Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo likely headed for production

It might not arrive until 2021; Porsche is prioritizing the Mission E sedan.

Porsche surprised us at the Geneva Auto Show by introducing a concept car named Mission E Cross Turismo. Less than a week after the model's debut, there are already signs that it's headed for production sooner or later.

"I find the unique concept and the design instantly convincing. In my opinion, there's a good prospect for series production very soon," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told trade journal Automotive News on the side-lines of the show.

As its name implies, the Cross Turismo (pictured) evolved from the Mission E concept shown in 2015. Porsche is in the process of turning the design study into a production model scheduled to go on sale next year. That means everything under the Cross Turismo's sheet metal is already production-bound, including the J1 platform, the lithium-ion battery pack, the 800-volt charging system, and the dual-motor powertrain.

From there, it's just a matter of gauging the public's interest and building the wagon body. Another Porsche executive who asked to remain anonymous told Automotive News the Cross Turismo might not arrive until 2021. The two-year gap will ensure the factory building the Mission E will keep busy even after interest in the first Mission E begins to wane.

"We want to ensure utilization rate doesn't trail off as the Mission E gets older, so we will bring a derivative just as we do with other model lines," said the official.

Photography by Ronan Glon.