They listened. Sort of.
The new Polestar 4 isn’t a new car. It’s a modification of a machine that’s already selling itself out across the globe, tweaked to appeal to people who actually own things that don’t fit in a sports car’s boot. Or dogs. Maybe both.
Launching September 2, the updated SUV variant brings the brand’s “estate” aspirations into sharp focus, swapping the coupe’s controversial lack of rear glass for a conventional window. Practicality over provocation? Perhaps. Or maybe just market correction.
Window dressing, literally
Let’s talk about the window.
The original Polestar 4 coupe launched in 2023 without a rear windshield, relying instead on cameras and tech to let drivers see what was behind them. It made headlines. It made people uncomfortable. It also limited the sense of space inside the cabin, a problem the engineers claim this new version fixes.
So, they put a window back.
A real one. Glass. You can roll it down (probably) or just look through it like a sane human being might want to do in a car.
“We can actively debate whether the card is an estate, an SUV, or both,” Michael Lohschellar, Polestar’s CEO, told reporters at the Gothenburg headquarters.
That line is code for Audi Allroad. Or Volvo Cross Country. It’s a raised station wagon pretending to be rugged enough to eat gravel. And that’s exactly the space this car targets. Swedish load-luggers have a long, dignified history. This is an attempt to plug into it.
The mechanical tweaks
It’s not just a body shape change. Underneath, the platform matches the refreshed coupe Polestar released earlier. New dampers. Revised springs. Tightened anti-roll bars.
The steering calibration is supposed to be better now too, offering a mix of agility and control. Polestar claims this makes the ride more composed regardless of what condition your roads are in.
You get two choices of drive. Rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive. Power remains up to 536bHP on the dual-motor setup, pushing a range of around 391 miles. Not bad.
Why fix what’s selling?
Polestar is playing a safe card.
The Coupe is their bestseller right now. Globally. It’s winning. Why mess with a formula that’s working?
“Once you have a winning model, It’s always good to use that, as a basis… when we looked we saw some people want a bit more functionality,” Lohschellar said, noting specifically that dog owners tend to prefer more accessible cargo space.
Some people loved the glassless back. Lohschellar admits this.
“It’s not for everybody,” he added, “but now we have two variants of, our best selling, model.”
He won’t commit to which version will sell better. The functional SUV. Or the sleek coupe. He’ll leave it to the buyer to decide. Smart move. Let the wallet decide the aesthetics.
Pricing? A secret for now. No firm numbers, no confirmation on a premium over the £56,75 single motor or the £63,700 dual motor starting prices of the original. The strategy here seems to be wait-and-see, seeing what the competition like Tesla Model Y or the BMW iX3 are up to.
They are being built alongside the Coupe in South Korea at the Renault-Polestar joint factory in Busan. A logical extension. No need for a separate plant for one model change.
Does putting a window back on an electric crossover sound revolutionary? Probably not. Does it mean Polestar thinks most of us prefer knowing we’re in a car with a view at the back, rather than a digital proxy? Seems likely.
The choice is there. Coupe. SUV. Glass or no glass. The debate, as the CEO puts it, is just starting. And nobody is promising it’ll end with everyone agreeing.
Some will buy it for the range. Others for the extra boot space. And some… some will just be happy not to rely on a screen to know if a car is trying to hit them.
Who’s driving this one? 🚗💨
