- Porsche K1 flagship debut’s in 2028 with combustion, hybrid power.
- New model is now twinned with Audi’s upcoming Q9 on PPC platform.
- Was conceived as an EV, but cooling electric demand forced switch.
Porsche’s upcoming K1 flagship SUV was supposed to be a silent, all-electric statement piece. Instead, it is now set to arrive with familiar combustion and hybrid engines, as Porsche acknowledges that its electric strategy has not unfolded as smoothly as planned.
A new report says the up-to seven-seat K1, which was originally conceived purely as an EV around the Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform, will now be twinned with the forthcoming Audi Q9. That means a switch to the VW Group’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture.
Related: Porsche’s New CEO Might Bury The Cayman, Boxster EVs Before They Even Launch
It also means V6 and V8 power, with plenty of hybrid options, instead of the originally planned fully-electric setup. Stuttgart clearly looked at softer-than-expected EV demand in the global luxury market and tanking Taycan sales in particular, and realized that the world isn’t ready for a jumbo zero-emissions SUV with a Porsche badge.
Delays in the development of the Scalable Systems Platform, particularly on the software side, are also understood to have played a role in the rethink.
Gunning For Top-Spec X7s
Porsche K1 electric test mule.
The K1, which sits above the Cayenne, is penciled in for a 2028 launch, Autocar reports, which could in theory mean we’ll get to see it debut in static form late next year. Expect to find four, five, and seven seat layouts on the configurator of the luxurious BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS rival.
Also: Porsche’s EV Plans Collapse, Flagship SUV To Launch With Gas Instead
Under the skin, the PPC platform can handle six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines plus next-generation plug in hybrids. So the K1 is tipped to offer twin turbo 4.0-liter V8s and 3.0-liter V6s, with outputs likely mirroring the Cayenne’s broad 348 hp (353 PS) to 729 hp (739 PS) spread, according to the same report. So it’s not going to beat a Taycan Turbo GT or 911 GT3 RS around the Nurburgring, but top-spec versions won’t be short on shove.
Sharing Is Caring – And Cheap
The combustion pivot makes financial sense. The VW Group loves to share between brands wherever possible and borrowing bones from the Audi Q9 (seen above) spreads development costs, helping offset the rising expense of Porsche’s next wave of electric models.
The first petrol and plug in K1 models are expected about a year after the Q9 arrives, with the US and China seen as critical markets, and both models being built together in Bratislava, where costs are lower than in Germany, according to Autocar’s intel.
But here’s the twist: despite pivoting away from electric power, Porsche apparently hasn’t given up on the idea of a purely electric K1 and still plans to introduce one down the line when the market is ready.
