Volvo plans to launch the fourth generation of the Polestar EV brand, the Polestar 4. For luxury car lovers, the SUV coupe ticks almost all the boxes while creating some of its own. However, it will enter a market that is already flooded with established brands such as Tesla and Volkswagen, to mention a few.
In this article, we compare the Polestar 4 with Volkswagen’s ID.4. While the VW marque is already on the market, the Polestar 4 is scheduled for release later in 2024. Nevertheless, if you need to choose one of the two, here is how the two all-electric SUVs compare. Note that this comparison focuses only on the 2023 version of the VW ID.4.
Volvo Polestar 4 vs. Volkswagen ID.4: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Polestar 4 | ID.4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Volvo | Volkswagen |
| Year of the first production | 2024/ 2025 | 2021 |
| Maximum Range | 372 miles | 280 miles |
| Trims levels | 2 | 4 |
| Drivetrains | RWD and AWD | RWD and AWD |
| Category | Coupe-SUV | SUV |
| Starting price | $60,000 | $40,290 |
Volvo Polestar 4 vs. Volkswagen ID.4: What’s the Difference?
Overview
Volvo plans to launch the Polestar 4 in 2024 or early 2025. It is expected to be a sportier version of the Polestar 3 as it is built on Geely Holding’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). Its predecessor is based on Volvo’s SPA2.
The new platform gives it a sleek coupe-like silhouette with a revised nose and a sloped rear end. It also comes with a different taillamp design to complete the new look.
The most noticeable feature of the Polestar 4’s exterior design is the missing rear window, as the glass roof extends to the back. It comes with a pair of digital cameras to feed the images to the rearview mirror. As the first of its kind, it will certainly take some getting-used-to.
In terms of price and size, the Polestar 4 sits between the Polestar 2 and 3. The 2023 VW ID.4 is the third generation of the VW model, which was first produced in 2021 and underwent an upgrade in 2022.
The 2023 versions come with additional features, such as an automatic parking system, upgraded interior materials, a smaller battery in the standard trim, and a lower starting price. Another new feature in the 2023 VW ID.4 is a 12-inch touchscreen. There is also an additional trim level in the lineup.
Features and Trims
The Polestar will come in two variants: single motor setup and dual motor setup, both powered by a 94kWh Li-ion battery. The one-motor version will power the rear axle and will produce up to 268bhp. The dual motor variant will produce 537bhp.
Apart from mentioning that the ‘standard vehicle’s specification is high,’ Polestar did not delve into the specs of the Polestar 4. However, you can know what to expect by checking the standard spec of the Polestar 3, which is an impressively long list. The Polestar should come with more, including a glass roof and an infotainment screen for rear seat occupants.
Volvo, however, promises five equipment pack options for the Polestar 4; Plus, Plus Pro, Nappa, Pilot, and Performance packs. The Plus Pack is for comfort and technology upgrades, while the Plus Pro Pack adds a color-coded body, additional interior lighting, and an electrochromic glass roof. Nappa Pack can be used with the other packs and comes with Nappa leather upholstery and front seat headrest speakers.
For additional driver-assistance features, you would need the Pilot Pack. Finally, if you want to improve the performance of the dual motor version, then you will add the Performance Pack. It comes with 22-inch wheels, Polestar-engineered performance chassis tuning, 4-piston Brembo brakes, and a Swedish gold finish for the brakes and seat belts.
Volkswagen ID.4 comes in Standard, Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus trim levels. The base model gets a 60kWh battery and is rear-wheel drive only. The others come with 82kWh battery and get either RWD or AWD drivetrains. The RWD versions have a single-motor configuration, while the AWD versions have a dual-motor powertrain, i.e., a motor for each axle.
The standard features on the VW ID.4 are 19-inch wheels, keyless entry, six-way power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, among others.
Moving up the trim levels brings more technologies on board; this includes adaptive headlights, a hands-free liftgate, a heated steering wheel, and a panoramic roof. You also get, in place of the cloth upholstery, synthetic leather upholstery and massaging front seats with memory.
At the top of the spec level, the ID.4 gets a tri-zone automatic climate control, power-folding outside mirrors, and heated rear seats. It is also rich in safety, and driver assist features, coming with a surround-view parking camera system.
Power and Performance
The single-motor and dual-motor variants of the Polestar will deliver 268bhp and 537bhp, respectively. In terms of straight-line acceleration, Polestar promises that the less powerful version would still manage the 0-60mph sprint in 7.4 seconds and max out at 112mph.
The more powerful dual-motor model will take almost half the time, 3.8 seconds. It will be the fastest car to ever come out of a Polestar facility. The VW ID.4 is far less aggressive than the Polestar 4.
Its single motor models can deliver up to 201bhp of torque but, unlike the Polestar 4, adding another motor does not double its power but only adds a paltry 94bhp. In terms of performance, the standard RWD version makes the 0-60 mph sprint in 7.6 seconds, just a fraction of a second less than Polestar 4 promises.
The more powerful all-wheel-drive model has better accelerative performance, taking 5.4 seconds to dash from rest to 60mph. It is pretty fast but doesn’t appear so when compared to a flagship model like the Polestar 4.
Range and Economy
Polestar estimates show that the Polestar 4 will deliver 371 and 347 miles on its single-motor and dual-motor models, respectively. However, we will have to wait for the car and let EPA weigh in for more accurate estimates. Fuel efficiency data is also not available.
In terms of charging, all versions of the Polestar 4 receive a 200kW DC and 22kW AC fast charging connection. The automaker has offered no estimated charging time, but experience shows that a 200kW DC charging would take 30 to 35 minutes to charge from 5-80 %.
Level 2 charging would take about 5 hours to charge the battery fully. The Polestar 4 also comes with Vehicle to Load, V2L, and bi-directional charging capacity. With this, you can use the car’s battery to power other home appliance devices.
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The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 can manage 280 miles per charge on RWD-only models. The range reduces to about 268 miles in the powerful dual-motor variant. Even though this is less than what the Polestar 4 promises, it is still a significant improvement over the previous version of the ID.4, which could only manage a maximum of 260 miles.
In terms of economy, EPA rates the RWD variant of the ID.4 Pro S at 89 MPGe and 104 MPGe for highway and city driving, respectively. Note that the actual performance would depend on several factors, such as driving conditions.
VW ID.4 charging options are similar to those of the Polestar 4: AC charging and DC fast charging. VW states that it would take 30 to 36 minutes to charge the VW ID.4 from 10% to 80% using the DC charging option.
Charging the smaller battery from 0 to 100% using a Level 2 charger would take at least 6 hours, while the larger battery would require at least 7.5 hours. One advantage the VW ID.4 enjoys above the Polestar is an increasing number of VW-dedicated charging networks.
Interior Design
Polestar promises to maintain its minimalistic design concept on the Polestar 4’s interior. It will come with lots of straight lines, and the upholstery of the sports-trimmed seats will be from recycled materials. The dashboard is accentuated with two displays.
Also, thanks to the full-length glass roof, the interior is bathed in sunlight, which you can blank out using electrochromic shading.
It’s worth repeating that in the place of a rear-view mirror is a screen that displays the feeds from cameras at the rear of the car, as the Polestar 4 does not have a rear glass window. However, you can turn the display back to a mirror at the switch of a button.
The Volkswagen ID.4 retains the minimalistic interior design that has become almost a trademark in EVs. All controls are operated using touch-sensitive buttons, except for the windows, mirrors, and hazard lights that use tactile switches.
Volkswagen perfected simplicity on the ID.4 with the thumb-lever drive selector. All you need to do is twist it clockwise to move forward and anticlockwise for reverse. The gauge cluster is also designed in such a way that when you adjust the steering wheel, the cluster moves with it. That way, it is not possible to block the cluster gauge view.
The ID. 4 also gets a 54-LED strip light below the windscreen. It serves as a signal system for the driver, from signaling when the car is ready to move or make a turn to when there is an incoming call to a connected phone. It also indicates when the car is charging.
Infotainment System
The Polestar 4 comes with a landscape-oriented 15.4-inch infotainment display at the center of the dashboard, a 14.7-inch head-up display, and a 10.2-inch driver display. The contents on the driver’s display can be projected on the head-up display.
Just like all Polestars, it will come with Google’s Android Automotive OS for over-the-air updates. It will also feature Google Maps, Google Assist, and access to Google Play Store.
If you would rather use your phone instead of the infotainment display, there is Android Auto for Android users and Apple CarPlay for Apple users.
Rear-seat passengers will also get a say on the entertainment as they can use the small screen attached to the front seats to select music. Still, in terms of music, there is an optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo system that you can extend to a 16-speaker system by adding extra speakers on the front seat’s headrests.
The VW ID.4 comes with a 12.0-inch infotainment screen and a reconfigurable 5.3-inch digital gauge display with voice recognition capability as a standard.
Other standard infotainment features include HD radio, a 7-speaker stereo, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and satnav. In terms of connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and wireless device charging.
Comfort and Cargo Space
Given that it measures 4,839mm in length, 2,139mm in width, and 1,544mm in height, the Polestar 4 should be sufficiently spacious, even though it is still slightly smaller than the Polestar 3. Doing away with the rear window pushes the rear seats back a little; therefore, it should leave sufficient legroom for rear passengers.
In terms of cargo space, the Polestar has about 17 cu ft of storage capacity behind the rear seats and a frunk that is too small for any meaningful uses besides keeping charging cables.
The front seats are comfortable with the four-way lumbar adjustment but lack support for a more luxurious feel. It also has plenty of leg and headroom for rear-seat passengers.
In terms of storage space, the VW Id.4 offers 30.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats and an additional 26 cu ft if you fold the rear seats. However, unlike the Polestar 4 and most EVs, the VW ID.4 has no storage space under the hood.
Safety
The Polestar 4 will come with a driver-assist system comprising 12 ultrasonic sensors, 12 cameras, and one radar. It will also feature Mobileye’s SuperVision ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).
As a result, it will offer basic safety features such as automated emergency braking, lane keep assistance, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control, among others.
The 2023 VW ID.4 got the highest rating of Good in all the six crash tests by Insurance Institute Highway Safety, IIHS, which also named it a Top Safety Pick+.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration also gave it a five out of five stars rating in the side-impact crash test and four stars in the rollover test. All these show the ID. 4’s safety is tested and proven.
Warranty
The Polestar 4 comes with the standard four years or 50,000 miles limited warranty and 8 years or 100,000 miles warranty on electrical components.
However, there was no mention of the complimentary maintenance program, which is surprising as its parent company, Volvo, offers a three-year program. Also, there is no mention of the battery life.
The Volkswagen ID.4 offers a more comprehensive warranty than the Polestar 4, starting with the standard 4yr/50,000 miles warranty and a powertrain warranty for a similar duration.
VW also promises to cover the battery components for 8 years or 100,000 miles. And, unlike the Polestar 4, the ID.4 offers 2 years or 20,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.
Similarities
The two models are similar in many ways starting with the fact that they belong to the same segment, though the Polestar is an SUV coupe.
Both are electric cars and are available in RWD and AWD variants. Also, both models share the minimalistic interior design of the EV sector and several infotainment and safety features.
Volvo Polestar 4 vs. Volkswagen ID.4: 4 Must-Know Facts
- The 2023 VW ID.4 comes with new features, such as a 62-kWh battery, a 12-inch infotainment screen, and a parking assist.
- The 2023 VW ID.4 qualifies for the maximum federal electric vehicle tax credit of $7,500, which lowered its price to below that of the Polestar 3.
- The production of Polestar 4 will begin in November 2023 in Hangzhou Bay, China, and the first launch in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific is scheduled for later in 2024.
- Most specifications about the Polestar 4 might change by the time of its production.
Volvo Polestar 4 vs. Volkswagen ID.4: Pros and Cons
| Polestar 4 Pros | Polestar 4 Cons |
|---|---|
| Sleek design | The missing rear window can create a blind spot |
| Fast and powerful | It is still at the concept level |
| Costs less than the Polestar 3 | Cargo space is small |
| Good mileage and efficiency | |
| Five upgrade package options |
| Volkswagen ID.4 Pros | Volkswagen ID.4 Cons |
|---|---|
| Available for purchase | Low-quality cabin materials |
| Decent range compared to earlier versions | It lacks a sporty edge |
| Large cargo space | |
| Smooth and quiet ride | |
| High safety ratings |
Volvo Polestar 4 vs. Volkswagen ID.4: Which One Is Better?
In terms of design, technology, luxury, and performance experience, the Polestar 4 wins. It comes with a sleek outlook, advanced technologies, high-quality upholstery, and a punchy powertrain. It also promises more range and efficiency than the ID.4. However, it is still a concept and will remain so for a year or more.
Therefore, if you subscribe to the school of thought that finds a bird in the hand worth two (or more) in the bush, then the Volkswagen ID.4 wins. You can buy it now and replace it with the Polestar 4 when it finally arrives.
Besides, the 2023 VW ID.4 has a lower price tag than the Polestar 4. It also has sufficient cargo space for families and a high safety rating.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©North Monaco/Shutterstock.com.
