Overview

THERE is a lot to be said for sampling a vehicle on familiar roads where intimate knowledge of corner cambers, the frequency of dips and rises, severity of potholes, and graininess of surface offer a definitive answer to the questions remote launch drives often pose.

At times, the carefully selected drive route manufacturers choose serves to highlight positive traits of a vehicle while concealing the less desirable.

Others simply throw everything at the launch drive, hiding behind nothing to show how well its model stacks up in a market where challenging road conditions are de riguer.

In sampling the Polestar 4 on home ground it was clear Polestar had taken the latter approach in presenting its coupe-styled SUV to the motoring media.

Our recent week-long loan of the Long Range Single Motor (LRSM) variant cemented the views established on our launch drive, perhaps highlighting the model’s firmer ride and cost to operate as its only significant detractors.

But more on that in a moment…

Adding to what we already know of the Polestar 4, we find the LRSM variant on test priced from $78,500 plus on-road costs, the loaner equipped additionally with Polestar’s Plus pack ($8000).

The pack adds harman/kardon audio, pixel LED headlighting, tri-zone climate control, 14.7-inch head-up display, tailored knit upholstery and illuminated ‘zinc deco’ interior facings, a powered tailgate, auto-dimming wing mirrors, 12-way powered front seats and power-reclining rear seats, heated steering wheel and outboard rear seats, 3.0-inch rear climate control screen, and 22kW AC home charging capabilities.

The model on test is powered by a single 200kW/343Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels and offering a 0-100km/h time of 7.2 seconds. Power is drawn from a 400-volt/100kWh (gross) lithium-ion pack with a DC fast charging capacity of up to 200kW. The vehicle arrives with a home charging cable as is fitted with both CCS2 and Type 2 charging inlets.

Claimed range is listed at 620km (with an average quoted figure of between 17.8kWh and 18.2kWh per 100km depending on drive-away specification).

The Polestar 4 further arrives with a long list of standard safety inclusions. Highlights see the model fitted with seven airbags, Polestar’s new SuperVision ADAS technology suite, and optional Pilot Pack with auto lane change assist. In all, the vehicle is supported by 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and a frontal radar unit.

As with other Polestar cars, regular over-the-air (OTA) updates allow for new features and improvements to be sent remotely to all vehicles, removing the need to visit a workshop to gain the latest software.

Workshop visits are otherwise limited with servicing required only every second year or 30,000km. Servicing is included as part of the purchase price, meaning you won’t spend another cent (except perhaps on tyres and power) for five years.

The vehicle is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with the high-voltage battery warranted for eight years or 160,000km. Complimentary roadside assistance is included for five years.

Drive Impressions

As already alluded to, the Polestar 4 is something of a sweetheart in most driving conditions, feeling wonderfully well adapted to city commuting and freeway running. It is impressively quiet, offers better acceleration than its numbers might suggest, and is honest in delivering on its range claims.

Though we found the 20-inch wheels a little firm for highway and rural road use – and the lack of a spare wheel an oversight for country drivers – the cabin remains otherwise comfortable.

The seating (even up back) is beautifully sculptured offering wonderful support on those tiring drives home. Diligent climate control manages cabin temperatures efficiently (and quietly), while the audio system is rich and warm.

It is very easy to settle into a driving position that suits your own preference, though some may initially find the screen-based adjustment of the steering wheel column and mirrors a touch peculiar.

Equally peculiar on first-time use is the digital rear-view mirror, the Polestar 4’s windowless rear meaning all rearward vision is channelled via a camera and screen.

The Android-powered infotainment array did occasionally “glitch out” when connected wirelessly to our older iPhone 13 Pro. We found it necessary to reconnect the phone each time we cycled the ignition and had occasional dropouts when using more than one app at a time (say, when using navigation and making a call).

Otherwise, the infotainment array is reasonably easy to navigate. The larger orange tiles and useful symbols make it easier than many we have sampled in on-the-go use. Google users will find the inclusion of Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play most useful, we’re sure.

With a kerb weight of just over 2230kg, the Polestar 4 is no light weight. But it is a nimble enough handler, steering decisively and with ample feedback.

The ability to adapt the vehicle’s regenerative braking to your own preference (or road conditions, we changed it depending on city or highway use to allow greater coasting) a useful addition to the feeling of connectedness – and in offering a smoother stop.

It is also possible to adjust the suspension response and steering through multiple settings, further allowing a sense that the car is tailored to the driver. We found ourselves favouring a more comfortable ‘tune’ in most scenarios, allowing greater enjoyment of the hushed ride, almost resulting in an “I could go electric” from yours truly.

Why almost? Well, as has been the topic of conversation for quite some time I found the longer charge times and lack of reliable charging infrastructure nothing short of a pain in the proverbial.

Waiting for almost an hour for a charging bay to become available, then sitting for a further 45 minutes to ‘almost’ charge the battery is not my idea of time well spent.

It was also a concern that just 350km of range cost just north of $40 – a figure that combined with an 18.7kWh per 100km usage average is far costlier on a dollar-per-kilometre (and fuel-only) basis than my three-year-old turbo-diesel Toyota HiLux.

Yes, yes, yes… chalk and cheese, I know; and just one of the few arguments against EV consideration. If you’re charging at home (and particularly in conjunction with a roof-top solar array) it’s arguably null and void.

For those without the option, it is something we think well worth considering. Especially if a car like the Polestar 4 is on your list of considerations.