Petrol-powered Porsche comeback hits top gear! New ‘bigger-than-Cayenne’ flagship to spearhead ICE SUV resurgence for iconic German maker. Look out Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga, BMW X7 M60i, Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-AMG GLS63 & Range Rover SV

It might still be two years away from a scheduled appearance in Porsche showrooms but the German maker’s upcoming ‘K1’ upper large SUV has taken a late turn away from pure-electric propulsion to include internal-combustion (ICE) in its powertrain portfolio.

Positioned as a “prestige” performance SUV sitting above the Cayenne and Macan, the likely three-row K1 was originally envisaged as an EV-only line-up but an update during the brand’s most recent quarterly earnings call has confirmed it “will initially be offered exclusively as a combustion engine and plug-in hybrid model due to market conditions” with EV variants to come later if customer demand is strong enough.

K1 development work has so far focused on the in-house ‘SSP Sport’ EV platform with manufacturing earmarked for Porsche’s Leipzig plant in north-eastern Germany, the company’s current Macan and Panamera production hub.

But that could change with the shift to ICE power almost certain to include the 544kW/950Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid combination currently used in Cayenne and Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid models.

The K1 move is part of Porsche’s reappraisal of its global EV strategy with demand for electric models like the Taycan and Macan EV well below initial predictions, most notably in the crucial Chinese market.

Speaking on the call, Porsche Chairman and CEO Dr Oliver Blume said, “These decisions build on the previously announced initiatives and help us to achieve a very balanced portfolio. 

“This increases our flexibility and strengthens our position in a currently highly volatile environment.

“With a convincing mix of combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles, we want to meet the entire range of customer requirements. 

In the medium term, this approach is intended to support our business model and strengthen our market position,” he said.

Porsche had originally planned to electrify its top-selling Macan and Cayenne SUVs as well as its 718 sports car in Boxster and Cayman form.

But the “previously announced initiatives” Blume referred to this week includes development of a petrol and hybrid mid-size SUV to be in market no later than 2028; “differentiated from” but clearly an ICE Macan in all but name.

CarsGuide understands Macan sales at one Sydney Porsche dealership have fallen from 30 a month (ICE) to five a month (EV), so clearly, the updated ICE ‘Macan’ can’t arrive soon enough. 

This week’s earning’s call also points to ICE, possibly RS-only variants, of the new 718 line-up sitting above pure-electric models.

And it’s reasonable to assume the company’s design and development investment supporting this change will make the migration of petrol engines to more 718 variants technically straight-forward and financially manageable.  

Blume has also confirmed, “Current models such as the Panamera and the Cayenne will be available with combustion engines and plug-in hybrids well into the 2030s.”