- The Zuffenhausen boss claims his new crossover will be a true Porsche.
- It comes in 2028 with a new name.
- The model will borrow the Audi Q5 platform.
Europeans will have to say goodbye to the first-generation Macan in 2024 when Porsche discontinues the model after failing to meet new cybersecurity regulations. Globally, the petrol crossover will stop production in the middle of this year, leaving a big gap in the company’s product lineup. That void won’t be filled until another two years, when Zuffenhausen launches a new gas-powered crossover.
Like the original Macan, its replacement will be closely related to the Audi Q5. However, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters clarified during a Q&A session following the company’s annual conference that this was not simply a case of rebadging. When asked by an analyst whether development could be accelerated, given the platform is already available, the head honcho explained why it would still take several years to get it to market:
‘We have to make sure that this is a real Porsche. And this requires some content, some substance of the product, some technology, which is new to this car – which will be new to this car and therefore, in a certain time, necessary to achieve industrialization and to launch this product.’
Photo by: Tim Stevens / Motor1
Leiters went on to say the new entry-level crossover will be launched around 2028 and is part of a collaboration with fellow Volkswagen Group brand Audi. Porsche paid a one-off license fee of €1 billion to the Ingolstadt-based company, but Leiters explained that this was not only for the Macan replacement, but also for other Porsche and Audi models:
‘Let me also highlight that Jochen Breckner’s license [member of the Board for Finance and IT] mentioned – licensing fees are not just for Macan. This is for some models we work on together on both sides, Audi with Porsche and Porsche with Audi. So obviously, this is the share that we pay to Audi, but there’s more than one model.’
He refrained from going into detail about the other models. However, a couple of other vehicles we can think about include the 718 Boxster/Cayman EV and the Concept C. Additionally, the first Q9 could lend its platform to the three-row SUV that Porsche announced a while back. The new model, positioned above the Cayenne, was initially intended as a pure electric vehicle, but will now be launched first with a large-capacity combustion engine.
As for the timeline of this product, the Q9 will be launched in the next few months. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner also confirmed this week that the Concept C will go into production next year. At Porsche, Leiters said Capital Markets Day this fall will bring news regarding the product portfolio. For now, we know that the new gas-powered crossover is about two years away, while the introduction of a larger SUV is still TBA.
A further expansion of the product range could be in the form of more expensive sports cars. As Motor1 exclusively reported, a new hypercar is officially under consideration, and the company is exploring a model positioned above the 911. Elsewhere, reports emerged of a possible Taycan–Panamera merger, so it’s safe to say there’s a lot going on these days at Porsche HQ.
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Source: Tim Stevens / Motor1
Motorcycle Pickup1: Porsche appears to be taking the right steps by recommitting to combustion engines in new SUVs and possibly hypercars. With the Boxster and Cayman also regaining ICE power in the near future, the company is poised for success.
But as with other luxury carmakers, it will take a miracle to reverse China’s sales slump. And again, even in a market focused on electric vehicles, there is still demand for emotional, high-end ICE models. Of all the products mentioned here, the Macan ICE replacement is by far the most important from a global volume perspective, and it’s not coming any time soon.
