Porsche embarks on the express development of a thermal replacement for the Macan, absent from Europe since 2024

Faced with the low adoption of electricity, Porsche is one of those manufacturers who are forced to rework their strategy. And During the presentation of half -yearly results on July 30, Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche, announced the arrival in 2028 of a new compact SUV with hybrid petrol engines. This model will replace the thermal macan, still marketed in North America but withdrawn from the European market since July 2024, for lack of compliance with the new GSR2 safety standards. The relative commercial failure of the electric Macan, launched in 2024 to succeed the thermal model in Europe, led Porsche to review its strategy. When you know that Last year, 78 % of the Macan sold worldwide were thermalit is understood!

A “typically Porsche” SUV … but still a little Audi

The new SUV project has just been approved and Porsche intends to develop it within very short deadlines to arrive within 3 years, a particularly tight calendar For a new model. For this, the future model will rest on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) platform of the Volkswagen group, already used for the new Audi Q5. However, Oliver Blume promises a “typically Porsche” vehicle in its design and its behavior, while being distinct from the electric Macan. This SUV, moreover, will stand out from the latter by not bearing the name Macan, reserved since 2026 for the only battery model. It is still unknown whether the thermal version will use light or rechargeable hybridization.

Stay competitive at all costs

This strategy illustrates the adaptation of Porsche to a contrasted global market: If Europe imposes strict standards and encourages electricity, North America remains fond of thermal models. The manufacturer crosses in parallel a tense financial period, with an operating profit down to 245 million euros in the second quarter of 2025 and American customs duties by 15 % which penalize its sales on its first world market. The electric cayenne, scheduled for 2026, will coexist with the existing thermal and hybrid versions, offering an extended and flexible range. This future compact SUV confirms Porsche’s desire to keep a foot in the thermal to remain competitive in its key markets while continuing electrification in Europe. It remains to be seen whether Porsche will make the decision to sell him also on the old continent.