Porsche rethinks ICE exit: Macan to remain EV only, but new hybrid SUV likely by 2030
Porsche has firmly closed the door on any return to petrol power for its mid-sized Macan SUV, doubling down on the EV shift of its top seller.
But while the new Macan leads the charge into a zero-emissions future, the German brand is now exploring the possibility of a new hybrid SUV to fill the internal combustion engine (ICE) hole created in shifting the Macan to EV only.
“The Macan is electric and the Macan will stay electric – period,” confirmed Porsche Australia’s CEO and managing director, Daniel Schmollinger.
“There won’t be a petrol Macan. There might be an SUV, but it’s not a Macan.”
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The decision to fully electrify the Macan – the car arrived late in 2024 – will likely reshape Porsche’s sales landscape in Australia. The Macan has been the brand’s top seller, often accounting for nearly half of all local deliveries. In 2024, it helped Porsche to a record-breaking 7029 sales, with 3323 of those being Macans.
However, Schmollinger concedes that the transition to an EV-only Macan will come at a cost — namely, a potential drop in sales as Australian buyers remain cautious about going fully electric.
“We are not targeting to have a record (year in 2025),” he said. “It will still be a significant (sales) number but we don’t expect the Macan Electric to be the biggest volume (Porsche) – this wasn’t our expectation.”
That opens the door for the larger Cayenne SUV to assume the sales crown. Priced from $141,700 (before on-road costs), the Cayenne is more expensive than the new Macan Electric (from $128,400), and significantly dearer than the outgoing petrol Macan, which previously started at $94,000.
Schmollinger expects a shift in buyer focus to the Cayenne as a result.
“We see a big momentum in Cayenne, which is perfect because we think the Cayenne is an amazing car.”
As buyer hesitation towards EVs lingers Porsche is looking at broadening its SUV line-up with a new model that include hybrid powertrains.
“There are opportunities in the SUV segment and we are observing and evaluating how the future will look,” Schmollinger said, referring to recent announcements made at Porsche’s annual press conference.
In an official press release, Porsche revealed it is “currently evaluating an independent model line in the SUV segment with combustion and hybrid powertrains,” with a possible launch towards the end of the decade.
Such a model would likely draw on shared components within the Volkswagen Group. Porsche has a long history of collaboration with sibling brand Audi, which recently revealed a new-generation Q5 SUV.
While Schmollinger acknowledges that the Macan Electric won’t instantly replicate the success of its petrol predecessor, he’s confident that its appeal will grow.
“We still see opportunities that the Macan Electric will take off.”
And further into the future, Porsche has already confirmed that an all-electric Cayenne is due in 2027, which will be sold alongside a version of the current-generation model. A new seven-seat electric SUV is also on the horizon for the sports car brand.
For now, though, the message is clear: the brand is staying the course on electrification — and while the petrol Macan is history, something new looks set to bolster the Porsche SUV ranks.
