Polestar 5 Reviews

Like a few brands lately, Polestar made waves when it arrived in Australia, but has since struggled to capitalise on the original hype.One of its issues is that it arrived with just the one product, the Tesla Model 3-rivalling Polestar 2, which seemed inherently limited in how well it could do.But the brand has fleshed-out its range now with the sporty Polestar 3 mid-size SUV, and the car we’re looking at for this review - the Polestar 4. Does it have what it takes to keep building this premium challenger brand in an increasingly tough landscape? Let’s find out.First up, what exactly is the Polestar 4? The Swedish brand pitches this EV up as a direct rival to the new electric Porsche Macan, but one glance at the pictures and you might have noticed that this car isn’t an SUV.After driving it, I find the assertion that the Polestar 4 is some kind of ‘crossover’ even harder to believe. Really it’s a slightly pumped-up segment-bender which is definitely closer to an executive sedan than a standard mid-size SUV. Then again, its long roof and high bootline make it feel like some sort of coupe.I am all for this. SUVs are a dime a dozen, and cars like this with genuinely interesting proportions are hard to come by. Plus, as I’ll explore later, it has benefits when it comes to actually driving it.We also have to talk about the rear window. The Polestar 4 doesn’t have one, instead forcing you to rely on a digital rear vision mirror. You get used to it but it never seems to make up for the missing depth perception a real mirror provides.How much does the Polestar 4 cost? The car we're driving is my pick of the range. It’s a Long Range Single Motor with the pricey (but worth it) Plus Pack.The Long Range is, in fact, the base car, starting at $78,500 before on-roads, while the Plus pack adds a further $8000 of kit bringing the total to $86,500.Once you’ve ticked the boxes to get to this point, Polestar tries to tempt you into a Dual Motor - which doubles your power (from 200kW to 400kW) for $88,350 - but don’t go for it. Once you add the missing items, you’re at almost $100,000 and at that price this car makes a bit less sense.Having said that, the Polestar 4 impresses compared to rivals. The aforementioned Porsche Macan EV starts from a whopping $129,800 while only offering slightly more power and range. Based on the segment-bending design of the Polestar 4, I’d also consider its closest rivals to be the BMW i4 (eDrive 35 - $88,000), Mercedes-Benz EQE (300 - $136,600), or perhaps even the equally strange Hyundai Ioniq 6 in specced-up Epiq guise ($82,000). Interestingly all of those options offer similarly long driving ranges, but it certainly makes the value case for the Polestar and its 620km WLTP range evident.Standard kit at this money is fine, you get the recycled(ish) interior trim, big screens, big wheels, ambient lighting - basically the lot - but it’s worth splurging for the Plus Pack because you just get so many luxurious and convenient additions it makes it hard to say no.Sure there’s the (very good) Harmon Kardon audio system, but you also score the fancy illuminated door trims, cool-looking light grey contrast trims, high-end LED headlights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, tri-zone climate, additional power adjustments for the front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated seats, as well as 22kW(!) AC charging capability.I mean, come on. I know they ‘get you’ with it - the Plus should have been its own trim level, but seriously, if I was already spending this much I’d be ticking that box.Maybe the real sell is this car's driving range, though. The Polestar 4 can travel ridiculously far on a single charge. It feels nearly akin to just driving a petrol car. In my time with the car covering a significant distance, I was always impressed with how much range was left every time I turned it on.I even took to charging it like I use a petrol car - just once every week or two as required. Thankfully, despite its enormous battery, it also charges relatively quickly. The maximum charging speed of 200kW should see the Polestar 4 charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour, but on the more prolific 150kW charging stations, I was seeing around 40 minutes.The 22kW AC charging rate available on the Plus Pack is a rare addition - only a handful of cars in Australia can do this. Unfortunately, there are fewer chargers that can, which makes this more of a future-proofing feature.Of the WLTP-claimed 620km range, my car was reporting closer to 590km in the real world according to my back-of-the-napkin numbers. With this much driving range you won’t notice the small deficit. I scored 16.4kWh/100km of energy consumption, which is not bad for a car this size.Here's some food for thought on the battery front though: Polestar claims to be the sustainability brand, and yet this car seems emblematic of the brand’s mission butting heads with its need to be a luxury automaker.Sure, a 100kWh battery gives it an enviable driving range, and the brand publishes a quite thorough emissions report which claims that the Polestar 4 is more carbon efficient than a combustion car or even a plug in hybrid (if you go by BMW’s similar emissions report for its 530e, for example).My issue with this is that 100kWh could be three or four plug-in hybrids instead of one Polestar 4. Which of those two options will theoretically remove more carbon from the atmosphere over 20 years? The maths kind of speaks for itself.The Polestar 4 is very nice to drive, giving off big luxury sedan vibes rather than the occasionally overbearing nature of some SUVs in this class. As you sit comparatively low in it, it hides the weight of the batteries well, and its 200kW motor provides plenty of immediate thrust while not being as overwhelming as, for example, the Tesla Model 3 Performance.So it’s a better tourer than a lot of EVs in my opinion. It’s also pretty quiet on the open road, and the attention to detail in the driver feedback and inputs is as European as they come, whether it's the sleek steering feel, or the smoothly integrated regenerative braking. Not too much, not too little.The ride is also relatively plush, offering a degree higher comfort than we’re usually used to from EVs with batteries this big. It’s not perfect though, and some terrain can catch it off-guard, making you feel the heft for a harsh moment.Still, it’s an impressive machine which manages to avoid the extremes.A final note on the ownership piece for this car. Polestar offers a five year and unlimited kilometre warranty with matching roadside assist, which is only really okay these days. However, it will cost you nothing to service the car for those first five years or 100,000km, which is pretty compelling, especially when combined with potentially ultra-low running costs from a home solar system.

In the years since the likes of GWM and MG established a beachhead for Chinese automotive brands in the local new car market a slew of others have followed.Economics 101 says increased competition in a mature market will quickly stimulate activity, generating big winners and significant losers.And the reality of 2025’s vehicle registration data, compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI VFacts) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), has graphically validated that economic theory.More than 30 of the 60 passenger car and light commercial brands monitored by VFacts and the EVC went backwards in terms of sales volume in 2025 compared to 2024.But the winners were BIG, the top two improvers experiencing spectacular growth; the overall champ almost sending the needle off the clock.Of course, some were coming off a relatively small sales base, with increasing supply and expanding model line-ups inflating percentage figures. So, for context, we’ll also note outright volume increases and only include brands that recorded full-year sales in 2024.Here are our top five countdowns for biggest new car sales winners and losers in 2025.5) Rolls-Royce: Okay, it’s 13 extra cars for 2025 over 2024, but when each one of them retails for a minimum of $700K that’s some handy incremental profit margin. Obviously, for a select few it’s a case of ‘cost-of-living crisis be damned’, with no less than eight extra Cullinan SUVs and the same number of sedans finding a home last year. 4) Mini: A big year for Mini, including a major JCW-focused refresh across the range as well as a burst of sales for the pure-electric Aceman line-up. There were substantial boosts for the Cabrio (+100 per cent), Cooper (+45.2 per cent) and Countryman (+19 per cent).   3) Polestar: It was a case of swings and roundabouts for the Swedish EV specialist with the Polestar 2 liftback dropping sales while the larger 3 and 4 SUVs expanded total numbers by close to 40 per cent. Stand by for the performance-focused Polestar 5 GT’s impact when it arrives here mid-year.2) BYD: Market appetite for BYD’s products grew in parallel with its model range, the Chinese giant’s Aussie line-up expanding from four to eight models. Newcomers like the Atto 1, Atto 2 and Sealion 7 grew its share of the pie dramatically, but the star of the show was the Shark 6 hybrid ute, racking up more than 18,000 sales for the year.1) Chery: The sharply-priced Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV has proved a smash hit for Chery with sales building steadily over 2025, to the point where it’s nipping at the heels of the category-leading Hyundai Kona and MG ZS. Adding the large Tiggo 9 large SUV also delivered handy incremental sales.5) Suzuki: Despite the addition of the Fronx small hybrid SUV mid-year (which captured a handy 1667 sales) the evergreen Japanese brand went backwards in 2025, with stocks of the discontinued Ignis dwindling, Swift sales decreasing and even the cult-favourite Jimny in decline.   4) Jaguar: Kind of a no-brainer given the brand very publicly pulled the pin on production of everything except the F-Pace SUV for 12 months in preparation for a new, more premium range ramping up through 2026 and 2027. The big surprise is sales of the E-Pace growing four per cent year-on-year despite the manufacturing halt. Must have been a few in stock.  3) Maserati: Sales volume dropping by close to a third is rarely a good thing but with the Maserati Levante SUV falling off the radar there weren’t enough Grecale SUV buyers ready to pick up the slack. The Granturismo and Grancabrio coupe and convertible GTs were also missing in action creating a low ebb for the iconic Italian. 2) Jeep: Speaking of iconic brands, Jeep has been fighting well-publicised head winds in its US home market thanks to a seemingly ill-advised move to a more premium positioning with prices to match. Despite a slight sales uptick for the Grand Cherokee as it leaves the local stage, serious falls for the Wrangler 4WD and Gladiator ute also took the wind out of Jeep’s sales here.1) Lotus: Who would have thought a brand famous for simplifying and adding lightness in producing race-ready sports cars would be punished for heading down the pure-electric path with a heavy SUV (Eletre) and big four-door GT (Emeya). Even the internal-combustion mid-engine Emira (despite a stay of production execution) dropped by more than 50 per cent.   

The Federal Government is soon set to announce the carmakers that have and haven’t met the first phase of its tightening CO2 emissions standards.The New Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) came into effect on January 1, 2025, with mandatory compliance and fines coming into effect from July 1, 2025.As of December 31, 2025, the first performance period will end and the findings will be published by the NVES Regulator in February 2026.In this forthcoming report every carmaker will receive its so-called interim emissions value (IEV) which will indicate whether it is either above or below the predetermined CO2 emissions target.It’s worth noting that each vehicle has its CO2 target adjusted in terms of its vehicle type and weight. It’s currently a two-tiered system providing separate CO2 limits for smaller and larger vehicles.For brands that are under the CO2 emissions target they will also receive NVES credits. These can be used to offset higher CO2 polluting vehicles, or sold to other carmakers that aren’t meeting the CO2 targets at a price they determine.Polestar CEO Scott Maynard has previously told CarsGuide the company will be opting for the latter as it only sells electric vehicles (EVs) which don’t emit any CO2. However, it won’t be selling its credits to every car brand.While fines for carmakers that are above the tightening CO2 targets are now in effect, they have until December 31, 2027 to “extinguish units against a 2025 final emissions value (FEV)”.This means carmakers have until the end of 2027 to offset the fines they have incurred with either more hybrids or EVs, or by purchasing credits from other brands.If a carmaker is still above the 2025 FEV by this point it will be issued an infringement notice in February 2028.This will be charged to the carmakers, however a number of brands have previously noted some or all of the cost will be passed onto the consumer.Brands like Ford, Hyundai and Nissan have previously admitted, at least in part, that their price increases are due to the tightening CO2 standards.The companies have also started to axe certain models and engine types with high CO2 emissions. Examples include the 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine in the Ford Ranger and Everest, as well as the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine in the Hyundai Kona.Nissan also delayed the local introduction of the Ariya electric SUV, but the introduction of the NVES prompted its arrival.The Japanese carmaker is also set to make its Qashqai small SUV hybrid-only in Australia during 2026 when it introduces the new-generation version of its e-Power hybrid powertrain.

The federal government has announced there will be a statutory review into the Electric Car Discount.

Best new cars coming to Australia in 2026

The electric car onslaught will continue in 2026 with the announcement of more than 20 new models in Australia.

This tech upgrade could be a game changer.Chinese-owned Swedish EV brand Polestar will introduce advanced AI voice assistant Google Gemini to its cars. The Gemini update was first seen in a public demonstration on the Polestar 5 at the start-up and technology event in Finland, Slush.Google’s Gemini is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot that can engage with users in conversation. The technology will allow users to have more natural conversations with the car to brainstorm aloud, ask follow-up questions and learn, according to Polestar. It will replace the current Google Assistant in all Polestar cars. Gemini builds on Google Assistant as it is more than a voice assistant, but can answer unique questions.Gemini is normally found in Google’s suite of smart speakers, and will eventually supersede the Google assistant available in older examples. Polestar's head of User Interface and User Experience Sid Odedra said the change will enhance driving experience. “Our collaboration with Google is a great example of how we continue to evolve the digital experience in our cars,” Odedra said. “Gemini brings the next generation of AI voice interaction into the car, and we’re excited to give a first look at how it will enhance the driving experience.”The first look at this new tech was on the Polestar 5, which was recently made available for order in Australia.It is available in dual motor and performance specs, with the latter producing 650kW and 1015Nm, and priced at $193,100, before on-road costs. Gemini will be introduced across Polestar’s line-up with a 2026 Google update.Polestar sells three other variants in Australia, which are the Polestar 2 sedan, Polestar 3 four-door coupe and Polestar 4 SUV.Polestar has seen a modest boost in Australian sales in 2025, rising nearly 39 per cent, up to October 2025 compared to this time last year, equating to over 2000 sales for the year so far. It is expected that a Polestar 6 two-door sports car, that was revealed in 2022 will go into production, after a medium SUV in the Polestar 7 launches. 

The Australian Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is now well and truly in effect and certain carmakers can theoretically profit from the credits that it provides.One of these brands is Polestar, which currently only sells electric vehicles (EVs), as all of its vehicles are under the set CO2 emissions targets.Carmakers that do have a number of new vehicles above the CO2 emissions targets and can’t offset them with new vehicles under the threshold are currently at risk of being fined.These fines currently sit at $100 per gram of CO2 per kilometre for each vehicle sold.As a result, carmakers with credits are able to sell them to other carmakers that will pay fines.Speaking with CarsGuide, Polestar Australia Managing Director Scott Maynard praised this method as it incentivises carmakers to invest in low-emissions vehicles.“Yes, so Polestar will sell carbon credits that it collects along the way to brands,” said Maynard.“I think it’s right that brands that aren’t prepared to invest then have to pay brands that are investing .“So we’ll definitely be part of that program.”Although Maynard didn’t disclose any specific carmaker that Polestar has already sold credits to, he did mention that the company will be selective.“We’ll be careful about who we partner with and who we sell to, but we will be taking their money.”This follows a number of carmakers calling for the NVES CO2 target to be tapered more gradually.Earlier this year former Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott also explained there are still major hurdles to overcome local EV takeup.“Just penalising us is not going to deliver the outcomes we need,” said Westcott in July 2025.“The original thinking was that if you penalised us, we’d bring more EVs to the market.”“There’s no shortage of choice, what we lack is positive initiatives. You can give us as many sticks as you like, we need some carrots.”“The bigger challenge with adoption is that we need to have a government which considers the peculiarities of the Australian market. We’re not Norway. We’re not a small country. We don’t have cities that are 40 kilometres apart.“I think the reality we’re looking at today is a lot of brands have dialled back their EV ambitions because they’ve realised that just bringing the cars to the market, you can fill your showroom with EVs but if nobody buys them you’d have to discount those cars to a point where they will be below the cost of production and that’s happening already just to get people to take them.“OEMs realise that to stay alive you have to sell cars - if Australians aren’t buying the EVs then we have to bring combustion and all the other powertrains to market and that will continue to happen despite the penalties because if the demand isn’t there, you haven’t got a business. It’s simple economics.“Every brand has to cover the cost of those penalties to survive and if customers are only buying single digit (percentages) of EVs - everyone is going to be copping penalties.”Although Polestar Australia sales have been growing, the company globally is currently experiencing some massive financial losses and swirling bankruptcy rumours.In fact Polestar, which is currently publicly listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, is at risk of being delisted unless it raises its stock price to US$1 ($1.53) for 10 consecutive days.For context, Polestar’s Nasdaq shares are currently sitting at US$0.52 ($0.80).

This could be the future of car multimedia.Officially launched in May this year, Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of Apple CarPlay, a smartphone mirroring platform that’s enjoyed by millions of iPhone users every day.Yep, Android owners, this review isn’t for you – unless you’re considering making the switch to Apple’s iOS mobile software.It’s the Apple CarPlay many have come to know and love, but it takes control of all of your vehicle’s screens, as opposed to just its central display.It also assumes control of (nearly) all of your vehicle’s functions, including its climate, camera and radio controls, plus all other general settings.Point being, it’s a complete Apple takeover, which is good news if you’re a fan of its ecosystem.And let’s face it, many car brands’ default multimedia systems are underwhelming for a multitude of reasons, including bad user interfaces and limited functionality.Apple CarPlay and even its Android Auto competitor don’t suffer from those issues as they are literal mirrors of the user-friendly and highly capable smartphones that we love to use every day.Most users will say their primary reason for preferencing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto over their vehicle’s default multimedia system is access to their favourite satellite navigation platform, be it Apple Maps, Google Maps or a third party.Several car brands have either launched or are in the process of rolling out new default multimedia systems based on Android Automotive, which is a car-specific derivative of Android Auto with Google Maps and Google Play built in.Much like Apple CarPlay Ultra, Android Automotive takes over all of a vehicle’s screens and functions – and sometimes even still offers Apple CarPlay support – but it differs by being the default multimedia system.Apple CarPlay Ultra sets itself apart as it can be wirelessly streamed on demand to any vehicle that supports it.Apple CarPlay Ultra’s first problem is availability. The first model to support it was the highly attainable Aston Martin DBX707 large SUV. It’s priced from a lazy $462,500, plus on-road costs, for reference. And yes, I am being sarcastic.You would’ve thought that car brands beyond Aston Martin would’ve jumped at the opportunity to offer the latest smartphone mirroring platform, but they haven’t for several reasons.Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, Renault, Rivian and Lincoln have either cancelled or said they have no plans to support Apple CarPlay Ultra, with some saying they are not impressed with its first version due to the level of control it gives to Apple.General Motors’ Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands are also unlikely to support Apple CarPlay Ultra in its new electric vehicles due to its controversial decision to not even support regular Apple CarPlay.That said, Hyundai, Kia, Porsche and Genesis, as well as Aston Martin, remain committed to adding support for Apple CarPlay Ultra in the 12 months from its launch, meaning they should start to release their versions by May 2026.Nissan, Honda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Infiniti and Acura also announced plans for Apple CarPlay Ultra support when it was previewed at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event, but it remains to be seen if they’ve changed like so many others have.Another sticking point for car brands is the implementation of Apple’s user interface and experience, which differs greatly from their own.However, Apple is open to working with car brands to put their own design spin on their version of Apple CarPlay Ultra, with Aston Martin being the first example.To work out what this actually means, I got the keys to a MY25 Aston Martin DBX707 to give it a red-hot go.First thing’s first, getting Apple CarPlay Ultra set up is a very similar process to that of regular Apple CarPlay, but you have to wait a little bit longer.Once you’re in, the central display has a very familiar look to it, but the home screen features three new apps: Climate, Radio and Vehicle.As mentioned, the Climate and Radio apps do exactly what you think they will and well.But it’s the Vehicle app that is the most interesting, as in the case of the DBX707, it features everything from Individual drive mode customisation to clock settings.That said, while the DBX707’s delightful Bowers & Wilkins sound system has its own setting menu, if you click on it, it will ironically boot you out to an inset version of the default multimedia system to make your adjustments. The same goes for its ambient lighting.Presumably this happens because Apple and the car brand (Aston Martin in this instance) haven’t configured some of these more bespoke settings.And for that reason Apple CarPlay Ultra doesn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Don’t get me wrong, it is very, very exciting for a tech nerd like myself, but it’s also very clearly a first version.When it inevitably becomes all encompassing with a future iOS update, it will be a true game changer due to its ease of use, particularly as drivers move from one car to another.But wait, there’s more! Apple CarPlay Ultra also takes control of the DBX707’s digital instrument cluster and it’s really where Aston Martin gets to flex its design muscle in conjunction with Apple.Different themes for the driver display are available, with the ‘traditional’ one featuring a speedometer and tachometer, which are split by an even more customisable section. It features either maps, current media, adaptive cruise control, the trip computer, tyre pressures or more.The colours and layouts are at the discretion of the car brand, with Aston Martin using its signature hues (think green) in the DBX707.The British marque also goes a step further with the aforementioned tachometer, which features very subtle ‘Handbuilt in Great Britain’ lettering in the top right corner.Another interesting thing about the Apple CarPlay Ultra experience is that every time you turn your vehicle’s ignition on, it automatically activates – but it takes a decent amount of time to do so, during which you get to experience the default multimedia system.It’s still very early days for Apple CarPlay Ultra, but the early signs are very promising. It offers iPhone users an interface that they’re familiar with and an experience that they’ll likely love.But Apple CarPlay Ultra’s success will mainly be dictated by the support of car brands, which need to play ball to roll it out. Also, it’s got a few more vehicle settings that it needs to fully integrate.But there’s no doubt that Apple CarPlay Ultra’s potential is very high.

Australians have been obsessed with SUVs for over a decade, but there are signs the infatuation is coming to an end and you can put it down to electric cars.