Porsche eyes new combustion-powered Macan XL

Porsche has announced that it is considering rolling out a third SUV to fill the gap between the Macan EV and Cayenne, with the new model to be offered with both combustion and hybrid powertrains to capitalise on the renewed demand for petrol- and diesel-powered cars.

During Porsche’s 2025 annual conference, bosses announced the car-maker would now offer its customers a mix of combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and all-electric powertrains well into the 2030s.

The new third SUV designed to sit above the current Macan but below the Cayenne should arrive here by the end of this decade.

Announcing the newcomer would benefit from existing synergies within its parent, the Volkswagen Group, it’s almost certain the third SUV will be based on the car-making giant’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform, with the new car developed alongside the next-generation Audi Q5.

Instead of being just a reskinned Q5, Porsche says the new SUV would feature a distinct design and come with a more upmarket interior and a chassis worthy of the sports car brand.

Originally, Porsche was planning to roll out a successor to the large petrol-powered Macan, but those plans have now been scrapped in favour of the bigger car.

The flagship Cayenne is now set to be replaced by an all-new fourth-generation model that will be offered with petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power.

The all-new Cayenne EV, meanwhile, will be sold alongside an upgraded version of the current third-gen Cayenne, that went into production in 2017 and is primed to remain on sale “well into the 2030s”.

Missing from the latest presentation was any mention of the flagship SUV that was being developed under the ‘K1’ codename.

Seen testing multiple times over the last couple of years, the K1 was originally supposed to make its debut in 2028. It’s now thought the biggest Porsche SUV’s launch may have been postponed until demand increases.

Porsche didn’t provide any clarity on when exactly the 718 Boxster and Cayman all-electric replacement will arrive, other than announcing it would come after the launch of the Cayenne EV next year, effectively confirming the rumour its launch had been delayed by issues concerning its battery supplier.

Other takeaways from the annual presentation are that work had already begun on the car-maker’s iconic 911, while the current coupe and convertible would soon get a new heritage version created by its bespoke division that would introduce retro 1970s styling.

Announcing that 2024 sales were three per cent lower than the 310,718 cars it sold in 2023, Porsche said it was bracing itself for a tough year, although it still expects its pure-electric Macan to account for between 20 to 22 per cent of all sales.

Confirming to investors it would plough a further €800 million ($A1.4b) into its current line-up, new software development and advanced battery tech, Porsche says restructuring would also see up to 1900 jobs cut between now and 2029.

These job cuts might be just the beginning as another restructuring plan is currently being negotiated with unions. A further announcement on job losses is set to be made in the second half of 2025.

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