The Polestar 6 is near ready. The design is finalized, and the development work is mostly concluded. All Polestar needs to do is start production, so it seems. However, don’t expect to see it on the road any time soon. Until market conditions improve, the starting lights remain firmly red.
Granted, the 6 isn’t Polestar’s biggest challenge. The open-top two-door shares the vast majority of its hardware with the recently launched Polestar 5 sedan. This includes the Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA) platform, the 112 kWh battery pack, electric motors, and suspension components.
No sooner than 2029
Reportedly, Polestar still needs to decide on the rear bench configuration. But the Swedish brand is not pulling the trigger. A report by Auto Express, citing an insider, puts a potential launch no earlier than 2029. That is three years past the original target date that was set when Polestar first announced the production version in 2022. The same source was reported as saying, “The 6 is still in the plan, but plans can change”. This opens the possibility of an outright cancellation.
According to a spokesperson for Polestar, the core reason for the delay is strategic priorities. Polestar is currently focused on delivering two higher-volume models: the second-generation Polestar 2 sedan and the upcoming Polestar 7 compact SUV. The Chinese-Swedish brand needs that duo to lift the volume it currently lacks for its growth (see below).
Manufactured in China
Of course, there’s also the geopolitical reality and the fact that the brand is losing out on the two major markets for this type of car. In the US, sales of electric cars have plummeted while the brand has withdrawn from China. Europe alone isn’t addressable enough for a luxury convertible.
The Polestar 6 would be manufactured in China alongside the 5, exposing it to significant tariff barriers on both sides of the ocean. The delay is particularly uncomfortable for buyers who put down deposits on the 6 back in 2022. Those reservation slots sold out within a week of being announced.
Cash is burning fast
Also, Polestar’s financial performance tells a story that makes the delay easier to understand. The brand sold more cars in the first quarter of 2026 than in any Q1 before, up 7% year-on-year, yet somehow managed to lose more money than ever.
Revenue barely moved from a year ago, while the net loss widened to €329 million, more than double what it was in Q1 2025. The culprit is a margin structure moving in the wrong direction due to pricing pressure, shrinking carbon credit profits, and the near-total closure of the American market following 100% import tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles. U.S. sales have been falling for eight consecutive months.
With cash reserves burning fast, CEO Michael Lohscheller is betting that the company’s Polestar 5 will be the first model to generate meaningful margins.
The idea of tempting rich customers with a unique but low-volume convertible stems from a timeline when the company targeted 2024 as its first profitable year, on its way to global sales of nearly 300,000 units. At the current pace, the brand is shipping six times less. In that prospect, the 6 looks more like a distraction that the company simply cannot afford.
