Polestar 4 counts on bold design

POLESTAR likes to do things differently. It thinks of itself as a global company, with a grounding in Sweden, an engineering base in the UK and production facilities in China and it's listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York.

- Steve Fowler

That different approach continues to the cars themselves, including their design and naming. With no legacy models to worry about, we've had Polestars 1 and 2, with the 3 SUV set to launch in the UK later this year. Now we have this new Polestar 4a coupé-SUV, which is set to become the company's biggest-selling model when it goes on sale in spring 2024 - while the 5 and 6 are still to come (see panel, right).

Described by Polestar design director Maximilian Missoni as "the reinvention of the coupé-SUV", the 4 will sit between the 2 and 3 when it comes to size and price.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath - the former design director of Volvo - is very clear how his two new SUVs will cover the premium SUV market. "Polestar 3 will start at £79,000," he tells us. "£55,000 is where Polestar 4 will start. It will be a very important part of our portfolio, enabling more people to experience Polestar." Missoni describes the 4 as "a complementary design to the Polestar 3".

With its lower nose, slimmer lights, flush glazing and retractable door handles, it's another strikingly handsome design, but not without some controversy.