From Enyaq vRS to Mustang Mach E GT and Kia EV6 to Jaguar I-Pace, the electric SUV coupe thing is big business in 2023. So it was never going to be long until Polestar, as an electric brand at pains to be as cool, progressive, desirable and sustainable as possible, threw its Fairtrade cotton hat into the ring.

This is the Polestar 4, a car that will sit between the 2 and 3 in the UK lineup. Not only will it be the fastest Polestar on sale (more on that in a sec), the 4 is also pitched as ‘a new breed of SUV coupe.’ Unlike the Enyaq and cars of that ilk (but similar to the I-Pace, which looks more prescient now by the week), there won’t be a conventionally SUV-bodied Polestar 4 – this is the only one. This has meant engineering and development has been focused on making the very best of this silhouette, rather than adapting existing architecture for the demands of the market.

“With Polestar 4 we have taken a fundamental new approach to SUV coupé design. Rather than simply modifying an existing SUV, giving it a faster roofline and as a result, compromising elements like rear headroom and comfort, we have designed Polestar 4 from the ground up as a new breed of SUV coupé that celebrates rear occupant comfort and experience,” explained CEO Thomas Ingenlath. Certainly, it’s a big old bus, measuring 4,839mm long, 2,139mm wide and 1,544mm. Perhaps the most important dimension, however, is a 2,999mm wheelbase, promising plenty of room for freakishly tall adolescents and their friends. That being said, ‘cocooned in an intimate environment’ doesn’t sound the best for headroom, especially with a standard-fit glass roof. Design features include the glassless rear window as seen on the Precept concept, the dual blade front lights and the hallmark Polestar light bar. That said, there’ll certainly be no confusing it for any other model with that rear three-quarter view.

The 4 will be underpinned by Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture, the same platform that’ll be used for the Taycan-rivalling 5. Variants will range from a 272hp, 372-mile single motor long range to a dual motor, 544hp flagship, capable of 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. Its targeted WLTP range is 350 miles, with both long-range models getting a 102kWh battery. Maximum DC charge is 200kW. Interestingly, dual-motor, all-wheel drive models get a disconnect clutch to maximise range by disengaging the front axle when not needed. A Performance Pack will be optionally available for the 544hp model, like the 2, with 22-inch forged wheels, four-piston Brembo brakes and ‘Polestar Engineered performance chassis tuning’. Sounds like it might be worth having.

As for driving, Polestar is promising dynamics ‘true to the brand’, which means sharp steering and handling responses for a ‘thrilling and nimble driving experience for all occupants’. Clearly, that sort of statement is easy to mock when presented with a chunky SUV, but Polestar has proven it can make a decent driver’s car even with one hand tied behind its engineering back with the 2 BST Edition 270. There’s hope for something properly sorted now it’s working with dedicated EV foundations. The fast one gets semi-active suspension, with wheels from 20-22 inches and Pirelli or Michelin rubber depending on the rim. Kerbweight – because we can’t do EV SUVs without kerbweight – is from 2,232-2,351kg, split 50:50.

As a new Polestar product, much is put on the sustainability of the 4’s materials, and nowhere is that better evidenced than inside. Again borrowing from the Precept, a tailored knit upholstery is made of 100 per cent recycled polyester; the seats also get ‘bio-attributed MicroTech vinyl’ as well as animal welfare-secured Nappa leather. So don’t spill any coffee on them. The ‘mono material approach’, first seen on the 6 concept, has been employed here, with interior layers using the same material to make them easier to recycle. There are carpets featuring reclaimed fishing nets and door panels with 50 per cent less virgin plastic, all of which will be great news to people who make regular use of a tote bag. Polestar will publish a full lifecycle assessment alongside the Polestar 4 Product Sustainability Declaration, which has PH bedtime reading written all over it.

Those that can tear themselves away from the materials will find plenty of tech inside, as Polestar pushes ‘towards a more entertaining, connected and autonomous future’. So there’s a 15.4-inch landscape infotainment screen (only slightly larger than the giant 14.7-inch head-up display), powered by Android Automotive but with CarPlay compatibility, it can optionally come out of a 12-speaker, 1,400-watt sound system. Something called the SuperVision Advanced Drive Assistance system keeps things on the straight and narrow if the driver has been distracted by their recycled upholstery and, of course, the 4’s software will be regularly updated over the air.

Appropriately enough for a car launching in Shanghai, the Polestar 4 will first launch in China, with production due to kick off in November at the renewable-electricity-powered Hangzhou Bay plant. It’ll be over here next year, with indicative pricing from £55,000. Perfectly poised to take on the class incumbents, then, as well as however many more have joined them by that point.