Volvo stopped building estates for the UK. Polestar is bringing them back.
The new Polestar 4 was caught on the Nurburgring recently. It’s heading to showrooms soon. Or maybe not soon. The branding is… confusing.
Polestar isn’t sure what it has built. An SUV? A station wagon? Both? Michael Lohschellar, the brand’s CEO, shrugged at reporters in Gothenburg.
“We can actively debate whether the car is estate, an SUV, or both.”
Debate away. It launches on September 2. It looks chunky. Higher ground clearance. Rugged vibes. It aims to fight the Tesla Model Y and the BMW iX3. Also the Audi A6 allroad. If you know, you know.
Here is the thing everyone notices. The rear window is back.
Remember the 2023 reveal? The Coupe had no glass in the back. Just blackness. A digital mirror had to save it. That design was bold. Very bold. It made headlines. It made heads turn. And some drivers panicked.
Polestar claimed the glassless look freed up cabin space. Sure. But people like to see out of windows. Actual ones. This new variant fixes that.
It looks taller now. Upright. Practical. The light bar survives. The bumper stays too. But the sleek, jagged rear end of the Coupe? Gone. Replaced by a more traditional, load-carrying shape.
Range improves too. Up to 391 miles. That beats the existing Coupe’s 385 miles. Not a huge jump, but a jump. Power options remain RWD or AWD. Top power sits at 536bhp. Same chassis tech. Better dampers. Tweaked springs. The steering feels sharper, allegedly. More comfort. More control.
Why build two cars?
Lohschellar says it’s simple business logic.
“Once you have a winning model it’s always good to use as basis.”
The Coupe sells. Fast. But not everyone likes it. Some have dogs. Some like cargo space. Some prefer not looking over their shoulder to guess where the hill starts. This SUV version answers that call. It taps into the Swedish heritage of rugged transport.
Does this steal thunder from the larger Polestar 3? Unlikely. The P3 sits on the heavier Volvo EX90 platform. This is the SEA platform. Cheaper to build. Smaller footprint.
Price? He wouldn’t say.
The Coupe starts around £56,000. Or £64,000 for dual motor. You can save money if you act now through Auto Express deals. The SUV will cost more, obviously. But how much? Unknown.
Will the SUV outsell the Coupe? Maybe.
Lohschellar thinks functionality wins. People want to haul groceries and pets without drama. But he admits it’s a coin toss. Some fans love the radical no-window aesthetic. They will hate this safe, sensible update.
It’s built in Busan, South Korea. Same factory. Same assembly lines. Two flavors of the same victory.
So which do you prefer? The controversial look. Or the sensible box.
We’ll find out when they arrive.
