2026 Polestar 4 Now Real Buttons and the Ride is Fabulous

We’ve lived with the 2026 Polestar 4 for three days now, and the “no-nonsense” verdict is in: they’ve finally fixed the stuff that actually matters. The headline isn’t a power bump or a new bumper; it’s the steering wheel. Polestar actually listened and brought back physical buttons.

No more accidental swiping mid-corner; you get a real, tactile click that makes the 2025 capacitive pads feel like a bad dream. They were tricky and fabulous and wonderful gimmicks, but at launch, claims of removing what was not necessary took controls out that should have been left. It took the worst parts of Tesla but didn’t interface it as easily as the Tesla does. It’s an honest admission that some controls should never have been moved to a screen.

On the road, the “Performance Pro” tweaks are honest and immediate. The software remap for the dual motors has sharpened the bite, and the adaptive dampers have been dialed in to kill that slightly sickening floaty sensation. It’s flat, punchy, and stays composed through the bends. On city streets even the softest setting feels firm and confident. Even the digital mirror—the only way to see behind you—feels snappier with a higher refresh rate. It is still a faff for folk using multi-focal glasses and I find myself having to move my head a smidge now and then. Things seem not quite in focus, but it is my fault and that of my dodgy eyes.

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ABOVE: MY 26 Polestar 4 (MY 24 Polestar 4 steering wheel top left, MY26 next to it – for comparison)

Inside, the 2026 OS update makes the screen actually usable. Everything is crisp, and the navigation is particularly useful with arrow directions ensuring you’re in the right lane. Logging in to Google systems should be easier, but alas. It finally feels like an aggressive, finished driver’s car.

Crucially, Polestar still has the best-designed interior in the game. They’ve used their eco-cred to create a calming, tailored space with 3D-knit recycled textiles and animal-welfare Nappa leather. It’s far classier than the MG IM6, which feels like a digital warehouse, and significantly friendlier and warmer than the antiseptic, “surgical-tray” vibe of the Tesla Model Y.

For the spec-sheet warriors, the Porsche Macan EV is the shadow in the room. Although we haven’t driven it, the numbers tell a story of German overkill. As for the Tesla Model Y “Juniper”, it’s a mixed bag. While the ride is smoother, the “FSD Supervised” tech remains properly scary. On our review, it casually ran a red light, and we aren’t alone. The U.S. Feds (NHTSA) are currently investigating millions of Teslas for exactly this. Meanwhile, the MG IM6 Performance is the disruptor at $80k, offering four-wheel steering with a 5.1m turning radius.

The Polestar 4 remains the more honest choice. It’s got more room in the back, a classier aesthetic, and now that it has real buttons, it’s finally a car built for drivers. the Charging rate at 200kw is utterly unforgiveable but as Australia has so few chargers over 200KW it hardly matters – for the moment.

One final niggle: I cannot connect to the app. Repeated tries at resetting the password have failed.

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