Porsche is set to launch its largest, most practical and most luxurious vehicle yet.
Autocar reports Porsche is working on a high-tech luxury seven-seat electric SUV, codenamed K1, that CEO Oliver Blume describes will be “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV”.
The SUV will reportedly stretch over five metres and have a profile that’s “part saloon, part crossover”.
It will reportedly join the brand’s line-up in 2027, following an electric 718 Boxster/Cayman replacement due in 2025 and an electric Cayenne intended for a 2026 launch, and will serve as a rival for the likes of the seven-seat Mercedes EQS SUV.
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Macan EV prototype
Key attributes reportedly include a unique silhouette with a short bonnet – by Porsche standards – as well as a steeply raked windscreen and a curved roof that extends into a liftback-style tailgate.
The K1’s off-road ability will be aided by a sophisticated air suspension featuring multiple settings.
It will also reportedly include an electronic differential to provide torque vectoring to each rear wheel individually, and electronically controlled four-wheel steering that will offer five degrees of turning angle for the rear wheels for added manoeuvrability.
It’s predicted the new vehicle will be based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) that will underpin the upcoming electric Macan, set for launch in 2024, and it will reportedly be built alongside it at Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany.
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Porsche Mission R concept
K1 was previously planned to sit on Porsche’s version of the Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform, called SSP Sport, but Volkswagen has since confirmed delays for the architecture.
Porsche has reportedly been developing an upgrade for its PPE platform set to be completed by the time the K1 launches, which will include a 920V electric system to provide faster charging and oil cooling for the electric motors.
The updated PPE architecture will reportedly incorporate developments previewed with the 2021 Mission R concept.
It’s unclear what battery pack the K1 will feature but it’s expected to adopt a cell-to-chassis layout boasting a 100kWh energy capacity and WLTP range of 700km.
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Cayenne
Autocar reports the K1’s start price could be triple that of an entry-level Cayenne.
The carmaker aims to target the K1 predominately at the United States and Chinese markets.
Porsche plans for EVs to account for over 80 per cent of its total sales by 2030.
Porsche SUVs currently account for just under 60 per cent of the total sales for the brand globally.
The brand’s best-seller locally in 2022 was the Macan with 2737 sales, followed by the Cayenne with 1581 sales. Porsche sold 5608 vehicles overall in Australia last year.
