2026 Polestar 4 Review: A True Crossover

The 2026 Polestar 4 is a blend of many things.

It’s part SUV because of course it is; everyone wants a part of that sweet, sweet SUV pie, and it’s not like Polestar is alone in calling something fairly low-slung one. It’s part coupe because swoopy roofline—even if there are probably more four-door “coupes” than two-door examples on the market these days. (I still blame Mercedes.) The 4 is thus a bit of good old-fashioned car too, with reasonable ground clearance and a drop-in seating position that ably serves four adults.

Oh yeah, and it’s part delivery van, because it has no rear window.

In cooking, a dish can be ruined by adding too many ingredients. Has Polestar avoided that and crafted a delicious dish for premium sorta-SUV buyers? I spent a week with one to find out, with the added bonus of the worst snowstorm in recent memory.

The 4 itself, though just to keep things interesting it rides on a different platform than any other Polestar. The SEA architecture does underpin the smaller Volvo EX30, however. Like other Polestars, the P4 can be had in both single- and dual-motor formats, with the former being rear-drive and the latter employing all-wheel drive. No matter the motor count, the Polestar 4 hides a 102.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack under the skin, which affords the base model an impressive 310 miles (499 kilometers) of range.

With up to 544 horsepower and 506 pound-feet of torque, the Polestar 4 narrowly claims the crown as the quickest vehicle from the brand, clicking off a dash to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. That is until the 884-horsepower Polestar 5 sedan touches down, anyway.

There’s a lot to discuss here, but you know what they say about photos and word counts. I will say Polestar has now firmly established its own design language, distancing itself from the initial Volvo-like look of the 1 and 2. The shape is suitably sporty, the detailing is crisp and minimal, and the 22-inch wheel design is great. The P4 got a ton of attention, up to and including a Tesla Model Y driver rushing through highway traffic to then pull alongside and whip out their phone (gross), but how much that had to do with the in-no-way-subtle matte gold paint is anybody’s guess.

The lack of rear window doesn’t really register unless it’s pointed out. The back glass has been slimming down over the last 20 years anyway; visually, the gloss black extension below the rearview camera reads like glass anyway.

There is some level of desensitization with modern EVs, and that includes the Polestar 4. This thing is putting down more power than a 911 Turbo S did fifteen years ago, yet it’s a drama-free launch up to highway speeds every single time. “Effortless” just begins to cover it. Polestar doesn’t bother with artificial noise, which keeps things hush-hush but does make it even harder to judge just how much speed is piling on.

The Swedish brand offers up three levels of regenerative braking as well as a toggle for traditional low-speed creep. Those getting into an EV for the first time may like the latter (and the off setting for the former), but for me, maximizing the EV-ness makes sense. Polestar has smoothed out the most extreme one-pedal mode so there isn’t as much bobbing back and forth, and it’s now easier to inch forward in stop and go traffic.

The epic snowstorm knocked out any hopes of me giving the P4 a serious range test. One thing I did notice however is that the range estimate barely takes recent driving history into account. Despite having to bust through snow drifts and deal with frigid temps, the estimate only slightly changed from the official rating, so relying on battery percentage instead was the only way to operate.

Polestar has roots in motorsports, and it’s clear the brand is targeting the sportier end of the premium market with the P4. This tester comes loaded up with the Performance Pack, which adds those pretty wheels, a uniquely-tuned suspension, larger Brembo brakes, and gold accents inside and out. On the handful of dry roads I was able to test it on pre-snowfall, there was a tautness and eagerness that made it entertaining and predictable. Like so many EVs it is lighter on its feet than the curb weight suggests. Coming into a corner a little warm, nothing more than a brief lift (with regen on max) or a brush of the brakes tucks the nose in, and there’s a usefully rear-biased balance through corners.

There are different steering weights, but I’d recommend staying on the heaviest for most tasks: it’s not a chore in any way, and the lighter setting doesn’t align with the performance on tap.

Once the 4 had mountains of snow to play with, the fun only increased. There’s an easy balance to play with here, and stopping distances remain pleasantly short. Big smiles all around.

While the P4 is quite clearly athletic, there’s still a good amount of give to its ride, especially when kept in tamer drive modes. It’s certainly more sport-sedan than SUV mind you, and it’s something potential buyers will want to try back-to-back with the more traditional Polestar 3 to determine which is better-suited to their tastes. Mid-corner bumps introduce some lateral movement that takes longer to settle than expected given the P4’s mission. On the highway the ride settles nicely, though there’s significant wind noise from those one-piece side mirrors.

The Bridge of Weir Nappa leather seats are excellent, as all Swedish examples tend to be. Support is thorough and appropriate for what this Polestar is capable of, and after spending most of a day strapped into one I emerged ache-free. Bonus points for seriously effective seat and (especially) wheel heating; I’d have to turn off the latter after a few minutes as it actually became too hot.

There’s no getting around it; there’s still a bit of a cave-like feeling to the back row. Yes, space is completely adult-adequate, and the glass roof extends back behind folks’ heads to maximize natural light. Yet the tall beltline conspires with the covered tail to keep the space feeling too dark. The lighter cabin material options may help with this.

I’ll admit it: Polestar’s cabins can be a tough sell. It’s a different take on semi-luxury, a techier, more athletic and yes, slightly Tesla-coded take on minimalism. While the seats are the optional (and excellent) Nappa leather, much of the rest of the cabin uses an almost Neoprene-like material. It lends a sense of durability and is miles better than piano black, so at least there’s that. Brushed metal provides a welcome contrast, but the simple design and lack of physical controls means the Polestar 4 cabin doesn’t have the initial wow factor other competitors do.

The electrochromatic roof does wow, quickly swapping between opaque and transparent with a button press. It does mean the 4 lacks one of my favorite features from the Polestar 2, however: the reflected Polestar logo at the leading edge of the glass roof.

At night, ambient lighting inspired by the night sky subtly beams through the door panels, which is admittedly very cool and a much more subtle use of the tech.

After the tech issues that have been consistent thorns in the side of both Volvo and Polestar, I’m happy to report the Polestar 4’s slightly rejigged, landscape-oriented central touchscreen is pretty great. While minimalist and relying on a lot of text, the majority of buttons are big and clearly labelled, while the most important controls (such as climate) stay on screen along the bottom. Yes, having to adjust the wheel and mirrors via the touchscreen still stinks. No, buyers won’t have to worry about that beyond initial setup. Hashtag journo problems.

The optional Harman Kardon sound system is powerful and crisp with crystal-clear audio quality. Polestar’s head-up display is simple but easy to read.

Polestar’s list of safety assists is expectedly long, and they all work as intended. As we found on our first drive, the ProPilot system prefers to stay glued to the middle of a lane (good), but can provide inconsistent wheel resistance when the driver needs to avoid objects in the road.

And what about the rear mirror? On the highway it was admittedly a non-issue, as the coverage with the side mirrors made it as useful as a regular setup. The view slightly swivels when turn signals are active too, though I find that more distracting than helpful. Where it becomes more of a problem is low-speed stuff like parking lots. Simply put, it is very possible for someone to be standing right behind a rear corner and be practically invisible to the driver. The zoomed-in view of the screen is so crisp and clear you can basically read lips, and it does an excellent job of brightening up night-time views.

Pricing for the Polestar 4 starts from $57,800 ($67,700 CAD) including destination for the single-motor, rear-drive model. Bumping up to the two-motor setup is a $6,500 upgrade in the US but a bargain $5,000 CAD in Canada.

This particular tester has nearly every option box checked, and that significantly raises the price. The Plus Pack ($5,500 / $6,800 CAD) does add plenty of useful and/or desirable features, such as the HK sound system, HUD, power liftgate with foot sensor, power reclining rear seats (with a dedicated control screen) and three-zone climate control. Adding that onto the dual-motor then unlocks the optional Performance Pack ($4,500 / $5,800 CAD). Single options include the matte paint ($3,000 / $3,800 CAD), Nappa leather ($3,700 / $5,200 CAD), and the trick glass roof ($1,500 / $1,900 CAD).

That means a final sticker of $82,500 ($96,200 CAD), which has the P4 knocking on the door of the larger, more powerful Cadillac Lyriq-V.

An important, time-sensitive note: currently Polestar USA is offering a cool $10,000 off any Polestar 4.

Fully loaded, the 2026 Polestar 4 dances dangerously close to not only some serious competitors but also the more well-rounded Polestar 3. This is a statement vehicle first and foremost though, and that hasn’t stopped the existing ICE coupe-overs from carving out their own small but important part of the SUV pie. With excellent driving manners the Polestar 4 should appeal to the fashion-focused EV buyers looking for something to stand out.

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