- The 2025 Polestar 4 debuts as a quick-reverse electric SUV without a rear window.
- The Polestar 4 offers 272-hp rear-wheel drive and 544-hp all-wheel-drive models, with the former aiming for more than 300 miles of EPA-estimated range.
- Polestar says the 4 will go on sale in the U.S. later in 2024, with an expected base price of $60,000.
Polestar has a penchant for designing achingly beautiful concept cars like the 6 roadster and the sedan-like Precept (aka Polestar 5). Both beauties are slated for production, and the brand seems fully committed to bringing its concept style to the masses, even if some aspects are undeniably unconventional. For proof, look no further than the all-electric 2025 Polestar 4 that was revealed today at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Goodbye rear glass
The Polestar 4’s styling is heavily inspired by the Precept concept, including a non-existent rear window. Instead, there’s a rear, roof-mounted camera that feeds a digital rearview mirror. Each model also has an expansive glass roof that extends beyond the heads of people in the back. This creates what Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath calls “a new kind of immersive experience for rear occupants.” Our biggest question is what kind of experience does the big blind spot create for the driver? For those who don’t trust their side mirrors, it could be a pain in the ass.
Don’t get us wrong, we think the 4 looks pretty cool, with its short overhangs and snappy roofline. Its split headlights and full-width taillights provide distinctive bookends, and dimensionally it sits between the Polestar 2 hatchback and the Polestar 3 SUV. At 190.5 inches long and 60.8 inches wide height, the Polestar 4 exists in the evolving gray area between hatchbacks and SUVs. It is based on the sustainable experience architecture developed by Geely, Polestar’s parent company, and the platform will also underpin Polestar 5.
New performance benchmark
The Polestar 4 is billed as the fastest model the brand has ever built. While that’s not much to brag about given its limited benchmarks, the 544bhp dual-motor all-wheel-drive model is said to hit 62mph in 3.8 seconds. That’s slightly faster than the 2023 Polestar 2 Performance we tested, which hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The company makes no acceleration claims for the 272-hp single-engine rear-wheel-drive Polestar 4, but says it’s aimed at more than 300 miles of EPA-estimated range. Both configurations share a battery with 94 kWh of useful capacity. There’s currently no word on charging times, but the maximum charge rate is said to be up to 200 kilowatts with a DC fast charger; A 22 kW on-board charger is also included. Thanks to bidirectional charging, the Polestar 4 can also be used to power other electronic devices. This vehicle charging capability is also available in some other EVs, such as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Along with wheel sizes ranging from 20 to 22 inches, the Polestar 4 is offered with a performance package that includes the larger wheels, as well as four-piston Brembo brakes and a unique chassis setup. The upgrade also includes gold colored brake calipers, seat belts and valve caps. Other options include the Plus Pro package with color-coded exterior detailing, illuminated interior bits and electrochromic glass so the opacity of the standard panoramic roof can be changed.
Inside the newest pole star
Despite the polarizing decision not to have a rear window, the interior of the Polestar 4 looks luxurious enough. At a whopping 84.2 inches wide and with a wheelbase of 118.1 inches, the cabin should be incredibly roomy as well. Along with heat, ventilation and massage available for front-seat passengers, the rear seats have room to recline and there’s interior interior lighting said to evoke the solar system.
The sophisticated dashboard features a 15.4-inch horizontally oriented touchscreen running Android Automotive OS with a myriad of Google-based apps. There’s also an optional 1400-watt, 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The driver faces a 10.2-inch digital cluster under a head-up display. The latter includes an innovative setting that changes the color of the text from white to yellow to improve visibility in snowy conditions.
There’s a host of standard driver aids, including a driver monitoring system that Polestar notes “only transmits data and doesn’t record video,” so no one worries about privacy. There’s also an optional Pilot package that allows the electric SUV to change lanes on its own when commanded.
For those concerned about the sustainability of their electric vehicle, Polestar offers supply chain transparency and a full lifecycle assessment. The new Model 4 relies heavily on recycled materials, from the knitted upholstery made from recycled polyester to the carpets made from reclaimed fishing nets to the door panels that are said to save plastic and weight. Nappa leather is also available, but is said to be safely sourced from animals.
Coming to America in 2024
The 2025 Polestar 4 will go on sale for the first time in China, with production starting this November at the Geely-owned plant in Hangzhou Bay, China. More information on the US models will come sometime in 2024, with all 4 scheduled to hit US roads later that year. Polestar says prices are expected to start at $60,000, roughly $25,000 less than the base price of the upcoming 3 SUV.
When asked if the Polestar 4 in all markets would come without a rear window, a company spokesperson confirmed that it would. We think it’s a bold move, but there’s no looking back now.
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Senior Editor
Eric Stafford’s car addiction started before he could walk, and has fueled his passion for writing news, reviews and more for Car and driver since 2016. His growing up aspiration was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno-like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social media influencers make it seem, so he eschewed financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and working at a newspaper, years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and driver hired him His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28 and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.
