After spotting the Polestar 4 testing out on the road multiple times, we can finally confirm that the new electric SUV will be unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show on April 18 2023.
The Polestar 4 will be a key part of driving growth for Volvo’s all-electric sub-brand towards the target of 290,000 sales globally by 2025. It will neatly slot in as the firm’s fourth car, sitting between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar 3 – which was unveiled last year as a large electric SUV to rival the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron. The 4 will be a mid-sized SUV, rivalling the likes of the upcoming Porsche Macan EV, Tesla Model Y and Mercedes EQC.
Although Polestar’s official teaser image focuses on the thin headlight design, previous spy shots have given us a good look at the Polestar 4 already. As expected it’ll feature plenty of style touches seen on other Polestars as the firm looks to create a recognisable design ethos across its range.
The overall profile is much more sleek than the Polestar 3 and Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath has commented previously on the design, saying that: “This car is slightly smaller, but we do not compromise much on the interior length. But this car is slightly more ground hugging, a bit more on the coupe type of roofline, and really brings the greatness of the brand into that segment price point wise.
“Aerodynamics will play a much higher role in design and the designs we are doing, but generally I think the electric age will bring designs much more respectful of aerodynamics. The combination of sitting in a very sporty cabin but that much higher off the ground, you get that feeling of being elevated. I think that concept will be a very interesting one for a future SUV.”
The front end of the test car is still camouflaged but we can see a similar setup to other Polestar models with no traditional grille and a small lower grille providing the cooling. The headlight clusters look to be split and to the side we can see flared wheel arches over Polestar 1 wheels to give a sporty stance.
Flushing fitting door handles feature, which should help reduce drag and to the rear there’s a sloping roofline that gives the 4 a coupe-SUV shape. Like the 2 and 3, the 4 should get a full-width rear lightbar.
Ingenlath said back in 2021 that a price point of €45,000 would be achievable for the Polestar 4, which would more than likely translate to a starting price of just over £40,000 in the UK. That would neatly place it just above the Polestar 2 saloon, which is currently priced from £39,900 but as the comments were a couple of years ago, we can expect the price tag to inflate somewhat from those levels.
In a presentation to investors following Polestar’s announcement that it will be publicly traded, the brand outlined that the 4 will be the first car based on a platform called PMA, rather than the SPA2 platform that underpins the Polestar 3 and upcoming Volvo EX90. Devised by parent company Geely, Auto Express understands that this architecture evolved into what we now know as SEA, retaining elements of the PMA platform when it comes to the vehicle product itself but incorporating more software and intelligent applications.
Ingenlath previously admitted that the new Geely SEA platform – a purpose made, highly modular EV architecture designed for mass-market EVs and high volumes – is in Polestar’s warchest.
“The use of the whole bandwidth of technology is the beauty of being in this group, and Volvo, Polestar, Geely, we are all now free to look around and see what’s available.”
On the potential for the brand to use the new SEA platform, Ingenlath said: “That’s possible, and it will enable us to make cars that cater to different levels of the premium segment.
“But one is clear – the performance aspect of it is important for us. We have our own top-of-the-line powertrain that we implement in different platforms. We have our own bespoke idea of what a performance chassis should be on the road,” he explained.
The upper parameters of the SEA’s capabilities mean it is a platform Polestar could use and satisfy its need for high performance. It is an 800v electrified architecture capable of hosting small to large vehicles, with electric motor systems rated at up to 637bhp. We don’t know the size of the battery the 4 will use but the Polestar 3 in comparison comes with a 107kWh battery with up to 510bhp. Polestar has also said the new car will be its fastest model to date.
An upper wheelbase limit of 3,300mm allows for a battery up to 110kWh in capacity, and a maximum range of 435 miles.
For an alternative view, see our sister site DrivingElectric’s coverage of the Polestar 4…
