With sales dropping, profits thinning, and EV demand lagging, Porsche is refocusing on new combustion models
Porsche was forced to discontinue the original Macan in Europe last year after the gasoline crossover failed to meet the EU’s new General Safety Regulation (GSR2) that took effect in July 2024. Although the first-generation model is still sold in regions outside GSR2’s reach, production will end in 2026. Its successor? A brand-new gas-powered SUV.
The automaker has now confirmed that this combustion-focused model will arrive in 2028. CEO Oliver Blume described it as a “very, very typical Porsche” for its segment but distinct from the all-electric Macan. To meet the tight deadline, development will be accelerated, likely leveraging the Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), which also underpins the latest Audi Q5.
Porsche has already hinted the SUV will “benefit from synergies,” suggesting a shared foundation with Audi, though a diesel option is off the table since Porsche abandoned it in 2018.
The upcoming crossover will feature a fresh design with the brand’s signature silhouette and will compete in the same size class as the Macan. However, it won’t carry the Macan name, which will be reserved exclusively for the electric second-generation model.
Porsche initially planned to go all-in on the EV Macan, but soft electric demand and shifting market conditions have pushed the brand to double down on combustion models once again.
