Porsche CEO Admits Killing a Gas-Powered Model Was ‘Wrong’

By Erik Sherman - January 12, 2026

Porsche discontinues the Macan after this year– former CEO Oliver Blume says it’s a mistake.

This is a big year for Porsche. 2026 marks the end of the 718 Cayman and its drop-top cousin, the 718 Boxster, both of which Porsche discontinued following the 2025 model year. Operationally speaking, January 1st saw a changing of the guard for the storied German brand. Oliver Blume, the long-running CEO of Porsche, stepped down as the company’s head to focus on running Volkswagen AG during turbulent times. And speaking of discontinued models, Blume says the marque messed up with the Macan.

The 2026 model year will be the final for the gas-powered Porsche Macan as it makes space in the automaker’s lineup for the all-electric Macan EV. The outgoing ICE Macan shares architecture with the Audi Q5. Porsche made a calculated decision to kill the gas-powered Macan at a time when the move seemed to make sense. As a result, production of the model for international markets is expected to wrap up by summer 2026. However, Blume recently shared that the decision doesn’t make as much sense today with a German media outlet.

“Our strategy was to offer combustion engines, hybrids, and electric sports cars in each of our three segments—but not for every product,” Blume told Frankfurt Allegemeine Zeitung. “We were wrong about the Macan. Based on the data available at the time and our assessment of our markets, we would make the same decision again. Today, the situation is different. We have responded and are adding combustion engines and hybrids.”

No ICE Replacement Until 2028

As it stands, Porsche plans to replace the doomed ICE Macan with another gas-powered crossover SUV for the Macan’s spot just below the Cayenne. Motor 1 believes the ICE crossover will ride on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), not unlike the current Audi Q5. That puts some pressure on Porsche, though.

The outgoing Porsche Macan rides on a rear-biased all-wheel drive version of the Audi Q5’s platform. Doing the same with the PPC for the next-generation crossover will add time and cost to the development of the model at a time when Porsche wants to keep things quick and cost-effective.