Polestar 4

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

The Polestar 4 is the best-driving car in its class with no rear window, a washer bottle you can't find, and — as of July 2026 — no future in America. It's a lot to process. Let's take it in order.

Start with the driving, because it's the reason this car has fans. The Dual Motor makes 544 horsepower, hits 100 km/h in under 4 seconds, and rides on Geely's SEA platform shared with the Zeekr 001. The Drive's 2026 review gave it 7/10 and the line that matters: "Polestar nailed the dynamics of a budget Porsche." Steering the reviewers call Porsche-worthy, composure on broken pavement, torque delivery that owners describe with genuine affection. One owner group summary has it as "a work of art" with "double-vented comfort". The hardware underneath is proven at volume, and there are no documented powertrain or battery pattern failures. The 100 kWh battery, 200 kW DC charging, heat pump and optional electrochromic roof are all properly premium spec.

Now the rear window, or rather the absence of one. Polestar deleted it and fitted a camera-fed digital mirror, claiming superiority. The owner and press verdict is consistent: in daylight it's fine; at night there's glare, in rain or snow it's blurry, and depth perception in parking lots is poor. The Drive calls the gamble honestly — great dynamics, questionable bet. Some owners adapt. Some never do. You must try it yourself, at night, in the rain, before you buy. This is not a spec-sheet decision.

Then the quirks, and there are many small ones. Aggregated owner reports list: no washer-fluid level sensor ("carry a bottle of water," one owner advises); a tailgate that doesn't always open; lane assist that resets itself daily; a wireless charging pad with no lip, so your phone slides off under acceleration; an ambient light strip that reflects into the digital mirror at night; an exterior temperature sensor that reads wrong in sunlight; and a washer-fluid filler neck one owner calls "the worst place to fill with a full bottle of screen wash". None of these is serious. Together they paint a picture of a car designed by brilliant people who never had to live with it. Software bugs and missing battery preconditioning on route planning round out the early complaints — fixable, mostly fixed, but present at launch.

Pricing is competitive-ish: $56,400 single-motor / $62,900 dual-motor in the US, around €69,900 in Germany, £63,750 in the UK, 398,000 yuan in China. The problem is the neighbours: a Tesla Model Y undercuts it by about $11,000 in the US, and the Cadillac Optiq by $5,000. The Polestar's answer is design, dynamics and rarity — it was Polestar's best-seller in Germany, with global sales up 36% in the first nine months of 2026.

And then the bomb. In July 2026, Polestar announced it is leaving the US market after the 2026 model year. For American buyers this changes everything: resale values will take a hit, and questions about long-term parts, software updates and warranty support are legitimate even though Polestar says it will stand behind the cars. A company promise is not a dealer network. In Europe and China, where Polestar continues normally, this doesn't apply — but the news will still colour residuals everywhere.

Who should skip it? American buyers who care about resale — this is now a depreciating asset with a corporate exit attached. Anyone who can't live with the camera mirror — test it properly first. Anyone cross-shopping on value alone — the Model Y wins that spreadsheet.

Who's it for? The driver who wants the best-handling electric coupe-SUV, loves the design, and is buying in Europe or China where the brand's future is intact. A 2025 car — launch software matured, Busan-built for the US market — is the sweet spot; avoid 2024 launch cars with peak software bugs. In the US, only buy at a discount that prices in the exit.

The community verdict: probably Polestar's best car yet, per InsideEVs — brilliant to drive, maddening in the details, and now carrying a corporate asterisk in America. Buy the dynamics, budget for the quirks, and check which side of the Atlantic you're on.