Porsche confirms uber-Cayenne for US market

PORSCHE this week confirmed plans to build a new all-electric SUV larger than the current range topping Cayenne.

The uber-Cayenne will target the US market and further expand the German brand’s SUV portfolio.

“We plan to add a new luxury, all-electric SUV model to our attractive portfolio,” said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume.

“It will roll off the production line at our Leipzig plant and will further expand our position in the luxury automotive segment. This will further expand our position in the luxury automotive segment.

“We are targeting the higher margin segments in particular and aim to tap into new sales opportunities in this way.”

Automotive News Europe (ANE) says Porsche aims to copy the success of its Taycan electric sedan which was an unexpected success for the automaker. The Taycan now outsells the 911 sports car.

According to a Porsche source in Australia, Porsche’s new large SUV will target BMW’s iX and will share Porsche's adaptable SSP Sport platform with next Taycan and EV Panamera

“The new SSP architecture is a dedicated electric car platform destined for a number of different brands across the Volkswagen Group,” the source told GoAuto.

Sharing uber-Cayenne’s underpinnings will be the soon-to-arrive third-generation Panamera and second-generation Taycan.

Additional details of the uber-Cayenne are under tight wraps, but GoAuto can report the vehicle will be priced above the Macan and Cayenne when it is launched during the latter half of the decade.

European website Autocar reports rumours in the US suggesting the new SUV could be the unidentified car shown as a design model in a presentation to a group of North American Porsche dealers late last year.

Autocar says dealers who attended described what they saw was wider and larger than Cayenne adding that it had a flat rear design, sharing nothing with the styling of either Macan or current Cayenne.

Uber-Cayenne introduces a seventh string to the Porsche line-up, which currently consists of Boxster/Cayman, 911, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan.

As well as revealing the plans for the new SUV model, Mr Blume disclosed that Porsche has been granted the engineering lead within Volkswagen Group for the new Sport variant of the SSP architecture.

Autocar tells us the new Porsche-developed electric car platform draws on the “backbone” of the standard SSP structure, which is set to make its debut in 2025 with the launch of the production version of the Volkswagen Trinity – a Tesla Model 3-rivalling lift back likely to be sold under the ID 4 Saloon name.

“Among the SSP Sport’s key developments will be high-performance electric motors and battery components, in a strategy similar to that is set to be undertaken by Mercedes-Benz and its AMG performance car division. It is also expected to support an 800V electric architecture and 350kW charging.”

Autocar reports the same platform will be used by upcoming electric models planned by AUdi, Bentley and Lamborghini.

While Porsche’s new SUV model is set to be based on the SSP Sport architecture, Mr Blume’s presentation confirmed upcoming electric versions of the Macan and Cayenne will sit on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture due to make its first appearance in the Audi A6 e-tron.

Autocar reports that Porsche also revealed the next Panamera is set to go electric in a move that will twin it with the second-generation Taycan.

Whether both models will be sold alongside each other or amalgamated into one model has not yet been confirmed, although suggestions are that Porsche will continue with both models. 

“Camouflaged Panamera prototypes have been spotted winter testing, prompting speculation of a combustion-engined replacement - although it appears now that an extensive update to get the saloon to the end of its lifecycle is more likely,” says Autocar.

With Autocar and Automotive News Europe.