2026 Polestar 4 Long Range and Performance Dual Motor

Jun 11, 2026 · 6 min read

06/11/26 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.

From the March/April 2026 issue of Car and Driver.

Photography began with a pinhole, which was used to project a world that had previously only been drawn or painted. The problem was that the image arrived upside down and reversed. Mirrors and glass refined the art, and eventually, we got things pointed in the right direction. And now, here comes the Polestar 4, replacing the rear window with a roof-mounted camera and a digital rearview mirror to stir up some drama.

Polestar wants you to believe it is doing something revolutionary here. Yet box trucks, RVs, and buses have relied on rear cameras for years, out of necessity rather than for aesthetics. The company posits that the camera provides a wider view between thick C-pillars than a small pane of glass could, and the system even pans the video stream left or right when you signal a lane change. What it doesn't do is melt snow that falls on it or clean itself when road grime builds up, unlike hatchbacks with, you know, a rear window and wiper.

The real shock value of the Polestar 4 is its beauty. The slim, coupelike profile makes a Tesla Model Y look as outdated as a Kodak Brownie. If there is one genuine advantage to going glassless, it's the generous rear-seat headroom, something other fastback SUVs often sacrifice.

HIGHS: Quick and quiet, spacious back seat, razor-sharp looks.

The elegant, minimalist interior has its quirks, though. To manually turn on the headlights, you must pick and prod through the 15.4-inch touchscreen, then confirm the choice via a steering-wheel button. How can a car so carefully designed incorporate something so funky?

The acceleration performance doesn't stumble. We've tested two trims, both dual-motor 4s packing 536 horsepower. The acceleration and sound results between the Long Range Dual Motor and Dual Motor with Performance pack were almost identical. Both reached 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and reached 100 mph in 7.8, but the Performance eked out a win at the quarter-mile: That arrived in 11.5 seconds, or a tenth sooner.

The real difference in equipment shows up during brake stops. The Performance option adds larger 15.4-inch front rotors clamped by four-piston fixed Brembo calipers. Not only are the gold binders and larger rotors more visually appealing than the smaller 14.3-inch fronts on the Long Range we tested, it also stopped the Performance model seven feet sooner from 70 mph and 22 feet sooner from 100. Part of that is also thanks to the Performance's Pirelli P Zero PZ5 Elect summer tires. The Long Range we tested wore Michelin Primacy All Season rubber.

Our sound meter detected 21 sones at 70 mph from both. That does come as somewhat of a surprise, as the Performance package adds 22-inch wheels wrapped in tires with less sidewall. The Polestar 4 ends up being quicker than and almost as quiet as Porsche's Macan 4 EV. Its 280-mile EPA range and 200-kW peak DC fast-charging rate, however, are less impressive.

During our 10 to 90 percent DC fast-charge test, the Polestar 4's peak charging rate fell far below its advertised rate of 200 kilowatts. This test car maxed out at just 168. It took 41 minutes to reach 90 percent, which is on the slower side for an EV with a 94-kWh battery pack. That said, to go from 10 to 80 percent, it was roughly 30 minutes.

LOWS: Finicky infotainment, EPA range and DC fast-charging speed are only average, rearview camera challenged by inclement weather.

The Polestar 4 costs more than its rivals, yet it delivers similar straight-line and chassis performance and offers less real-world range. It does however have a wonderfully smooth ride and a roomy back seat. It's thus more rational than theatrical, the opposite of what its lack of a rearview would have you believe.

Like the earliest photographs, the Polestar 4 is initially uncomfortable because it forces you to view the world differently—at least the one behind you. But over time, the novelty fades. Once you see past that camera, the Polestar 4 reveals itself as a comfortable, quick EV that's far less radical than its styling suggests.

VERDICT: Only revolutionary to the eyes.

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Specifications

Specifications

2026 Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $64,300/$71,600

POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 268 hp, 253 lb-ft
Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 268 hp, 253 lb-ft
Combined Power: 536 hp
Combined Torque: 506 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 94 kWh
Peak Charge Rate, AC/DC: 11.0/200 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.3-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy All Season
255/45R-21 106W

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.1 in
Length: 190.6 in
Width: 79.1 in
Height: 60.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 59/45 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 54/19 ft3
Front Trunk Volume: 1 ft3
Curb Weight: 5216 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.2 sec
100 mph: 7.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.6 sec @ 119 mph
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.6 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 356 ft

Interior Sound
Idle: 30 dBA/1 sone
Full Throttle: 68 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/21 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 51 MPGe

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 85/90/80 MPGe
Range: 280 mi

Specifications

2026 Polestar 4 Dual Motor Performance Plus
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $74,300/$80,800
Options: Nappa leather upholstery, $3700; electrochromic dimming glass roof, $1500; metallic paint, $1300

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/14.3-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ5 Elect
265/40R-22 106W PNCS POL

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.1 in
Length: 190.6 in
Width: 79.1 in
Height: 60.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 59/45 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 54/19 ft3
Front Trunk Volume: 1 ft3
Curb Weight: 5254 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.2 sec
100 mph: 7.8 sec
120 mph: 11.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.5 sec @ 121 mph
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.6 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 334 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.96 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 39 dBA/3 sone
Full Throttle: 69 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/21 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 51 MPGe
75-mph Highway Range: 250 mi
Average DC Fast-Charge Rate, 10–90%: 119 kW
DC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 41 min

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 77/80/74 MPGe
Range: 255 mi

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

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Austin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He's steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast.