximity sensors replace the cumbersome process that required smart cards to be inserted in the appropriate locations to lock, unlock, and start the vehicle. The SUV locks and unlocks as you approach or depart, and starts when the key fob crosses the vehicle’s threshold.
It’s simple, but a tech-forward brand like Polestar should have done this from the beginning. Full disclosure: A Polestar representative said owners can always use a smartphone app for these operations, but they don’t make the app available for testing.
Getting in and starting the car takes its toll on simple controls, but Polestar remains committed to adjusting everything from the steering wheel to the climate control to the drive modes through the touchscreen. I don’t know many people who don’t like this, and one of the reasons is that the vehicle remembers the settings for the positions of seats, vents, mirrors, etc.
The first adjustment may be a little more difficult than traditional controls, but you won’t need to adjust it again unless you want to reorient things like vents while driving. If so, Polestar is probably not for you.
Google’s voice recognition, navigation, search, and adjustments to features like audio and climate are standard and effective.
No rear window? no problem.
Polestar calls the 4 an “SUV coupe.” It sounds strange to American ears used to thinking of coupes as two-door cars, but it’s consistent with the history of the term, which means “cut” in French. In the car’s design, this meant a short, downward-curving roof for a sleek, stylish look that didn’t interfere with the four-door.
4 has a low nose and a high rear end for a forward-leaning stance. The truncated roofline helps distinguish it from the larger Polestar 3, which has a long, horizontal roof in keeping with a traditional SUV profile.
To ensure rear headroom even if the roof falls in, Polestar omitted the rear window.
Rearward visibility is thanks to a roof-mounted camera and a high-resolution “mirror” made by supplier Gentex of Holland, Michigan. Gentex’s latest generation video mirror provided a clear, unobstructed view on sunny drives. I’m looking forward to testing it at night when the light from headlights is a concern.
The roof is a continuous glass pane that extends all the way to the rear seats, creating an open and airy interior space. Optional electrochromatic film allows for lighter or darker shades. I found this feature to be effective on a sunny fall day in the Texas Hill Country. I think glass roofs are inconvenient on hot and bright days, so I recommend this option.
Driving impression
The all-wheel-drive Polestar 4 I tested had a sticker price of $72,900. Each axle had a 200kW motor that produced 544 horsepower and 506 pound-feet of torque.
Selecting a performance setting from the touchscreen provided instant acceleration that pushed passengers into the back of the leather seats.
The interior is spacious and comfortable. The combination of a flat floor and no rear window creates one of the most comfortable rear seats I’ve experienced in a coupe-profile vehicle.
In addition to choosing acceleration and maximizing range, there are also several settings for steering feel and response and suspension behavior. I spent most of the day with the steering at its sportiest setting and the suspension at its medium setting.
This results in direct and responsive steering when negotiating tight turns and hills. The suspension kept the car stable, with little body roll, squat or dive, and stabilized sharp maneuvers.
Curb weight is 5,192 pounds, so while the 4 isn’t light, neither is the EV. Batteries are heavy. Still, it was found to be about 140 pounds lighter than the Cadillac Optik.
Well-designed EVs tend to have most of their weight near the ground. This contributes to excellent roadholding, while the electric motor’s instant torque handles strong acceleration.
4 has a 100 kW battery and can be charged up to 200 kW DC. With this current, a 10% to 80% charge takes just 30 minutes, an attractive length for road trips. On the 240V power that most EV owners routinely use at home and work, it takes about 11 hours to go from 0% to 100%.
Polestar 4 has a CCS port for DC fast charging. Owners can purchase NACS adapters.
Why buy the 2026 Polestar 4?
The Polestar 4 is attractive, unique, advanced and fun to drive.
There have already been complaints about the lack of a rear window, but I suspect most of them are from people who have never sat in a rear window. Test drive the touchscreen and glass roof to see for yourself.
It’s not the cheapest car in its class, but it’s an attractive and unique new option for those considering a sporty electric SUV.
2026 Polestar 4 Overview
Electric luxury sports SUV with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive
5 seater
Base price: $56,400 (all prices exclude $1,400 destination charge)
Released in December 2025
Model tested: Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot Plus and Performance Pack
Price as tested: $72,900
Power: 1 electric motor on each axle
Power: 544 hp, 506 lb-ft of torque
0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds
Top speed: 194 mph
Battery: 100kWh Li-ion
EPA estimated range: 280 miles
Maximum charging speed: 200 kW DC. 11kW 240v AC
Charging time: DC – 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. 240v – 0$-100% in 11 hours
Maximum charging rate: 200kW
Wheelbase: 118 inches
Length: 190.5 inches
Width: 81.4 inches (mirror folded). 84.2 (mirror out)
Height: 60.4 inches
Ground clearance: 6.5 inches
Cargo Capacity: 18.6 cubic feet behind rear seats, 54.2 cubic feet with seats folded. 0.5 cubic foot front trunk
Towing capacity: 3,500 lbs.
Vehicle weight: 5,192 lbs.
Assembled in Busan, South Korea
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark ferran. read more car and sign up for our service automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
