Porsche’s plans for a new small SUV called Cajun form part of an ambitious growth strategy, currently being mapped by its parent company Volkswagen, to boost its annual global sales to well over 250,000 units by the middle of the decade.
Based on the Audi Q5, the new five-seat Cajun will slot into the line-up beneath the Cayenne. It is likely to be offered with a choice of both four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, including a diesel.
Porsche confirmed earlier this month that it will build the car at its Leipzig facility, the same factory that produces the Panamera. Work on extending the plant, to accommodate the new lines and paint shop required to produce the Cajun, will begin later this year, ahead of an anticipated launch in late 2012.
See an exclusive rendering of the new Porsche Cajun
Before the baby SUV arrives, though, Porsche has its sights set on a new-generation 911 — the 991, as it is known internally. Due to make its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September, it is planned to reach the UK in Carrera and Carrera S guises by the end of the year.
Also looming large on Porsche’s new-model radar is the third-generation Boxster. Set for sale by the end of 2012, the new roadster is an evolution of today’s model. But in a break from its predecessor, the base variant is earmarked to receive a new turbocharged 2.5-litre flat four engine that is currently under development at the company’s Weissach R&D centre. It will be offered alongside a further development of today’s 3.4-litre flat six.
Porsche is also preparing a long-wheelbase Panamera. According to insiders, it will be the only variant to be spun off the first generation of the big saloon. But plans already exist for the second iteration to support other models, including a short-wheelbase coupé, described as a successor to the 928, a convertible and a shooting brake-style wagon.
Read more on Porsche's plans for a Ferrari 458 rival
Following the new Boxster into showrooms will be a second-gen Cayman, although it’s unlikely to appear in the UK until early 2013. The Boxster and Cayman are likely to move from Porsche’s factory at Zuffenhausen to the ex-Karmann factory in Osnabrück.
The same plant is destined to produce the VW Group’s small roadster — and a Porsche-badged version could join the anticipated models from VW and Audi. The new car is referred to internally at Porsche as the 550 — a name harking back to the firm’s 550 Spyder. It is expected to be offered with different variants of the new 2.5-litre flat four engine.
Greg Kable
Add your comment