Porsche is preparing to launch its third SUV nameplate, expanding into a new market segment in the process as it attempts to capture some of the lucrative three-row luxury SUV market with the car codenamed ‘K1’.
Spy shots have been trickling out for a couple of years now, and while it was initially planned for the K1 to be electric-only, the weak EV market led to Porsche flip-flopping on that decision last year and pushing ahead with gas and hybrid versions as a priority. Now, a new report says the model will be twinned with the upcoming Audi Q9, set to be the brand's largest ever car and quietly confirmed for a 2026 debut last year.
Proven Underpinnings
SH Proshots/Autoblog
According to the report from Autocar, which cites sources close to Porsche, the gas versions of the K1 will sit on the VW Group’s scalable Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), the same underpinnings already found under the latest batch of combustion-powered Audis like the new A5 and RS5, A6 and Q5.
The K1 and the Q9 will be the largest applications of the modular platform yet, which is also set to underpin the next-generation Audi Q7 – also coming this year – and a smaller gas-powered Porsche SUV to sit alongside the all-electric second-gen Macan.
Per the report, the K1 will get a range of 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 and 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 powertrains, likely using the well-proven engines already found throughout much of the VW Group empire, and come with a ‘next-generation’ plug-in hybrid version too.
EV Still On The Way
Porsche
Porsche may have delayed the fully electric version of the K1, testing of which has been underway for some time now, but Autocar’s source says it’s still on the way. By choosing to push ahead with both gas and electric versions, Porsche is compensating for the drop-off in demand it’s seen for its EVs, which is also leading it to assess the future of the planned electric 718 sports car.
It means that with the gas-powered Cayenne staying on sale for the foreseeable alongside the new electric version, and a new midsize combustion SUV in the works to complement the Macan EV, Porsche will eventually have both electric and gas SUVs on offer in three separate segments.
It’s the gas-powered K1 we’re likely to see first, though, with murmurs suggesting a full reveal either in 2027 or 2028.
There are no reviews to display.