Porsche dealers got a glimpse of a forthcoming three-row Porsche SUV at a dealer meeting in Atlanta last week.
The SUV is larger, longer and wider than the Cayenne, and would be marketed as the company’s flagship SUV, according to Automotive News.
A dealer who saw it said it’s a design that’s part sedan, part crossover, with a “rakish” look, while another said it shared little of its design with the Macan and Cayenne and possessed a flat back, the outlet reported.
Porsche downplays the report
While Porsche wouldn’t comment on the veracity of the report, the company did say that it is constantly designing vehicles that never get built. In 2020, Porsche published “Porsche Unseen,” a book that highlights a series of design studies from 2005 to 2019 which have, until now, been kept under lock and key and provide inspiration for Porsche’s designers.
“People all over the world love the timeless and innovative design of our sports cars,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG at the time of the book’s release. “Visionary concept studies are the foundation of this success: they provide the pool of ideas for the Porsche design of tomorrow, and combine our strong tradition with trailblazing future technologies.”
Part of a new premium vehicle program
The new model could be a part of Volkswagen Group’s Landjet project, the code name for flagship electric cars being developed by Audi as part of Project Artemis, using resources from across the Volkswagen Group.
Reports say it is planned to be built for Audi, Porsche and Bentley. If it reaches production, it would go on sale in the second half of the decade. Certainly, luxury three-row crossovers are a big hit with buyers. Market segment sales rose 22% in the first three quarters of 2021, compared to overall sales, which rose 13%.
Moving away from gasoline engines
Dealers said Porsche didn’t talk about drivelines, but it’s a safe bet that vehicle would be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a battery electric vehicle, or both. This would fit in with Porsche’s plan for more than 80% of their line-up to be battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2030. Published reports state that by 2023, Porsche’s iconic 911 could get a plug-in hybrid model using technology from the 918 Spyder and 911 GT3 R hybrid race car. Similarly, the Panamera received a hybrid model last fall.
Overall, Volkswagen plans to have at least 50 EVs set to be on sale by mid-decade as part of its massive push towards electrification.
