BMW I4 vs Polestar 3

What's the difference?

If you’re intimidated by the electric future, don't be, because BMW’s i4 is just as good as any non-M sedan BMW offers right now.

The i4 delivers all the things you love about a 3 Series, engaging driving dynamics, a well-appointed interior and comfortable ride, but its all-electric powertrain means you’ll never have to stop at a servo again.

With a large battery on board, the i4 also serves up a decent driving range that should put anxiety-prone EV drivers at ease.

That is, of course, if you can get onboard with the looks.

With the kind of driving range, dynamics and comfort that could convince even the EV doubtful to give it a crack, the Polestar 3 – and specifically this Long Range Single Motor – feels like it was worth waiting for.

If the i4 looks familiar, that’s because it is based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe that entered showrooms last year.

This means a four-door liftback body style with a sloping roofline, athletic proportions and sizing close to the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.

Let’s get it out of the way early and talk about the elephant in the room, the oversized front grille.

Say whatever you want about it, there’s no denying it gives the i4 a unique and head-turning look, and in my opinion, it’s not too bad.

In the flesh, it really isn’t as big as the press photos have made it out to be, and with the front numberplate to split it up, it does start to look a bit more like a traditional grille.

In profile, the 19-inch wheels fill out the arches well, and hide the massive brakes that add to the i4’s sporty appearance.

I particularly like the almost flush door handles that look futuristic, but aren’t as pretentious as those retractable handles you see on Teslas and Range Rovers.

Slim tail-lights and a chunky bumper inform the styling of the i4’s rear, but we’re really not a fan of a rear diffuser that keeps the exhaust cut-outs.

It makes sense on a model like the 4 Series Gran Coupe, but it just looks look rather odd on an all-electric model like the i4.

While the outside of the i4 might be all about that big grille, the inside is all about big screens, two of them in fact.

The instrumentation and multimedia screens dominate the experience inside, but BMW has also included physical buttons on the steering wheel and centre stack, as well as a rotary control knob, to make navigating the menus that much easier.

The connected screens differentiate the i4 from its 4 Series Gran Coupe relative, and make the cabin feel futuristic and befitting of the all-electric powertrain.

Overall, the i4’s styling might not be to everyone’s tastes, but BMW definitely gets credit for being bold in its aesthetic choices.

Would have been nice to see BMW’s designers go a bit further in differentiating the i4 from its 4 Series Gran Coupe cousin, but there's no denying the head-turning appeal of this all-electric sedan.

I think the Polestar 3 looks great – big, but not looming, and still somehow svelte enough to look sporty.

The brand takes a unique approach to marrying design and aerodynamics, with a lip at the edge of the bonnet that allows for airflow. But it doesn't look like a purely functional element.

Instead it accentuates what Volvo would call the 'Thor's Hammer' (but I think Polestar calls them 'Twin Blade') headlights, which are mirrored below with black venting.

In fact, looking at the 3 front-on is a bit like looking into a reflection in a crystal-clear lake, with the lighting signature perfectly reflected in the lower half of the front end.

If it sounds like I'm waxing lyrical, it's because I am. I think the Polestar 3 is among the best looking vehicles in its segment and one of the better looking SUVs, period.

Inside, though, it's a study in minimalism, which while very neat and tidy, makes it feel a little less luxe than you might expect from a vehicle at this price point. In fact, at a quick glance, it doesn't look that far removed from the relatively cheap-as-chips MG4's cabin.

The materials are thoughtful and lovely, though. Leather-like materials are used sparingly, replaced by what Polestar calls "Bio-Attributed MicroTech Charcoal with Repurposed Aluminium Deco". A far easier way to describe it, though, would be as reminiscent of a wetsuit.

Elsewhere, it's a fairly pared-back affair, with just the huge portrait-style central screen and the landscape driver screen grabbing your attention. Dig deeper, and there are some really nice, gentle details, like the ambient interior lighting that illuminates a little strip along the door panel, including the Bowers & Wilkins logo. A similar line of light spans the entire dash, too.

And I love the metallic-look panel along the dash which, one can only assume, is the 'Repurposed Aluminium Deco'.

As a premium mid-sized sedan, the BMW i4 offers up enough storage and space for most, but keep in mind there are limitations.

From the driver’s seat, everything is well placed and the electronically adjustable seats offer plenty of adjustability to get comfy for long road trips.

Storage options include an central cubby, glove box, two cupholders and small door pockets that just about fit a bottle, but the design means it rattles around a little.

Speaking of fiddly, between this car, and the weird plastic cowl thing found in the Z4 and 1 Series, BMW needs to be called out for some of the most annoying wireless smartphone charger designs.

This one is tucked all the way under a retractable lid, and is barely wide enough to fit some flagship-sized phones.

However, we will give BMW huge props for its iDrive8 multimedia system, which is displayed on a huge 14.9-inch screen.

The menus are clear, concise and intuitive, while the software is buttery smooth and responsive. It feels snappier than some phones we’ve used in the past.

Credit too for not making all inputs touch, as there is a rotary control knob and voice command capability available.

In the second row, things are a little more cramped, but at 183cm tall I can fit in the outboard seats with tight headroom.

There’s enough leg and shoulder-room, too, and passengers can make use of the climate controls, USB-C charging ports and a fold-down-centre armrest with two cupholders.

Opening the boot reveals 470 litres of volume, but fold the rear seats down and that pace swells to 1290L.

Loading large and bulky items is made much easier thanks to the liftback design, and it’s important to note i4 buyers aren't penalised in terms of practicality as the i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe share the same boot capacity.

However, the charging cables can get in the way, as there isn’t any dedicated space for them.

The charging point is also in an annoying spot, in the right-rear fender where the petrol cap would be.

It means that you always have to reverse into charging spots, and it can be tricky to manoeuvre the i4 into just the right position to get the charging cable to reach.

The Nissan Leaf's front centre charging port, or the dual charging ports available on the left and right fenders in the Audi e-tron or Porsche Taycan are preferable.

Polestar has done a solid job of disguising the dimensions of the Polestar 3, because while it looks sleek and sporty it's still a big boat, stretching a sizeable 4900mm in length, 1968mm in width and 1618mm in height.

That size is most noticeable in the back seat, which is properly cavernous, helped further by a fully flat floor which lends even more airiness. Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position there's plenty of headroom and tons of knee room, giving the Polestar 3 official adult-friendly status.

The ISOFIX attachment points are located beneath two pop-off plastic covers, which makes fitting a child-seat base super easy. This is something I wouldn't have cared about at all exactly 22 weeks ago, but now I care a lot, and this was among the fastest and easiest systems I've used.

Happily, there is no major back seat compromise, either. The pews are comfortable and supportive, with the window seats separated by a pull-down divider home to two pop-out cupholders.

There are twin USB ports for rear-seat riders, too, as well as air vents with temperature controls, and – thanks to that Plus Pack – rear seat heating.

There's storage aplenty, too, with a total 597 litres in the boot with the rear seats in place, and 1411 litres with them folded flat, including a handy 90-litre hidden storage spot under the boot floor. Up front, there's a soft-bag-ready 32-litre frunk.

I'm going to get this out of the way early. I am a touch surprised with the pricing on the Polestar 3 range.

With Tesla having now stepped on a million metaphorical rakes, and with a leader now slightly less popular than actual skunk musk, the stage seemed set for a rival brand to steal its crown, and its customers.

But I can't see too many making the leap from the $60K-$70K Tesla Model Y to the $118,420 asking price of the admittedly bigger Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor - which is the cheapest way into the brand's large SUV.

Instead, Polestar will be taking aim at brand's like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Cadillac, leaving its Chinese corporate cousins (think Zeekr and Geely) to chip away at Tesla's market share.

So, premium product, then. But do you get premium stuff?

Ours gets the 20-inch 'aero' alloys, but you can spec those up to 22-inch wheels if you don't like your spine very much, along with Brembo brakes. Plus there's is LED lighting all around, a big glass roof and retractable door handles.

Inside, the Long Range gets heated front seats, triple-zone climate control, wireless device charging, and a big 14.5-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (run by Google built-in) joined by a second 9.0-inch driver information screen above the steering wheel.

Our car was also equipped with what Polestar calls the 'Plus Pack', a cool $9.0K on top, which adds things like a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins for Polestar stereo (replacing the standard 10-speaker set-up) , a head-up display, heating for the rear seats, steering wheel and wiper blades as well as soft-close doors.

The as-tested price for our car, by the way, is $131,640, before on-road costs.

If there’s one thing BMW knows how to do well, it’s building a sports sedan like no other. And that holds true for its EVs.

Powering this i4 eDrive40 is a single electric motor that produces 250kW/430Nm, which beats the outputs of even the 330i and 430i Gran Coupe.

With drive sent to the rear wheels, the i4 eDrive40 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds, beating out the aforementioned 330i and 430i models.

For those that want a bit more pep, the top-spec M50 grade’s dual-motor set-up punches out 400kW/795Nm for a lightning quick 3.9s 0-100km/h run.

Compared with its petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe counterpart, the i4 certainly puts up respectable figures, while offering more than a performance match for the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3.

The  Long Range Single Motor tag hints at what's powering this Polestar 3, with a single, rear-axle mounted (so, rear-wheel drive) motor producing 220kW/490Nm and a fairly sedate sprint from zero to 100km/h of 7.8 seconds.

With an 84kWh battery the official range on this i4 eDrive40 is pegged at 590km when tested to WLTP standards.

However, when fully charged, our test car's range readout was around 390km.

But keep in mind EVs aren’t as effective in cold weather, and the mercury was showing only three degrees on most days during this freezing Irish winter.

Luckily then, BMW has included DC fast-charging capabilities in the i4 as standard, with its 210kW CCS plug able to take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour.

BMW has included DC fast-charging capabilities in the i4 as standard, with its 210kW CCS plug able to take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour.

Using an 11kW AC charger however, will require 8.5 hours for a full charge.

In a week with the car, I averaged an energy consumption rating of 23.4kWh per 100km, almost matching the official figure of 22.2kWh/100km.

My driving included several long-distance trips on the freeway, however, an environment in which an electric vehicle does not excel.

Worth noting the heavier and more energy-hungry M50’s official driving range drops to 510km, but we’re yet to test its real-world figures.

How far is far enough before you'd consider an EV? Because I've got to say, if I owned the Polestar 3, I'd probably have to plug it in once a week, if that.

A sizeable 111kWh lithium-ion battery provides the charge here, and unlocks a claimed WLTP driving range of 706km. Now, it's worth pointing out these numbers are rarely realistic. For example, WLTP testing is conducted with the climate control switched off, but a real-world result of 600km or more, depending on how you drive, is still a large number.

The battery is the same as in the dual-motor variant, but this RWD car is lighter and less powerful, and it has a lower top speed (180km/h), reducing its energy usage to 17.6kWh-20.3kWh/100km (from 19.6-21.8kWh/100km).

The Polestar 3 has a 400V architecture, meaning hyper-fast charging speeds are out of the question. Instead, it's capped at a maximum 250kW (still more than most public chargers in Australia can produce) which means a 10-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.

At home, an 11kW charger will take more like 11 hours, or an estimated 16 hours using a regular 7.0kW wallbox.

According to Canstar Blue, the average price per kW for residential power in NSW at the moment is about $0.34. So, using my admittedly questionable maths skills, it would cost around $37 to take your Polestar 3 from empty to full at home.

If you came here just to find out whether BMW has succeeded in transplanting its signature sports sedan characteristics into the all-electric i4, the answer is, yes.

The best thing I can say about the i4 is that, aside from the way power is delivered and the lack of engine and exhaust noise, it feels just like a 3 or a 4 Series.

Steering is sharp and responsive, throttle and brake inputs are immediate, making this rear-drive i4 a delight to drive enthusiastically.

The staggered Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and massive brakes obviously help in this regard, and look, it’s not as sharp as the Porsche Taycan, still the sharpest electric vehicle we’ve driven to date, but the driving experience in this i4 is comparable to the excellent 3 Series.

But I’m not in love with the fake sound piped into the cabin when in 'Sport' mode. It sounds weirdly low-rent and I much prefer to accelerate to triple digit speeds in serene, near-silence.

Switch things up to 'Comfort' mode, and the i4 makes for a surprisingly relaxed drive.

The steering gets bit a looser and the adaptive dampers ease off a little, soaking up bumps and road imperfections with minimal affect to occupants.

Pair this with the nearly-silent electric powertrain, and well, our little one in the back seat has fallen asleep on more than one occasion in my time with the car

You can also adjust the level of regenerative braking in the i4 and operate it with one pedal like in the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

This is a more efficient way to drive an EV as it forces you to look ahead and be careful with your throttle inputs.

One-pedal driving might not be for everyone, but it’s nice to have the option there.

The Polestar 3 is that rarest of beasts – a big and sumptuous SUV that's genuinely engaging to drive.

This is going to sound odd given we're talking about 2.5-tonnes of Swedish metal but I reckon the fact it's not lightning-fast makes it more fun to drive. It somehow (and yes, this is a crazy thing to say) gives off Mazda MX-5 vibes, in the sense that, while some EVs feel utterly scientific in the way they accumulate speed, this rear-drive Polestar feels fun, perky and like you're actually driving it.

Don't get me wrong, there's more than enough power on offer here to get the 3 up and moving, especially the way it accelerates from low to mid speeds, but it's more than powerful enough to feel like you can push it a little bit harder without risking a visit to the undertaker.

The ride is good, too, leaning into its sporty nature without vibrating your eyeballs through suspensions stiffness, and the steering is direct and predictable. Speaking of which, you can dial up the sportiness of the accelerator (responsiveness) and steering (weight), too.

I also like the three-stage brake regeneration (off, medium and full 'one-pedal' driving) accessed through a permanent button at the base of the screen, and I prefer that it isn't as brutal as it can be in other vehicles. The cabin is also impressively quiet, though how much of that is owing to the Plus Pack's upgraded stereo arriving with active noise cancellation is a mystery.

There is no shortage of weight on board, though, and get too aggressive with the steering wheel and you'll get that disconcerting top-heavy tipping feeling so common with big SUVs.

I'm not convinced by the Polestar 3's software, either, with a couple of weird warnings popping up during my time with the car. The first warned that the driver assistance systems had failed, and told me to book a service, and the second even weirder issue is it liked to warn me there was "no valid key detected" despite it being in the centre console, and that "restart would not be possible".

Neither warning seemed accurate, to be fair, as the safety one went away on its own after a while and I had no problem starting the car.

The Polestar 3's safety story is a good one, and it begins with nine airbags covering all seating rows. The grille of the 3 is home to what the brand calls its 'SmartZone', which is where it hides the cameras, sensors and radars necessary for its AEB (with cyclist and pedestrian detection), cross-traffic alert with braking, blind spot alert with steer assist, lane departure warning and assist and active cruise control. The list goes on and on.

In the cabin, two infrared cameras monitor the driver, while four motion-sensing radars scan the rest of the interior for left-behind pets or children.

It scored the full five stars in Euro NCAP testing, and scored the highest child occupant protection rating of any passenger car tested by Euro NCAP in nine years.

Like all BMWs sold in Australia, the i4 comes with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist over that period.

This falls short of the now-standard five-year assurance periods offered by premium rivals Audi, Genesis, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

Scheduled servicing intervals for the i4 are every 20,000km/24 months, at least in overseas materials.

Australian intervals are yet to be confirmed, but BMW is offering service price plans covering four- and six-year periods in 'Basic' and 'Plus' forms.

The Basic plan for four and six years is set at $1240 and $1765 respectively, while the Plus package is $4805 and $5500.

Another tick for the Polestar here. While I advocate for longer warranties (kudos to brands like Nissan, MG and Mitsubishi), the 3's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty is on par with its premium competitors.

The first five years or 100,000km of servicing is on the house, too (it's required every two years or 30,000km after that) and five years' roadside assistance is thrown in, as well.