Plans for a coupe-like crossover at Porsche aren't finalized yet, but a decision is coming soon. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said the brand will make a final decision on crossover coupes next year. Such a body style would rival the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.
Blume said the final decision rests on volume, but he believes there is an opportunity. He told Automotive News (subscription required) in a report published on Monday that both the Macan and Cayenne could potentially spawn coupe-like variants. His statements follow earlier confirmation that Porsche designers had drawn up an internal design study for a Cayenne coupe this past September. Blume also reiterated no decision had been made at that point. He did, however, say Porsche has a "strong history" of creating model derivatives.
If a Cayenne coupe gets the green light, it will likely arrive as early as 2019, per the new report. And a Macan coupe would come with the redesigned model scheduled for 2021 or 2022. Porsche revealed the new 2019 Cayenne earlier this year.
Coupe-like variants of these models wouldn't have to sell in large numbers. In 2016, for instance, BMW sold 47,641 X5s in the U.S. compared to just 7,117 X6s. The X6s could be looked at as incremental sales of the X5. In general, the coupe-like variant is based on the standard SUV with different body stamping at the rear and a somewhat different interior layout in the rear. That doesn't require a large development expenditure.
In other SUV news, Porsche is also considering an electric SUV for its next electromobility project. The first is the production Mission E sport sedan, but Porsche will analyze if an all-electric SUV model makes sense for the brand. Blume underscored electric cars' importance in the future and said, "the so-called Mission E isn't going to be the last project in electromobility. We will continue. That's very, very clear."
Porsche will announce its next electric-vehicle project in the first half of 2018.