Lee Sibley By Lee Sibley 2 hours ago

Porsche hints at new 911 model and possible all-new SUV

Change afoot at Porsche off the back of its 2024 financial results with wide-ranging new plans announced for its vehicle line-up

Porsche has today offered clear indications as to the direction of its vehicle lineup over the next ten years, which includes news of a new flagship 911 and possible all-new combustion engined SUV.

The company has also confirmed the increase in RRP of its vehicles, which has risen more than 10% and been derided by enthusiasts globally, has helped to fill a hole caused by fewer sales globally in 2024. 

The reveal was part of a comprehensive release around its 2024 financial results which show the company delivered ‘robust results in a challenging environment’. There’s much to unpack from the information Porsche has divulged, so here’s what you need to know.

In terms of the financial side of things, Porsche has blamed a slower-than-anticipated take-up in its EV range for its reductions in turnover (-1.1%) and operating profit (-22.6%) compared to 2023. This is despite EVs and hybrid vehicles making up some 27% of overall Porsche vehicle sales last year, which highlights just how heavily the company had gambled on electrification in previous forecasts.

A secondary factor is the fall-away of sales in China, which for the last decade or so has been the company’s biggest market. Competition from cheaper, Chinese-made alternatives has thwarted Porsche’s impact in the region and left a sizeable hole in its finances as a result. The company’s reliance on the Chinese market in recent times is stark: in 2024, Porsche actually posted record sales in four of five regions (Europe, Germany, North America, and Overseas and Emerging Markets) yet still delivered 10,000 fewer vehicles overall than in the 12 months previously. Porsche expects competition in China to intensify in the years ahead, which means the gravy train of booming Chinese sales enjoyed by Porsche for the last decade or so has finally pulled into the station. 

Despite sales being down globally, the company has announced only a slight decrease in turnover of just -1.1%, which it has directly attributed to “improved price positioning of the newly launched products.” With the exception of the 718, Porsche launched new generations of its entire model lineup in 2024, with a sizeable hike in RRP. The base 992.2 911, for example, now starts at around £100,000 in the UK. The entry-level Carrera was priced at around £82,000 as recently as 2020.

Aside from product price hikes, Porsche also says the gap in turnover has been plugged thanks to  “a higher proportion of customisations,” hinting at the ever-expanding work of Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur. Porsche says the average revenue per vehicle with Exclusiv options has doubled since 2020, and will “significantly expand” capacity of the department in the coming years.

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And so to the future of its product line-up, which Porsche says has required something of a rethink in response to challenging conditions and customer demand. In short, enthusiasts just aren’t taking to electrification as quickly as the company anticipated, and so it will continue with its three powertrains – combustion engines, hybrid, and fully electric – well into the 2030s “across all vehicles segments”.

Take note of “segments”, as this does not mean all of Porsche’s own vehicle lineup will remain juiced by petrol. An example of this is the Macan, which Porsche has confirmed will only be available as a fully electric vehicle, worldwide, once combustion-engined examples have been phased out. The company hasn’t said when this will be, though we expect this to be in the next year or so.

However, Porsche has dangled a carrot by hinting at a new combustion-engined vehicle for the SUV sector. The company said it “is currently evaluating an independent model line in the SUV segment with combustion and hybrid powertrains. It would have a new design and Porsche’s characteristic profile, and would benefit from synergies. The model could be launched towards the end of the decade”.

The 911, meanwhile, will continue to have that iconic flat six combustion engine at its heart for years to come, and Porsche has hinted at two new exciting models in the offing. The first is a limited edition ‘Heritage’ model reviving the style of the 1970s. 9WERKS was invited by Porsche to take a look at this car in Berlin back in February, though we can’t talk about it until April 23rd.

The other new 911 release ‘in the medium term’ is what Porsche describes as “an additional flagship model, which will raise the bar even further in the sports car segment.” That, to us, has ‘GT department’ written all over it.

Elsewhere, the ever-popular Cayenne, which enjoyed record sales in 2024, will soon welcome a fully electric variant to its model lineup, though Porsche says the Cayenne will be available in parallel with a combustion engine “well into the 2030s”.

Interestingly, the company has said it will launch the all-electric Cayenne BEFORE it introduces the all-electric 718. This all but confirms a delay in Porsche’s plans to fully electrify the 718 Boxster and Cayman platform, which last year we were told was “months away”. This will be welcome news for those who believe in the brilliance of Porsche’s mid-engined sports car and still wish to purchase a new example powered by an engine. Long live the flat six!

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