I borrowed a Polestar 4 and loved it so much I just went and bought one

It was back in June this year that, finally, I got behind the wheel of a Polestar 4. It'd been a long time coming – as I'd been offered the car on loan in late 2024, but had to postpone owed to various issues.

Being June and revelling in the wonders of summer sun, I drove the Polestar 4 to Glastonbury Festival and back – what a weekend that was! – which is plausible on a single charge. And with at-home charging, the equivalent cost of those 300 miles was far less than filling up at the pump – which is always a nicety.

Not that I've been doing so for some years; having tested cars and electric vehicles (EVs) for over a decade, both in this job and more prominently my previous role, I've got plenty of experience in what's available. And I'm no stranger to Polestar: having owned a Polestar 2 for what would be two years now.

Why ditch the Polestar 2?

Why 'would be'? Well, there was an accident earlier in the year. Modern cars are easy to write-off in various circumstances, in part because they're frankly so safe. The Polestar 2 has six airbags in the front, so a frontal collision triggering the lot primarily means that you're better protected, with injury/whiplash minimised. The cost of replacing them? Rarely worth it for insurers.

But there's been a rather long wait since. It's no secret that Polestar had a bit of an 'uh oh' moment, with shares plummeting, the CEO departing, and its future put in question. But it's bounced back strongly, with 2025's Q2 sales up 38% compared to the period the year previous.

That's been helped by the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 launches, of course, but with many buyers also shunning Tesla's offerings – arguably due to political opinion – the luxury EV landscape continues to evolve. There's no de facto choice any more. For me, I think the Polestar 4 is the more visually stunning of the lot, perhaps more than anything else on the market right now.

The problem, however, is that Polestar has been struggling to rapidly supply this uptick in demand. These cars don't simply roll off a production line – they're built per order, featuring your selected specification, and that can result in a bit of a backlog. Plus, the shipping from factory to shore adds time, naturally, as that's multiple weeks as a minimum from China.

What the Polestar 4 brings to the table

I could have ordered another Polestar 2, that's true, and I did love that car. As an aside: as a cyclist, knowing I could fit a road bike in the back was always an essential – something the Polestar 4 also offers, given it's a bigger vehicle overall.

What really triggered the want for change, however, was the uptick in tech. As I write about technology day in, day out, seeing a fuller cockpit of options at my fingertips was a thrill. The larger central screen, head-up display (HUD), new Google integration, stacks of other options – cooled leather seats, anyone? – all add to the appeal.

To drive, the Polestar 4 is clearly a bigger and heavier car, so it's not as nimble. But part of the reason for this is a larger battery on board. The long-range dual-motor option, which I've purchased, has a 100kW battery (compared to the 82kW of the Polestar 2), which means a slightly longer range – although not by much, given the weight increase.

What I do know is the 300-mile range is pretty much spot on, without having to make concessions, which is decent coverage for trips long or short. That's peace of mind – and I couldn't go with less, like you'll find in, say, an older Audi Q4 e-tron (the '35' version).

Adding the Performance pack – enhanced performance, wheels and brakes – might dig into that range, but knowing I've got a big car with big performance incoming only furthers my excitement. No rear window? No problem! I think that design feature has already eaten up enough of the press coverage around this car.

All for much less than a fuel equivalent, given the lower tax on EVs at present – something that will inevitably increase at quite a rate in coming years. But whilst I can avoid those higher costs, I've gone all-in on the Polestar 4 – and suggest you should give one a spin, too. Polestar offers test drives at a number of its centres, which is well worth checking out.