Porsche upcoming flagship seven-seater SUV, known internally as the K1, will reportedly be based on the forthcoming Audi Q9. According to Autocar, it’ll be offered with high-powered V8 and V6 powertrains, after the company’s decision last year to abandon plans for a bespoke electric “New D-SUV” model.
Positioned as a full-size luxury SUV, the K1 is expected to rival established German heavyweights such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7, with key markets said to include the US, the Middle East and China.
The flagship SUV will reportedly be using a modified version of Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. This platform made its debut not too long ago with the Audi Q5 back in 2024.
Powertrain options are expected to include a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 and a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8. The former expected to surpass the output of the base Cayenne, which currently produces 353 hp and 500 Nm. The car could also debut a next-generation PHEV powertrain, but information for that remains scarce.
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Interestingly, early reports had suggested the K1 would ride on a redeveloped “Sport” version of Volkswagen Group’s electric-only Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). Those plans were believed to have been shelved due to changing market trends.
However, sources told Autocar that a fully electric K1 could still be in development, suggesting Porsche may ultimately offer both combustion and EV variants.
This shift was also due to a change in production plans. The K1 was initially slated for Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany, but rising domestic costs have reportedly prompted a rethink. Instead, it is now expected to be built alongside the Q9 at Volkswagen Group’s Bratislava plant in Slovakia — the same facility that will produce the Cayenne EV, further supporting the possibility of an electric K1.
The company had previously pushed hard towards an EV-heavy future, but slower-than-expected demand in key markets has prompted it to rebalance its portfolio by keeping internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid models in play alongside EVs. This change in direction is also reflected in models like the Porsche Macan, where combustion versions were phased out in some markets while others continue to offer ICE models.
The same uncertainty surrounds the successors to the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman. Initially planned as EV-only models, Porsche has now scrapped those ideas and decided to reintroduce combustion powertrains after mixed reactions from enthusiasts and shifting market realities.
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