The modern EV age has come to the entire auto industry, but it’s defined by newcomers. The Tesla Model S captured the public’s imagination in a way the Nissan Leaf couldn’t, and that set the tone for everything that followed. Whether it’s fair or not, established automakers are viewed as followers, not leaders, when it comes to EVs. So even though it plans to electrify its own lineup, Volvo created an EV spinoff brand — Polestar — to capture some of that startup magic.

The 2026 Polestar 4 is notable step in the evolution of that brand. It’s the first Polestar model that looks and feels truly distinct from anything Volvo makes. But while being different just for the sake of being different will earn the undying loyalty of car nerds, Polestar needs to offer more in a crowded market that already includes several dedicated brands to attract tech-savvy buyers. To put it another way, the 4 needs to be fantastic.

It’s the most distinctive model from a star-crossed EV brand

Polestar has quite a backstory. It started as an independent company racing and making performance parts for Volvos. The Swedish automaker was so impressed with Polestar’s work that it bought the company, aiming to turn it into an in-house performance division akin to BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. Then EVs became the new hotness, the Polestar name was repurposed for a standalone EV brand — one that leverages the resources of Volvo and its Chinese parent company Geely, but acts more like a startup EV brand in the vein of Tesla, Lucid, or Rivian.

It’s taken Polestar some time to establish its independence, though. The Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe and the all-electric Polestar 2 hatch were designed recycled from Volvo concept cars. The Polestar 3 electric SUV brought somewhat different design sensibilities, but it shares Scalable Product Architecture 2 (SPA2) underpinnings with the Volvo EX90. It’s essentially a sportier, two-row version of the Volvo.

The Polestar 4 does the most to establish a unique identity for the brand in the U.S. It doesn’t look like a Volvo at all, and it’s based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). In addition to using a Chinese architecture, most of the components come from China as well. However, final assembly takes place at a Renault plant in South Korea. This stunning feat of globalization was meant to get around U.S. trade policies that disadvantage China-made vehicles, but was made moot by new Trump Administration tariffs on Korean-made vehicles.

It defies categorization

Just as Polestar is a globalized hybrid of established automaker and startup, the Polestar 4 doesn’t quite fit into traditional automotive categories. It’s marketed as an SUV coupe, but it’s streamlined shape and road-hugging ride height make it look more like a buxom hatchback. At 190.5 inches long and 84.2 inches wide, it’s about two inches longer than a Porsche Macan Electric, but nearly as wide. But it stands just 60.8 inches tall — about three inches lower than the Porsche.

Those unorthodox proportions are topped off by an unorthodox design decision. The Polestar 4 doesn’t have a rear window. Polestar argues that the windowless design increases rear-seat headroom, and that the digital rearview mirror (a feature already available in many other cars) provides better visibility anyway because the camera view is unobstructed by roof pillars and passengers’ heads. Those passengers not only get a decent amount of headroom, but also plenty of legroom thanks to available reclining rear seats (part of the optional Plus Pack) and a stretched wheelbase. Sitting in the back is more like being in a luxury sedan than a traditional SUV.

It’s too bad Polestar couldn’t make more aesthetic hay from the rear-window delete. From the outside, you just see a blank panel where the window is supposed to be. The front, in contrast, has a distinctive beak-like shape with headlights that look like phasers aimed at an enemy starship. The frowning lower front bumper and lower body sides are black plastic to help camouflage the 4’s thick midsection. 

It shows that high-tech minimalism has drawbacks

The interior leans heavily on Polestar’s Swedish side. It’s beautifully minimalist, but definitely a case of form over function. The concave door panels with twinkling embedded lights and the elegant center console wouldn’t look out of place in a posh living room. Polestar also uses sustainable materials, including yarn upholstery made from 89% recycled PET plastic waste or polyester-like MicroTech (Nappa leather is also available).

That minimalism is made possible by a lack of physical controls. There’s not start/stop button; you simply unlock the car and sit down to start it and walk away when you’re done. And while you do get a giant volume knob and some seat-adjustment knobs, things like the steering wheel, mirror, and air-vent adjustments are handled by the standard 15.4-inch touchscreen. It’s accompanied by a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 14.7-inch head-up display and 5.7-inch rear-seat screen are available as part of the optional Plus Pack.

The 4 uses the same Android-based infotainment system as other Polestar and Volvo EVs, with integrated Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play Store. This provides a similar experience to Android Auto, and wireless Apple CarPlay is also standard for iPhone users. The software works as well here as it does in other Polestar and Volvo models, but it’s being asked to do a lot more. Between the minimal physical controls and the sheer number of settings — from regenerative braking to steering feel — the screen looks more like a McDonald’s menu than the high-tech interface of a premium automobile.

Screen centricity has been synonymous with tech since the Tesla Model S appeared, but that was over a decade ago. Using touchscreens is no longer novel, especially since they’ve become the default interface for so many other things outside cars. And in a car, a touchscreen is still harder to use than a button or knob, or anything that provides physical feedback. Polestar’s choice here smacks of a desire to copy Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian, or perhaps to save money on switchgear. What it doesn’t convey is the original thinking one should expect of a new car brand.

It’s good to drive, but not good enough to overlook its inefficiency

Polestar offers single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive versions, both with a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The single-motor Polestar 4 has 272 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, getting it from zero to 60 mph in a factory-estimated 6.9 seconds. Dual-motor models have 544 hp and 506 lb-ft of torque, and can do zero to 60 mph in an estimated 3.7 seconds. That’s fairly quick for the money. A Cadillac Lyriq-V will nip the dual-motor 4 by a few tenths, but it also costs about ten grand more.

From behind the wheel, the dual-motor model feels as quick as the spec sheet says. It also accelerates without the brutal gut punch of some other EVs, so it’s easy to lose track of how quick you’re actually going. The chassis responds with similar refinement. The 4 felt incredibly poised in corners, keeping its body flat without punishing occupants with overly-stiff suspension. Steering that was quick to react to inputs made up for an overall lack of feel when cornering, but was a chore to manage on the highway. Even small inputs could send the 4 toward the nearest lane marker, and there was little feedback to alert the driver.

Given its motorsports heritage, it’s not surprising that Polestar would emphasize performance over efficiency. But the driving experience just wasn’t good enough to justify mediocre range ratings of 310 miles for the single-motor version and 280 miles for the dual-motor version. That’s unimpressive considering the size of the battery pack, and it’s a big step down if you choose the dual-motor model. I averaged 2.8 miles per kWh in cold weather, indicating those ratings will be difficult to match in less-than-ideal conditions.

Charging performance could also be better. Polestar quotes a maximum DC fast-charging power rate of 200 kilowatts for the 400-volt 4, enough for a 10%-80% charge in a claimed 30 minutes. Some 800-volt EVs can do the same in 20 minutes or less. And even with a relatively powerful 11-kW onboard charger, a full recharge from a Level 2 AC wallbox takes 11 hours, according to Polestar. Cars are currently shipping with Combined Charging Standard (CCS) ports, but Polestar is rolling out Tesla Supercharger access with adapters.

It’s impressive, but not for the reasons Polestar wants

The most compelling thing about the Polestar 4 is its pricing. The single-motor model starts at $57,800 and the dual-motor model starts at $64,300 — pretty reasonable for a premium-brand electric SUV. The dual-motor model Polestar provided for this test drive had the Pilot and Plus Packs adding driver-assist and convenience features respectively, as well as 21-inch “sport” wheels, which drove the as-tested price to $71,600. But even that is competitive against sporty alternatives like the Porsche Macan Electric and Cadillac Lyriq-V.

Nothing else about the Polestar 4 advances the state of the art. Polestar copies the screen-centric interface of other EV brands, but doesn’t address its usability issues. Range, efficiency, and charging performance are adequate, but that doesn’t provide a compelling reason to choose the Polestar brand over the competition. Unique styling gives the 4 a “dare to be different” factor without any practical benefits. It’s nice to see an automaker trying something new, it’s just that Polestar didn’t go far enough.