Polestar’s fourth vehicle, the aptly named Polestar 4 compact SUV, made its debut today at the Shanghai Auto Show. When released, it will likely compete with luxury heavy hitters like the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX, and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
The Polestar 4 is a coupe-style SUV with a target range of more than 500 miles, a hefty 102 kWh battery and a starting price of $60,000. It will be positioned in size and price between the Swedish brand’s Polestar 2 fastback and the forthcoming Polestar 3 SUV. And it will go on sale first in China from the end of 2023, followed by North America in 2024.
Together with the Polestar 3, the Polestar 4 signals an acceleration of the company’s ambitions to broaden its range, reach more customers and compete more aggressively. Polestar is somewhat unique in the EV landscape, backed by Volvo and its Chinese parent company Geely, who have largely helped insulate the startup from broader financial pressures. While rivals such as Lucid and Rivian have been hit by supply chain and production problems, Polestar has posted relatively positive sales figures in recent quarters.
The Polestar 4 is designed to emphasize the company’s commitment to design, technology and performance. Slightly smaller than the Polestar 3 but higher off the ground than the Polestar 2, the compact SUV will be available in all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive variants. One of its most distinguishing features is the total absence of a rear window, which Polestar says “enables a new kind of immersive experience for the rear seat occupants”. Ambient lighting “inspired by the solar system” is intended to further enhance driving comfort in the rear seats.
Removing the rear window eliminates the need for a rear-view mirror, so Polestar has instead added a high-definition screen that shows a live feed from a roof-mounted reversing camera. The company states that this “allows for a much wider field of view than what can be experienced in most other cars”.
The Polestar 4 is built on the Sustainable experience architecture, a new open-source platform developed by Geely that is also used by brands such as Lynk & Co. A premium SUV, the 4 has a large body and a long wheelbase of 2,999 mm (118 in). Overall length is 4,839 mm (490 in), width is 2,139 mm, and height is 1,544 mm (60.7 in).
But rather than trying to cram into a cramped third row, Polestar said it was focusing on “generous interior proportions”, especially for the rear passengers. Since the EV will be available first in China, a country where many wealthy people enjoy driving around, the Polestar 4 appears to have been designed with drivers in mind.
But the Polestar 4 isn’t built for bumper-to-bumper traffic or boring office trips. The company says it will be the fastest production car to date, with a zero-to-62mph sprint time of 3.8 seconds and a maximum power output of 400kW or 544hp. Both twin-engine and single-engine versions will be available, as well as rear-wheel drive single-engine versions. The 102 kWh battery is fitted in both long-range versions. A disconnect clutch allows the car to disengage the front electric motor when it is not needed to maximize range and efficiency.
The Polestar 4 supports up to 200 kW DC fast charging and 22 kW AC charging. Like the Polestar 3, the 4 will feature bi-directional charging with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability for charging external devices. And a heat pump is fitted as standard, allowing the car to take advantage of ambient heat to precondition the cabin and battery. The long-haul single-motor version has a 200 kW (272 hp) and 343 Nm (253 lb-ft) engine at the rear and a tentative target of over 300 miles, based on EPA estimates.
Like the 3, the Polestar 4 will run on Nvidia’s Drive computing platform, processing sensor data to power the vehicle’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). In total there are 12 cameras, a radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors as standard. This includes a driver surveillance camera, which only relays data and does not record video, to monitor the driver’s eyes and head movements to help prevent incidents related to fatigue or disability.
All these functions are accessible on the Polestar 3’s 14.7-inch portrait-style central touchscreen. A 10.2-inch instrument cluster behind the wheel displays relevant information such as speed and driving mode, and provides turn-by-turn directions. And over-the-air updates ensure Polestar 4 is always running the latest version of the company’s software.
But a few big supplier names are missing, including Luminar and Qualcomm, suggesting the Polestar 4 won’t be as technologically advanced as the company’s mid-size SUV. As with the Polestar 3, the design language of the Polestar 4 is inspired by the Polestar Precept, a concept sedan intended to set the tone for the company’s future. Polestar has made further commitments to environmentally friendly manufacturing, claiming it will eventually build the world’s first completely zero-emissions car without relying on carbon offsets, which it described as a “breakaway”.
The company has not yet revealed details about production in North America. But if the company wants to qualify for the $7,500 tax break, it will have to assemble it in North America and find a supply chain that’s independent of China.
Still, Polestar remains a bit of a boutique business, surpassing its target of 50,000 deliveries for 2022, despite China’s covid shutdowns and supply chain issues continuing to take their toll. Quality also remains a challenge for the relatively new company.
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