Polestar 4 - Interior, design & technology

There’s a familiar face to Polestar’s expanding range of cars, all influenced by the Precept concept of 2020. The purposeful front end with its dual-headlight shape, all-round smooth surfacing, contrasting lower-body panels and a full-width rear light bar are becoming Polestar design traits - along with a higher-riding side profile that helps hide the positioning of the battery within the wheelbase. 

Looking closer at the Polestar 4 you’ll see that Polestar has decided to put its technology on show, rather than hide it within the bodywork. Many of the 11 exterior cameras are clearly on display. 

Around at the rear you’ll immediately notice there’s no rear window. It’s a bold move by Polestar and one that could potentially put off a lot of prospective buyers looking for a more traditional driving experience. 

The theory behind it is that the rear window is made irrelevant by the standard-fit digital rear-view mirror. It’s a 8.9-inch display with a nice and clear resolution despite the rear camera only having 2.5 megapixels. It pans left and right when indicating (it's a sudden jump rather than a gradual pan), but we’re told customer cars will have the option to turn the panning feature off. That’s fine because the 121-degree field of view is great anyway. You can also switch it to become a standard mirror if you need to check up on rear-seat occupants. 

It does take some time to get used to and there will be some that will always prefer a classic rear view mirror and windscreen but the execution is pretty spot on from Polestar here. We’ve tried it in the dark and it’s great at numbing the dazzle from headlights while still providing a bright display - one thing we’re keen to see is how it’ll stack up against dust and mud without a in-built washer, although Polestar says the camera’s positioning should mean it’ll remain clear. 

The lack of a rear window means the designers have been able to maximise rear headroom while retaining the sleek exterior look. You’d think claustrophobia might set but having spend some time in the back seat, the side windows (which extend further back behind your head than normal) and the optional reclining rear seats (as part of the Plus Pack) mean you won’t have any moans from the Polestar 4’s rear passengers. There’s also a standard-fit panoramic glass roof, acres of leg space and quality materials used in the rear. 

The seats, which are superbly comfortably both front and rear, are heated in the front and electrically operated. In addition to the Plus Pack you can choose the Nappa Pack which adds perforated Bridge of Weir Nappa leather upholstery with a massage function and headrest speakers to go with the Harman Kardon sound system. 

Just like in the rear, the materials feel upmarket throughout the front of the cabin, although one strange quirk is that the various buttons and switches are mostly different to those in the Polestar 3 due to the different platforms the cars are built on. It might sound a little cheesy, but something that works well is the ambient lighting display which is based on a solar system with specific colours for the sun, moons and planets.  

The centre console is a slightly flawed design because while it looks minimal and classy, the large space underneath isn’t that easy to access if you’re sitting in the car. The storage compartment at the front is pretty small, too. We didn’t like the volume on and off dial in the centre which felt like the popping dome from the Frustration board game and doesn’t convey the same sense of quality common elsewhere in the car. 

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

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Up front you’ll find a landscape 15.4-inch infotainment display rather than the portrait screen in the Polestar 3. It uses a Google-based setup that’s also slightly different from the Polestar 3’s, but works pretty well. The overall design is neat and easy to understand and while our car wasn’t always quick to respond to inputs (especially sliding functions) we’re told customer cars will feature a more seamless experience. 

With precious few physical buttons, most of the car’s functions are operated on the screen. There’s some shortcuts on the home screen, but for the sake of ergonomics we’d prefer physical knobs and dials for things like climate control. The steering wheel does come with physical buttons, although the arrows on the side are lit up as they work for a variety of different menus - a strange decision but one that doesn’t affect the Polestar 4’s useability all that much. 

In front of the driver there’s a 10.2-inch display, which has all the basic information you require - it’s customisable too so it can show safety systems in action or the map. We like the head-up display as it’s not too intrusive and has clear graphics.