A new, Porsche-developed vehicle architecture called SSP61 will be launched in 2026 for VW Group premium brands. It will underpin the new, all-electric Audi A8 along with two new Audi flagships developed under Artemis codenamed Landjet and Landyacht.
Porsche will use the SSP61 platform for a range-topping, full-electric SUV positioned above the Cayenne and Macan. SSP61 will be a sportier version of the SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) announced by VW Group last year.
The new vehicles will use the 1.2 software platform, without hands-off autonomous driving functions, company sources said. A more advanced 2.0 software system may be added later but not before 2028. VW brand’s Trinity flagship electric car will also get 2.0 software. It is likely to be launched as a crossover instead of a sedan, sources said.
VW Group’s supervisory board called in May for management to present a roadmap for Cariad after multiple years of delays to planned new software iterations and overspending.
Cariad is a core part of VW Group’s plans to catch up with Tesla in the coming years, but the subsidiary has been wrestling with difficulties, causing important projects to fall behind schedule and delays for key Porsche and Audi models.
Reuters contributed to this report