In mid-2022, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume announced plans to expand the lineup by adding a new SUV positioned above the Macan and Cayenne. The electric-only model will be manufactured in Leipzig, Germany, and will target a higher-end segment of the market with higher profit margins. Zuffenhausen’s mates have been tight-lipped about the model, but Coach tries to fill in the gaps before the planned market launch of the vehicle around 2027.
While a Cayenne starts at £63,700 in the UK, the seven-seater electric SUV is thought to be three times as expensive before adding options. It’s apparently codenamed “K1” and has been in development since 2020 on the Premium Platform Electric architecture that Porsche is co-developing with Audi. PPE will premiere with the electric-only next-gen Macan and Q6 E-Tron, but Coach reports that Porsche’s zero-emission luxobarge will use an evolution of the dedicated EV platform.
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The three-row SUV is rumored to get a 920V electrical system with faster charging and a large battery with a capacity of over 100kWh. Rumor has it that the most frugal version of Porsche’s biggest vehicle will ever offer a maximum range of 435 miles (700 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. Oil cooling for the electric motors would be provided, along with all-wheel steering to turn the rear wheels up to five degrees.
As for styling, expect to see a “half sedan, half crossover” silhouette measuring over five meters (nearly 197 inches). It is said to have a slightly curved roof, a steeply raked windscreen, a short hood and a lift-style tailgate. It’s believed that Porsche intends to give the K1 some real off-road chops with a dedicated drive mode that will dramatically increase the air suspension.
The K1 would become the brand’s fifth EV as Coach reports that the Taycan, Macan, Boxster/Cayman will be joined in 2026 by a purely electric Cayenne. Logic tells us the latter will be smaller and more affordable than the three-row model, which Oliver Blume described as “a very sporty take on an SUV”.
When it finally arrives, the main markets for the K1 will be North America and China.
