Porsche is looking to expand its SUV line-up with the addition of a new coupe-shaped off-roader based on the next-generation Cayenne. It will rival the BMW X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, and our spy photographers have captured an early test mule.
The pictures show that Porsche is still in the early stages of development given the test mule awkwardly wears a Panamera body, riding taller, wider and yet to sprout its own bodywork.
Beneath the surface it also appears that the test mule is running an unconventional powertrain – either fully electric or hybrid. Look close enough and you can spot voltage-warning stickers on some of the doors. The new Cayenne – due later this year – will be based on the Panamera’s platform, which can already adopt plug-in hybrid tech.
With large and small SUVs covered with the regular Cayenne and the newer Macan, the next logical step is for Porsche to move into the more niche territory of coupe SUVs. These cars may seem unconventional, but the huge sales successes of the BMW X6 and more recently the Jaguar F-Pace have made the style-driven SUV market a lucrative space.
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Even competition from Land Rover is due to arrive, given we’ve spied a new Range Rover Coupe testing ahead of an anticipated 2018 release.
The current Porsche Cayenne has been in production since 2011, and boasts styling out of kilter with Porsche’s newer SUV: the Macan. As such, we expect a new Cayenne to appear sooner rather than later, with the Cayenne Coupe following up after. Engine and transmission choices – plus whatever electrified technology Porsche has planned for its next generation models – will be mirrored across the two Cayenne models.
Will the Porsche Cayenne coupe be a sales hit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.