Things are about to get serious for Polestar with the imminent arrival of the Polestar 4.

The mid-sized SUV is arguably the start of the main game for the fledgling EV brand.

Fresh from a modest but solid start for the newcomer brand in the Australian car market, the Chinese-owned Swedish-based spin-off of Volvo is readying its most important model, the Polestar 4.

Slotting between the smaller Polestar 2 and larger Polestar 3, the Polestar 4 is up against some big EV targets.

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With five seats and a raised body the Polestar 4 goes up against a broad range of electric SUVs, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, BMW iX3, Audi Q4 e-Tron, Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X.

There’s one car Polestar nominates as the prime competition for the 4: the Porsche Macan EV.

But as with the Tesla Model Y that is the top seller, the Polestar 4 will also have to compete against petrol-powered alternatives in the quest to grow market share.

It will also in some ways compete with the market leading Tesla Model Y.

2024 Polestar 4 price and equipment

The Polestar 4 plays in the sweet spot of the EV market.

Or, at least, the single motor rear-drive model does.

Priced from $81,500 it slides in under the luxury car tax threshold ($91,387 for 2024/25), which means it can take advantage of the fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption that allows salaried employees to save thousands each year by funding the car from their pre-tax income.

The Dual Motor model is $93,050 plus on-roads.

For that you get a generous spread of standard equipment, including smart key entry, adaptive dampers, dual-zone ventilation, power adjustable front seats, some funky ambient lighting, 360-degree camera and a head-up display.

There’s also a sizeable 100kWh battery that provides up to 610km of range in the Single Motor model and 580km in the Dual Motor.

2024 Polestars 4: What we think

There’s one big ticket item missing here: a rear windscreen.

In maximising interior space while maintaining a sleek coupe-inspired silhouette and panoramic glass roof designers pushed the rear roof beam rearward, to the point where there is no room for any rear-facing glass.

Instead, there are cameras that project an image onto a thing that looks like a mirror in the usual place in the centre of the car.

Activate the indicators and it subtly adjusts the field of vision, which is initially off-putting in the way it flickers between views. But it allows you to see more of what you want to see. Who knows, maybe that’s something Polestar could tweak with an over-the-air software update, another one of the drawcards of the tech-laden cabin.

That rear vision camera is the start of a tech onslaught that revolves around the 15.4-inch central infotainment screen.

That screen is powered by Android Automotive, which means a bunch of Google apps are built in.

It all works well and the ability to split the screen – and adjust the location of the split – is a neat touch that works nicely when you want to keep an eye on two things at once; maps and music, for example.

And despite the Android 1s and 0s behind the scenes, it’s welcoming of any phone, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity also included.

Our biggest gripe was with the functionality. The screen occasionally didn’t respond to touches, requiring multiple prods to get the desired result. We’re assured that was a glitch with the cars we drove and something that will be sorted.

Anyone who’s driven a Tesla will notice familiarity with the functionality of the screen. Adjusting the mirrors and steering wheel is done through the screen, for example, and it’s the same when you want to open the glovebox. There’s also an Animal Mode that mimics the Dog Mode of a Tesla, bringing up an icon of a dog on the screen and keeping the air-conditioning cranking when the car is parked.

The finishes and attention to detail are also top notch with a Scandinavian flavour. It makes for an upmarket cabin.

And it’s inside that is the real surprise for the Polestar 4, especially the back seats.

For a mid-sized SUV there’s acres of legroom and the glass roof makes for thoroughly acceptable headroom.

Even taller adults will find it a comfortable place to travel. And kids will revel in the space.

Sure, the battery in the floor means it’s slightly raised, but the benefits elsewhere absolutely make up for it.

On the road, though, the Polestar 4 is a mixed bag. Or, at least, our car was.

We spent most of our drive time in a Dual Motor Long Range with the Performance pack. It was a full-fruit machine with big 22-inch wheels and performance suspension as well as four-piston Brembo brakes with calipers painted in the brand’s signature gold hue.

in a straight line it’s an impressive machine, the 400kW and 686Nm shifting the nuggety body with little fuss. With claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.8 seconds it’s the fastest Polestar to date (just) and makes for brisk progress.

There’s always ample thrust on offer and the Polestar 4 nicely lives up to its performance promise.

But the steering on our car lacked precision and feel, detracting from the high levels of grip. It was also less than impressive in the way it controlled the suspension.

Polestar says it’s because the cars we drove were riding on dampers reserved for Chinese market cars.

Ours will have better control apparently, in turn making for a better all-round drive.

There’s clearly talent there, something on display when we briefly drove the less powerful single motor car (with one rear motor and 0-100km/h acceleration of 7.1 seconds).

It was a far crisper machine and had more on-road polish.

So clearly there’s inherent talent and we look forward to driving the cars with the correct suspension spec (the European specification is what we’ll take in Australia).

2024 Polestar 4: Verdict

While Polestar nominates the Porsche Macan as the 4’s prime target, it doesn’t have the driving sharpness and finesse to be a genuine rival.

But it is a lot more affordable than that car and provides a Swedish-inspired counterpunch to the Tesla Model Y that dominates on sales.

The Polestar’s clear strength is its tech, attention to detail and cabin layout – and the fact it brings something fresh to the EV party.

The rear vision camera works fine and the benefits it brings in terms of interior space is a logical compromise.

Score: 3.5/5

2024 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor
Price: From $93,050 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, AWD
Range: Up to 580km
Battery capacity: 100kWh
Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 18.7-21.7kWh/100km
Motors: 1 front 200kW/343Nm and 1 rear 200kW/343Nm
AC charging: 11kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 200kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds