New electric coupé SUV offers a long range and rapid performance On sale Spring 2024 Price from £55,000 (est)
Darren Moss darren.moss@haymarket.com
NEW POLESTAR MODELS are beginning to come along like buses. While there’s currently only one model in the brand’s line-up, another three will be arriving in quick succession. And this one – the Polestar 4 – could be the most appealing of the lot.
It ticks a lot of the most fashionable boxes: not only is it fully electric but it’s also a coupé SUV, meaning it aims to provide family-friendly practicality in a sleek, eye-catching shape. With its slim LED lights, flush door handles and 22in alloy wheels, the Polestar 4 certainly looks the part, and it needs to, because it faces premium competition from the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Volvo C40 Recharge, as well as from the cheaper Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV and Volkswagen ID 5.
The Polestar 4 will be available in both single and dual-motor forms.The former, with 268bhp, has rear-wheel drive and can officially hit 0-62mph in 7.4sec, with an estimated range of up to 372 miles.That’s farther than any version of the Q4 Sportback or C40 Recharge can go and will take you from London to Leeds without stopping, if the mood should ever take you.
Dual-motor versions trade a little range (it dips to 350 miles) for more performance; with 537bhp and four-wheel drive, the 0-62mph time drops to 3.8sec, making the 4 the fastest-accelerating car Polestar has ever made.
All versions draw power from a 94kWh (usable capacity) battery, which can be charged at rates of up to 200kW.That means a 5-80% top-up could take as little as 32 minutes from a suitably powerful charger. What’s more, the Polestar 4’s vehicle-to-load capability allows you to use its battery for other purposes, too; it can power a kettle for a roadside brew, for example, or even charge another electric car – albeit rather slowly. A heat pump is standard, helping to reduce power consumption by heating the interior more efficiently.
Inside, the Polestar 4’s dashboard is dominated by a 15.4in touchscreen, running Android-based software.This means such useful applications as Google Maps sat-nav and the smart Google Assistant organiser are built in.What’s more, the presence of a rotary controller means you don’t have to prod at on-screen icons on the move. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring are included, too, so you can use your favourite apps.
The driver gets a 10.2in digital instrument screen, and crucial driving information
