Here’s Why The Polestar 4 Doesn’t Have A Rear Glass Window

The Polestar 4 has been revealed in full in Shanghai. Beyond the slick design, the electric crossover also packs quite a number of design and tech features to entice consumers of the EV market.

Among those tech features is the Polestar 4’s lack of a rear window. Instead, the tailgate’s body panel extends up to the end of the roof, which is made out of photochromic glass. This design execution was first shown in the Polestar Precept concept in 2020. It also has no rearview mirror. 

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In lieu of the missing rear glass and mirror, the company chose to equip the Polestar 4 with a high-definition screen that shows real-time footage from the rear, captured by the roof-mounted camera. We now know why Polestar went for this design direction.

The company said that the digital feed improves safety, especially at night. Of note, the display can be deactivated by pressing a button so that the driver can see the rear passengers.

“This is an amazing functional improvement to have the back window removed,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said. “At night you don’t just see two tiny dots in the rearview mirror, you see so much more. And you can also look to see your kids back there with the press of a button.”

The Polestar 4 slots between the Polestar 2 sedan and the larger Polestar 3 in size and price. The electric crossover is available in both single- and dual-motor layouts, with the long-range, dual-motor version producing 544 horsepower and 506 pound-feet of torque, making it the brand’s fastest production car ever. The long-range, single-motor version produces 272 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque, and has a preliminary range target of over 300 miles. Safety features include nine airbags, 12 cameras, one radar system, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

The crossover will begin production in China in November and will have a launch price of $60,000 to start, with specific details for the North American market to be released in 2024.