For the front and back, definitely painted.
For the side, I like both.

 

Painted for me by a bit.

 

It's not a Subaru outback

 

100% without the painted cladding. It adds way too much visual weight to the car, and makes it look far more Model Y like.

I've said it elsewhere, but Maximilian Missoni said directly to me that his preference, and his design, is intended to have the black lower part in place to make the car look more slim. He said that in the context of the 3, but you can see it in the 4 and even in the 2.

It's one reason I didn't like the white BST when it was released. It made the car look so much bulky.

 

100% without the painted cladding. It adds way too much visual weight to the car, and makes it look far more Model Y like.

I've said it elsewhere, but Maximilian Missoni said directly to me that his preference, and his design, is intended to have the black lower part in place to make the car look more slim. He said that in the context of the 3, but you can see it in the 4 and even in the 2.

It's one reason I didn't like the white BST when it was released. It made the car look so much bulky.

Agreed—I ordered the Magnesium with black cladding. It does “thin” the waist of the car visually. Plus the money saved on the standard paint (which I like) allowed me to go for the electrochromic roof (needed due to the heat in south Texas.)

 

No paint-matched cladding for me. I prefer the black cladding's optical effect which makes the car seem lean, something we associate with speed and agility. Paint-matched cladding makes the car look chunky, something we associate with being slow and cumbersome.

Plus, it makes it look different from a Tesla. That's why of all the colours available I prefer the Electron Blue and the Sweedish Gold. Tesla doesn't have those colours. The black, white, silver, and grey are all similar to the colours Telsa uses. When I buy the Polestar 4 I want it to look like a Polestar 4 and not like a Tesla clone.

 

In black I think without the full colour would be a cheaper alternative but the lighter colours look better full colour. I feel the angularity of the plastic is too harsh and would have been better more curved.

 

For my taste black plastics on bottom of the cars looks cheaper/unfinished and actually it's for the manufacturing process. Of course you can have side 'cladding/blade'' black ,but keep bottom of the car around same color including wheel arches. I also I can understand why they choose the design with the black all-around ( visually hide the height of the car). Off topic ,For this kind of stuff I actually prefer in some way the look of current XC90 and not the EX90.Either way will not stopped me of purchasing these cars ...

 

To my eye, the black cladded car looks much more dynamic.

If I look at the sculpting and the crease in the lower section of the doors, it’s pretty clear that the color contrast of the black cladding was part of that design element. That crease appears awkward in monochrome, and more a signal of direction or speed in contrasting colors.

Further, the fully color keyed rear makes back other car look very tall and upright. I tried covering both cars with my hand, leaving only the aft quarter exposed… The difference is pretty significant.

Lastly, the color-keyed car tends to make the wheels appear smaller relative to the body. The body colored cladding pushes the appearance toward something more “appliance like” where the car with black cladding looks more lithe and sporting.

 

100% without.
And I'm happy that you can buy this separately.
In China it's linked with the electrochromatic roof and a few other things.

 

I like the colored lower cladding better. The car looks more finished. Don’t get me wrong though I like both and would buy it either way.

 

I really like the black cladding. It gives the design and flow of the vehicle more structure, definition and a sleeker line to my eye...especially with the lighter colours. Actually not a huge fan of the black P4 because so much of this gets lost.

To me, associating black cladding with being cheap and non-luxury is outdated. A Taycan Cross Turismo is like a $250,000 car and has it and it looks incredible. It's not old luxury certainly, but I don't think it looks cheap.

 

Absolutely not.

 

Painted looks more refined, not the cheap look of the Subaru/Toyota.

 

Black for me. The new Macan EV also gives the options between black or painted. I'd choose black.

 

Keeping it black on my Snow order, I’ve had a Macan in white and made the mistake to have the side blade painted white. My wife wanted it white. This time I didn’t give her the option. Obviously the design team spent years deciding this is a feature, I could be cynical and say it’s an easy money maker to make it an option. The Macan side blade is more obviously an add on, personally think the p4 is less obviously body side and blends better with the lower sill.

 

Would be interesting if they offered painted cladding in a contrasting dark color, as well - be it gloss or matte black, or a very dark charcoal gray. It would allow the lines of the original design to show through, while offering a finished appearance.

I suppose that could be achieved by taking a fully color keyed car, and applying vinyl/PPF wrap to the selected areas. I think a nice smooth matte black would look perfect. 🤔

 

I really like the black cladding. It gives the design and flow of the vehicle more structure, definition and a sleeker line to my eye...especially with the lighter colours. Actually not a huge fan of the black P4 because so much of this gets lost.

To me, associating black cladding with being cheap and non-luxury is outdated. A Taycan Cross Turismo is like a $250,000 car and has it and it looks incredible. It's not old luxury certainly, but I don't think it looks cheap.

The Taycan Sport Turismo (without the black cladding) has been discontinued while the Cross Turismo (with the black cladding) continues on with the mid-cycle refresh. Maybe to better differentiate the Turismo from the sedan Taycans.
On the P4 the painted lowers makes it look naked and chunky. For me I would like to go with the Magnesium with the unpainted cladding.

100% without the painted cladding. It adds way too much visual weight to the car, and makes it look far more Model Y like.

The Model Y looks like a caricature or a cartoon of the Model 3. I remember hearing someone mentioning that the Model Y looks like the turtles in Super Mario Brothers (Koopa Troopas) and since then that’s all I can see.
Tesla did very little differentiate between the two models. The Model Y looks like a Model 3 that’s been over-inflated or has some serious bloating.

 

A pregnant Model 3 is my favorite description of the Model Y

 

A good realworld shot of why the painted lower part isn't ideal on the 4. Look at how much taller the rear now looks. And with the lower side panels painted the uplifted design element built into the door is kinda lost, where as if the lower part were black it would visually enhance that element.

And this is on a dirty car, where the road grime is clinging to those edges. On a clean car they disappear even more.

 

A good realworld shot of why the painted lower part isn't ideal on the 4. Look at ho much taller the rear now looks. And with the lower side panels painted the uplifted design element built into the door is kinda lost, where as if the lower part were black it would visually enhance that element.

And this is on a dirty car, where the road grime is clinging to those edges. On a clean car they disappear even more.

View attachment 27922

Ok yeah that's pretty gross actually, too much white and not a good look

 

100% painted. The black cladding just looks so ghetto and cheap. Thats one of things I hated about my P2.

 

Loving the cladding, as mentioned it makes the car feel narrower and lower and not a giant duck like the Model Y

 

I had no clue the lower cladding color could be so divisive! It's great that Polestar gives the option of black vs colored.

 

Count me among those who prefer the black cladding. I think it is done tastefully and compliments the design of car, rather than an obvious cost-saving feature or some sort of perceived ruggedness indicator.

Thrilled to see this is a stand-alone option in most regions, hopefully it stays that was in the states. I would be disappointed to see it bundled-in/model specific like on the PS2 BST models.

 

In Europe is an additional option with cost lower cladding in same color as the car.

 

I don't mind the two-tone on the 4 at all, however, I would have preferred it to be a smooth gloss black rather than the textured unpainted cheap black plastic.

 

It's weirdly a combination of both, with gloss black on the lower (roadside facing!) part, then textured in the middle, and then gloss black again toward the top for the section on the doors.

 

As a Prof. of design, the plastic is there to lower road damage (chips, tar, foot kicks, dings etc) but has the visual effect of removing weight from the mid section lending to the perception of speed, agility and sophistication. It is not there by accident. Try looking at both in dimmer light/contrast, namely in the evening or at night and the tru effect becomes apparent. Squinting at the above pictures gives the same effect.