Tested: 2026 Polestar 4 Long Range and Performance Dual MotorMichael Simari - Car and Driver (Michael Simari - Car and Driver)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.AdvertisementAdvertisementPolestar 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.Michael Simari - Car and Driver (Michael Simari - Car and Driver)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 The slim, coupelike profile makes a Tesla Model Y look as outdated as a Kodak Brownie.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.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?Michael Simari - Car and Driver (Michael Simari - Car and Driver)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.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe 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.Michael Simari - Car and Driver (Michael Simari - Car and Driver)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.AdvertisementAdvertisementLike 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.Michael Simari - Car and Driver (Michael Simari - Car and Driver)➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
