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 made at home in Leipzig, Germany and target a higher-end segment of the market with bigger profit margins. The peeps from Zuffenhausen have been tight-lipped about the model, but Autocar is attempting to fill in the blanks ahead of the vehicle's expected market launch around 2027.
While a Cayenne starts at £63,700 in the UK, it is believed the seven-seat electric SUV will be three times more expensive before adding options. It apparently carries the "K1" codename and has been in development since 2020 on the Premium Platform Electric architecture Porsche is co-developing with Audi. PPE will premiere with the next-gen, electric-only Macan and the Q6 E-Tron, but Autocar reports Porsche's zero-emission luxobarge will use an evolution of the dedicated EV platform.
The three-row SUV is rumored to benefit from a 920V electric system with quicker charging and boast a large battery pack with a capacity exceeding 100 kWh. The most frugal version of Porsche's largest vehicle ever is rumored to offer a maximum range of 435 miles (700 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. Oil cooling for the electric motors is said to be planned, along with all-wheel steering to turn the rear wheels up to five degrees.
As far as styling is concerned, expect to see a "part sedan, part crossover" silhouette measuring over five meters (nearly 197 inches). It's said to have a gently curved roof, a steeply raked windscreen, a short hood, and a liftback-style tailgate. It is believed Porsche intends to give the K1 real off-road chops with a dedicated driving mode that will considerably jack up the air suspension.
The K1 will allegedly become the fifth EV from the brand as Autocar reports 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 has described as being "a very sporting interpretation of an SUV."
When it does eventually arrive, the K1's main markets are going to be North America and China.
