Like every car manufacturer in the early 2020s, Porsche revealed ambitious EV plans. Porsche was taking its best-selling car, the Macan, all-electric. The next-generation 718 sports car was going all-electric. Porsche did not pledge to go entirely EV by 2030 — only 80 percent. But that number just left a carve-out to continue selling combustion 911s.
Now, EV growth is looking far less exponential. Porsche, mindful of profit margins and the zeitgeist like every other manufacturer, is walking back from those plans. New EVs in the pipeline may have combustion and hybrid variants. And at a press conference discussing its 2024 financial year, Porsche revealed that it’s considering a brand-new combustion SUV.
Porsche Is “Evaluating” A New Combustion SUV
Porsche has not confirmed that a new SUV is in the pipeline yet, but the brand did announce that it is “evaluating” building one.
If necessary, the company looks ahead and adapts its product strategy. For example, the sports car manufacturer is currently evaluating an independent model line in the SUV segment with combustion and hybrid powertrains. It would have a new design and Porsche’s characteristic profile, and would benefit from synergies. The model could be launched towards the end of the decade.
Porsche’s statement is short on specifics, but we can glean a few things. The SUV would have a new nameplate, and Porsche would offer it in combustion and hybrid versions. “Synergies” means sharing a platform, powertrains, and components with another VW Group vehicle, likely an Audi.
When Would Porsche Launch the New Combustion SUV?
Porsche has already launched the 2025 Macan EV. We can presume that already confirmed products will launch first. We know the electric Cayenne is coming in 2026. And Porsche’s new three-row SUV is coming in 2027. So, a 2028 or 2029 launch for the new vehicle would line up with “towards the end of the decade.”
TopSpeed’s Take
Porsche did not leave much meat for us to chew on with this announcement. But we think the venue is key. Porsche was discussing its profit margins, and the point of launching a new combustion SUV would be to boost those margins. That leads us to believe this would be an affordable (by Porsche standards) volume seller.
The Macan is Porsche’s most popular vehicle because it’s an SUV and relatively cheap. Even in our modern, jaw-dropping Porsche pricing era, you can still get a base Macan in the $60,000 range and load up a sporty Macan GTS for less than a base 911. Projecting Porsche’s lineup forward, that’s the exact car Porsche would be missing. The Macan EV is pricey. The Cayenne EV will be even pricier. And the three-row should bring Porsche to a new pricing level.
In that context, a new two-row combustion model would make sense. A combustion SUV would be cheaper to build. Leaning on VW Group synergies, it would be cheaper to develop. It would pick up the sales slack from the gas Macan and Cayenne. It would also be easier than retrofitting gas engines into future designs for multiple vehicles.
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