Test-Driving The 2025 Polestar 4 – The Car With No Rear Window
While Polestar is well known for its futuristic electric cars, the Polestar 4 is perhaps most well known for its lack of a rear window. It's the world's first mass production vehicle without a feature that most people would consider non-negotiable, unless you're driving a van. The Polestar 4 is the furthest thing from a van though, it sits in the ever hazy space between coupes and SUVs.
Polestar pitches the 4 up against competitors like the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and, if you're looking for something a bit more SUV shaped, the Porsche Macan EV. Like the rest of the Polestar range, there's a strong focus on tech and a minimalist design.
The driving position in the Polestar 4 is closest to that of the Polestar 2, you have a good view of the road but you're not sitting too high up. The dual motor version is the more powerful of the two configurations but the single motor model is plenty powerful.
Since Polestar has deleted the back window, you'd be right in thinking there's no normal rearview mirror. Instead, it's a digital display that shows a camera feed from the rear of the car. It offers a good view of the world behind, even in low light, but it's difficult to judge depth in the same way as a normal mirror. For most scenarios, it's easiest just to use the side mirrors.
Although the Polestar 4 feels reasonably weighty like the rest of the range, there's something reassuring about this solidity. To give it a sporty edge, the suspension is a little firm but it has a better time on country roads than the larger Polestar 3 which has a higher center of gravity.
Thanks to the huge panoramic roof, the interior feels light and airy even in the back. Polestar has managed to push the front and rear axles well apart since there's no engine in the front, so there's heaps of legroom for everyone. Rear passengers also get reclining seats.
The first thing you'll notice in the front is the huge landscape touchscreen. It has the same black and orange color scheme as other Polestars but it's quicker to navigate. Behind the steering wheel, there's a smaller digital display for the speedo and battery percentage. Range drops pretty consistently with the number of miles travelled, so it seems like it would give a reliable indication.
Polestar's design team appears to take great pleasure in thinking up new ways to get in and out of the car. The 4's interior handles sit at the front of the arm rest and lift upwards rather than out into the car. When you rest your arm on the arm rest, it's the natural position to put the handle but the upwards action takes a while to get used to.
The Polestar 4 can be configured with a single motor offering rear-wheel drive or a dual motor setup provides all-wheel drive. Both models are described as long range variants, with the single motor option achieving an official range of 300 miles. Opt for the dual motor and maximum range tops out at around 270 miles.
Spend $54,900 and you'll get behind the wheel of the entry-level single motor model. Up the budget to $62,900 for the dual motor configuration. If you're willing to sacrifice a potential 30 miles of extra range, the 0 to 60 mph time dramatically drops from 6.9 seconds to 3.7 seconds.
A panoramic roof is included as standard across the range but with the Plus Pack, you get the option to add an electrochromic roof. If you're regularly carrying passengers in the back, this extra bit of shade might be a welcome feature and, at the very least, a novelty.
Price as tested: $81,360 (£61,140)
Battery: 100kWh, long range, single motor
Power: 268 bhp
Torque: 253 lb-ft
0-62 mph: 6.9 secs
Top speed: 124 mph
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