Porsche K1: Electric seven-seat luxury SUV shows off radical design

Porsche's largest and most luxurious car yet, codenamed K1, has been spotted for the first time, as testing begins some three years ahead of its scheduled launch.

New images, which look to have been taken at a Porsche testing facility, purport to show the new electric SUV undergoing dynamic testing, giving an early indication of its size and shape. 

Conceived to rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and BMW iX but with the added utility benefits of a third row of seats, the K1 has been described previously as having a silhouette that is "part saloon, part crossover".

These first images seem to corroborate that positioning, with the prototype seemingly standing as tall as the Cayenne but having a flatter roofline and a straighter back end, together with a longer wheelbase and a lower ride height. 

Gaps in the camouflage suggest it will be a close visual relation to the new Porsche Macan Electric, with a familiar LED headlight design and wraparound rear light bar, but bulky cladding and fake trim details obscure the fine details. 

It's unusual to see a car testing in production-spec bodywork as far as three years before its scheduled release, but the Macan Electric hit the road for the first time back in 2021, so it stands to reason its larger sibling's design has been locked in. 

Sources at Porsche have previously indicated the K1 – which will be more than five metres long – will offer "a completely new experience inside", as well as "strong performance" and automated driving. 

To give it suitable off-road capabilities, it's also said to feature considerable ride height in its most extreme driving mode. Ground clearance will be adjusted via sophisticated air suspension with multiple settings. 

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has described the car as “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV”, adding: "This new vehicle concept is designed to offer strong performance and automated driving with the typical Porsche flyline, along with a completely new experience inside the vehicle."

He added: "We're thereby underlining and strengthening our sporty luxury positioning. We're observing growing profit pools in this segment, in particular in China and the US."

Deputy chairman Lutz Meschke said the K1 was the "perfect match for the Chinese market".

When it arrives, the advanced four-wheel-drive flagship will head a growing Porsche line-up, consisting of seven individual models.

The K1 will offer the latest in synchronous electric motor, high-performance battery and rapid-charging technology – developments that, insiders at the company’s Zuffenhausen headquarters in Germany say, will extend its price well beyond the £150,500 of the existing ICE Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.