Ride in the excitement car
Polestar 4 without rear window: Really pointless?
It sounds like an April Fool's joke: the Polestar 4 has no rear window. Neither as standard nor as an option. But who knows? Maybe millions and millions of cars have one window too many and not the Polestar one too few. "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl clarifies this and more here in the video driving report.
Discalculia instead of nomenclature
The brand from Gothenburg has some unusual features, not just the windshield. For example, the Polestar 4 is not the brand's top model to date, nor is it above the Polestars 1, 2 and 3, but is positioned between the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 in the model range. It is simply the fourth model to be launched on the market. That doesn't exactly make things very clear (which in turn suits the Polestar 4).
The car itself is very successful. It is based on Geely's SEA platform (Sustainable Experience Architecture), but was essentially developed in Gothenburg, as Roger Wallgren, Head of Vehicle Dynamics, asserts in an interview with Krone. "Some parts are from European suppliers, some from Chinese suppliers, but with European specifications," explains the Norwegian.
Fine driving feel, sporty performance
We were on the road with the "Long Range Dual Motor", which has a 200 kW/272 hp and 343 Nm permanent magnet motor on both the front and rear axles and therefore all-wheel drive. Power and torque add up to 544 hp and 686 Nm. It reaches 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.8 seconds, with the speed limit set at 200 km/h.
With the "Long Range Single Motor", the front motor is omitted. In both cases, the 400-volt nickel-manganese-cobalt battery stores 94 kWh net (100 kWh gross) and can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes with up to 200 kW charging power. Alternating current is charged with 11 kW as standard, optionally with 22 kW. A full battery lasts for 590 kilometers according to WLTP (single motor: 620 km). The heat pump is standard. The hardware for bidirectional charging is on board, but Vehicle to Load (V2L) will not be available until later.
Wallgren and his team have certainly done a good job, the car drives smoothly, it corners well and the steering is sensitive. Especially with the middle of the three adjustable steering resistances. The 2350 kg DIN kerb weight is well concealed.
The ZF adaptive dampers of the Long Range variant offer a clearly perceptible range between relatively comfortable and fairly firm. What would be called Comfort mode elsewhere is called "Normal" here - Comfort would raise expectations too high in the rather sporty SUV, explains Wallgren. We think: Comfort would also fit.
The driving experience in the mid-range SUV coupé is also very pleasant overall; the interior is quiet, even at higher speeds. This fits in well with the competitive environment of the D-segment.
Nothing works without Google
The interior has a simple and uncluttered design, typical of the brand, and the materials are of a high quality throughout. A 15.4-inch touchscreen in the center console is complemented by a 10.2-inch speedometer screen. A head-up display is also available as an option. The Google-based operating system provides a wealth of information on the displays, which are relatively easy to find using tiles instead of lists once you have familiarized yourself with them. To change the parameters, however, you have to delve into the menus or submenus on the touchscreen. And opening the glove compartment would also be easier if you didn't have to surf the screen first.
Not for operating the vehicle, but for entertainment and generally nice and interesting, is the display of the planets of our solar system with some basic information. You can call up lighting scenes for the ambient lighting.
The thing with (or without) the rear window
The official reason for the rear window trick: the all-electric SUV coupé is intended to offer more headroom in the rear seat. In fact, the space in row two is extremely good, including the headroom. At 4.84 meters, the Polestar 4 is two centimeters shorter than a Mercedes EQE SUV, for example, but offers significantly more space, although the wheelbase is also three centimeters shorter at an even three meters.
The trunk holds an impressive 526 liters (including 31 liters under the luggage compartment floor, with an additional 15-liter trunk for cables) and is separated from the interior by a fiddly but easy-to-open flap. If you leave it open, you can even see through the interior mirror - as long as the tailgate is open.
So a window instead of the sheet metal in the trunk lid wouldn't have hurt. You wouldn't be able to see that much, but you'd be able to see a lot more than nothing.
Unofficial reason: Polestar wants to attract attention, get people talking and polarize. Better to talk about it controversially than not at all, is the motto. The brand sees itself as Swedish, but is perceived by many as Chinese because, like its parent brand Volvo, it operates under the aegis of Geely.
Leaving out the rear window without necessity is simply idiotic.
Stephan Schätzl
Digital interior mirror should help
So that the view in the interior mirror does not end on the rear seats, you can switch between the mirror view and a display view that shows the image from a rear camera. This is supposed to work smoothly in all weather and lighting conditions. We were unable to check this during our test drives due to the lack of bad weather.
However, the problem is not so much the potentially vulnerable camera, but the screen itself. It is completely useless, at least for wearers of varifocals, because it is positioned far too close to the eyes. Other spectacle wearers are also likely to find it difficult.
As presbyopia is a widespread phenomenon and usually occurs at an age at which potential customers may only be able to afford a Polestar 4, it is therefore a rather short-sighted plan to try to win customers with a digital mirror instead of a rear window.
The prices
The rear-wheel drive model is priced from 59,990 euros. The all-wheel drive model costs 8,000 euros more, but also offers the adaptive suspension and the option of ordering the performance package (including larger Brembo brakes).
Otherwise, the equipment is essentially identical (including adaptive cruise control up to 150 km/h etc.) and the same option packages are available. For example, the Pilot package includes the lane guidance assistant (only up to 130 km/h), while the Plus package includes a head-up display, matrix headlights, 22 kW charging and heated rear seats. Ultimately, you can order everything your heart desires - except a rear window.
Driving summary
The Polestar 4 is actually an all-round successful, sporty electric SUV coupé that enriches the line-up in the D-segment. Sure, you have to get to grips with the touch-only controls, but it takes a little getting used to. Just like anywhere else. The lack of a rear window is a different matter. Something safety-relevant has simply been left out without there being any need for it. In my eyes, that's just pointless.
Why?
Beautiful electric SUV
Top driving characteristics
Why not?
Doing without a rear window is completely pointless.
Or perhaps ...
... Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Tesla Model Y
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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