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. 

Already three years in conception and planning, the K1 aims to build on the success of the Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Macan, Porsche’s two best-selling models over the past two decades.

When it arrives, it will be the sixth Porsche EV after the Porsche Taycan, the electric Macan, an electric Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman pairing due in 2025 and an electric version of the Cayenne tentatively planned for launch in 2026. 

The K1 will be the first car to sit on Porsche’s adaptation of parent Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform, known as SSP Sport. Although details are scarce, this is expected to offer more performance than the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture that underpins the electric Macan and the new Audi Q6 E-tron. 

The K1 has been tipped by insiders to run an 920V electrical system for even faster charging than 800V PPE-based models, and have oil cooling for its motors. What battery pack it could use remains under wraps, although it's expected to adopt a cell-to-chassis layout for added structural integrity, with a capacity of more than 100kWh and a WLTP range of more than 435 miles in its most efficient form. 

Other chassis tech planned for the K1 includes electronically controlled four-wheel steering that will offer up to 5deg of turning angle for the rear wheels to give added manoeuvrability at low speeds around town and greater agility at higher speeds. This feature will work in combination with an electronic differential providing a torque-vectoring effect between each individual rear wheel. 

Inside the K1, Porsche will focus on space. This is down to key architectural developments being pushed by Porsche for the new SSP Sport platform, such as a low cabin floor, courtesy of a slimline battery pack, and rear footwells similar to those of the J1 platform used by the existing Taycan. 

Production of the K1 is scheduled to take place alongside that of the electric Macan at Porsche’s factory in Leipzig, Germany – the same site responsible for the existing Macan, Cayenne and Porsche Panamera.