OLD-SCHOOL VALUES MEET MODERN SUSTAINABILITY

The new long-range single-motor Polestar 4 Coupe SUV marries old-school rear-wheel-drive grand tourer values with the modern sustainability of electric drive.

The luxurious interior of the Polestar 4 is mainly made from recycled materials and embraces the Scandinavian concept of Hygge, a less is more attitude focused on comfort, cosiness, and simplicity. By executing the Polestar 4 in this manner, the Swedish manufacturer has created a desirable electric vehicle that is beautiful in both form and function.

Our review vehicle arrived in the fetching shade of Magnesium, complemented by 20-inch Aero alloy wheels and inside the incredibly tactile three-dimensionally tailored Mist Knit upholstery derived from recycled PET bottles! But the Polestar 4’s most unique feature is the glass-free tailgate, designed to provide more head, shoulder, and legroom for occupants in the rear cabin.

Most drivers, like myself, will quickly acclimate to the lack of rear glazing thanks to cameras mounted to the top of the tailgate. These cameras project a wide-angle view through to the internal digital rearview mirror.

Our local market specification is more than generous. As reviewed here, the Polestar 4 long-range single-motor retails from $119,990, including the Pilot and Plus pack.

The Plus Pack includes Harmon Kardon premium sound, heated front and rear seats and steering wheel, Pixel LED headlights, reclining rear seats, tri-zone climate air, frameless auto-dimming exterior rear mirrors, powered steering wheel column, soft-close tailgate, driver easy entry function, 12-way adjustable front seats, head-up display with Snow mode, and the rear compartment digital touch screen for media and climate control.

Meanwhile, the Pilot Pack adds lane change and pilot assist to the standard driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, park assist, 360-degree camera, and intelligent speed assist.

Polestar’s new Coupe SUV offers some of the most advanced automotive technology. Future programmed over-the-air software updates will see the Polestar 4 improve with age.

It offers Mobileye’s SuperVision advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and the manufacturer intends for the Polestar 4 to be the first production car to feature Mobileye Chauffeur combined with Luminar LiDAR.

Cameras, one radar and twelve ultrasonic sensors are fitted as standard. This includes a driver monitoring camera to help avoid incidents related to fatigue or incapacitation. With hands-on detection in the steering wheel, the driver monitoring system helps keep the driver actively engaged in driving.

While it might not have the top-end performance of its more expensive all-wheel-drive long-range dual-motor sibling, the single-motor Polestar 4 doesn’t lack performance, and its rear-wheel-drive dynamics will leave most drivers smiling.

We took the long-range single-motor Polestar 4 for a weekend drive to Hudson’s Beach on the Awhitu Peninsula, a 100km trek from Central Auckland. The testing drive route provided the best and worst local driving conditions.

Most of the road from Waiuku to the end of the peninsular is now speed-restricted to 80km/h and below, but it still provides tight corners and challenging undulations.

The long-range single-motor Polestar 4 is fitted as standard with 20-inch alloy wheels and high-capacity active dampers, which offer a very comfortable ride over the worst of our local surfaces. This combines responsive steering (which can be adjusted to your taste) and a brake package that almost seamlessly blends regenerative with friction.

In spite of the simple setup underneath (there’s no air suspension, anti-roll bars, or four-wheel steering), the Polestar 4 single motor is a joy to drive through the twisty bits with minimal body roll or loss of composure. Folks in the back seat won’t notice a thing.

It is truly an old-school grand-tourer recreated for a sustainable electric future.