Porsche readying three new petrol SUVs as EV alternatives

Changing buyer demand has caused Porsche to recommit to petrol power. Senior executives have confirmed the German brand will continue developing V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid SUVs well into the 2030s as details of a new combustion-powered SUV trio come to light.

Porsche made the confirmation across several investor calls before speaking with carsales at the international launch of the new Cayenne Coupé Electric.

According to product spokesperson Ben Weinberger, the brand is “already living” in a world where different markets are pulling it in opposite directions.

“Within Europe, you have markets like Austria or France where you are, in a way, punished when you want to buy a pure combustion engine car, and then you have markets like Germany [and the US], where you are quite open,” he said.

That split explains why Porsche is preparing three new petrol SUVs despite initially planning to push the Macan and Cayenne exclusively toward EV powertrains.

The change in strategy will first yield a replacement for the petrol Macan, which was initially intended to be replaced by the Macan EV that launched in Australia last year.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has told investors that petrol and hybrid versions of the new compact SUV model – which may not be called Macan – will be available globally, and that the launch “won’t be later than 2028”.

Internally codenamed ‘M1’, the small SUV will use Volkswagen’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture and some powertrains likely to be shared with the most recent Audi Q5.

Unlike the substantially differentiated first-generation Macan, the development timeline of the ‘M1’ could mean that it shares more with Audi this time around, with a report from Autocar suggesting its AWD system may even be front-biased.

Following closely behind the Macan replacement will be a new ICE Cayenne that will also adopt PPC with updated V6, V8 and PHEV powertrains.

“We will deliver combustion and hybrid Cayennes way far into the next decade,” Weinberger said.

“We are talking about 2030-something where we will definitely offer both [ICE and EV] …it will not be the car we have now for the next 10 years.”

Porsche SUV drive systems manager Timo Henn said ICE versions are “maybe more mechanical feeling”, adding that “the customer who buys a combustion engine car wants a V8 with all the noise.”

“This is maybe important to some customers,” he said.

The third petrol SUV will be larger again. Known internally as ‘K1’, the three-row Porsche flagship will also leverage PPC and will share some components with the incoming Audi Q9.

Initially planned as an EV for release in 2027, Porsche confirmed in September that the three-row SUV will now launch with petrol and PHEV engines.

The strategy is now closer to BMW’s ‘power of choice’ approach than an all-in bet on EVs.

EVs are still seen by Porsche as critical for markets where demand is shaped by emissions penalties, including Europe and Australia, but the ICE-friendly US remains the brand’s biggest single market, representing 30 per cent of volume.

Porsche showrooms are now set to offer overlapping SUV choices: EVs for buyers who want top performance and tax-friendly pricing, V6 and V8 models for traditional customers, and PHEVs that balance both sides.

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