No Rear Window... No Problem! The Groundbreaking Polestar 4 Is Coming To The UK

12th November 2024

The motoring world is by its very nature fast paced, with automakers encouraged to look forward, never back.

The design team at Swedish automakers Polestar have taken that motto literally and created the first car destined for UK roads minus a rear window. We doubt it will be the last…

Since being acquired by Volvo in 2015, the Polestar brand has become synonymous with pioneering tech. The same engineers behind this latest concept are also credited with three-point seat belts and rear-facing child seats.

Blind spot warnings were also manifested in their Scandinavian workshop, which has long drawn admiring glances from across the automotive industry.

It’s a far cry from the Polestar of the old, which rose to fame as a motorsport team in the late 90s. Now they break new ground as opposed to lap times.

So how and why has their latest development come about?

Swapping Rear Windows for HD Cameras

Well, comfort is a leading factor. Headroom – or rather a lack of it – was the inspiration behind a somewhat controversial redesign. Dispensing with the rear-view window is an obvious way to free up space for those riding in the backseat. Now these passengers will be afforded more room to adjust their headrests and seats generally, extending them like those sitting in comparative luxury up-front.

The obvious question is what this means for those diving? Simply put, their rear-view mirror will in fact become a high-definition screen, one transmitting images from a roof-mounted camera.

The latter will be positioned in such a way as to avoid direct airflow and repel water and dust. This will make for a clearer (and wider) panoramic than is otherwise provided.

Indeed, neither debris nor dirt will obscure the view. The heads of those you’re taxing will also become less of a hindrance. No more craning of the neck to see beyond taller passengers…

Crucially, this is a data rather than aesthetic driven change. Interestingly, Polestar commissioned their own survey of UK drivers and discovered one in five were concerned about how little they can see behind. With rear windows growing ever smaller, those fears were unlikely to diminish. Hence an inspired solution…

It’s also one unlikely to be met with any resistance. The Polestar 4 has been driven on Chinese roads since last Christmas and been positively received. Unsurprisingly, the majority of drivers soon forget they’re actually looking at a camera, so seamless is the transition.

Granted, those wearing glasses may need to adjust the focus somewhat but that’s easy enough to do. So too is switching to a regular mirror setting, should you wish to keep an eye on those in the back – children for example.

Combining Design and Power

Polestar 1 - MAT Foundry

Fears the interior could become too dark without light washing in from the rear have also been rubbished by those lucky enough to enjoy a test drive.

One of that select band is former Fifth Gear presenter Quentin Wilson who was full of praise for the EV. "It's just the stylistic evolutionary process of the motor car”, he wrote.” It's bold, it's challenging - that's what we need in car design.”

The Polestar 4 may not boast a rear window, but it does pack plenty of punch, the long range dual motor producing 526bhp and achieving 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds.

A top speed of 124mph has been recorded, as has a range of 367 miles. The latter is longer still when driving the alternate, single motor version. This brings with it 268bhp and 385 miles.

Further ingenuity can be found in the steering settings. Drivers can flit between a ‘light’ mode when navigating city roads, a ‘standard’ equivalent for motorways and, finally, a ‘firm’ approach for mountainous terrain.

Downsides are apparently few and far between. There is reportedly no suspension to rival the Polestar 3. Instead, the newer model encompasses steel springs which can make for a lively trip on country roads. That ‘firm’ setting may come in handy…

Head Designer Maximilian Missoni is clearly delighted with the outcome and moreover the reviews.

"With Polestar Precept we previewed a stunning new occupant experience by removing the rear window and pushing the rear header, which plays an integral safety role, further back”, he explained. “This means that now, rear occupants can have a unique experience in our SUV coupe."

That unique experience will cost you at least £59,990, with an August release planned for Britain.

Of course driving sans a rear window isn’t unheard of, with van and truck drivers relying on large wing mirrors for decades. But this does mark unchartered territory for standard vehicles and EVs. Not for the first time, those Polestar pioneers are charting a course others will surely follow.