The Polestar 4 coupe-like mid-size crossover SUV is officially going on sale in Europe and Australia, with deliveries set to begin in August for these two big markets. But what about the United States?
Well, the U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, will have to wait until the middle of 2024 to get its hands on the battery-powered crossover that slots in the same place size-wise as the Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5, but aims for a different audience altogether because of its price tag.
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Polestar’s electric coupe SUV goes to Europe (and Australia)
Polestar’s second all-electric model, the coupe-like 4 SUV, is now on sale in Europe and Australia. Slotting between the Polestar 3 and Polestar 5 in terms of size and price, the 4 is slated to reach the United States in mid-2024.
In Europe, the starting price of the Polestar 4 is 63,200 Euros, or roughly $68,400 at today’s exchange rate, making it about 50% more expensive than the most affordable Tesla Model Y or Hyundai Ioniq 5. In Australia, the 4 starts at AUD 81,500.
But does the Swedish-design, Chinese-built EV bring to the table to justify the bigger MSRP? Well, for starters, Polestar has positioned itself as a more upmarket player than Hyundai and Tesla, which explains almost everything you need to know about it, but it’s also touting the 4 as having the lowest carbon footprint of all its cars at launch, which should make owners feel better about themselves.
As for performance, the Polestar 4 is available with a long-range battery pack that has a capacity of 100 kilowatt-hours and a selection of either single- or dual-motor powertrain. The former is good for 200 kilowatts (272 horsepower) sent to the rear wheels and offers a maximum driving range of 379 miles (610 kilometers) on the WLTP cycle, while the latter has double the power and a WLTP range of 360 miles.
In the United States, the EPA rating will most likely be lower than in Europe, with Polestar’s website mentioning an estimated range of up to 300 miles on a full charge for the single-motor version and up to 270 miles for the dual-motor version.
Recharging can be done at up to 200 kW from a DC source and 22 kW from an AC source, and the EV comes pre-installed with bidirectional charging hardware. However, the vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that allows owners to export power from the high-voltage battery to things like tools and appliances will be made available at a later date.
A heat pump is offered as standard on all vehicles, as is a 10.2-inch digital driver display and a 15.4-inch central touchscreen running Android Automotive and the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform. Standard equipment also includes the so-called SuperVision Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) developed by Mobileye, which comes with a total of twelve cameras, one radar, and twelve ultrasonic sensors.
The Polestar 4 slots between the Polestar 3 and the Polestar 5 in terms of size and pricing. It’s the first Polestar EV based on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), the same platform that underpins models like the Zeekr 001 and Volvo EX30. It went into production at Geely’s Hangzhou Bay factory in China in November 2023, meaning that even after it reaches the U.S. shores, it will likely not qualify for the $7,500 tax credit when purchasing because it’s not built stateside.