America loves SUVs and crossovers. So much so that once wildly popular sedans are being discontinued on a fairly regular basis. Within the SUV/crossover world, a certain size in a certain segment is now the up and comer that all major brands are diving into. The full-size, luxury three-row SUV is now the sweet spot. Jeep recently jumped in with its Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L. And soon it'll be Porsche's turn.

Automotive News reports that the German automaker aims to have a three-row SUV slotted above its respected midsize Cayenne. A rendering, described as "a new style of vehicle that is part sedan, part crossover" was reportedly shown to dealers at a meeting held in Atlanta, Georgia last week.

"It's very un-Porsche-like," said someone else who viewed the image. "It has a flat rear design; it's not anything like the Macan and Cayenne." A company spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the vehicle. There's a very high likelihood production will happen as market trends dictate the necessity for Porsche to enter this segment.

BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz all offer seven-seaters. Assuming all goes to plan, the unnamed three-row model is set to arrive in the second half of the decade. What's still unknown - and this is a big deal - is its powertrain. Will it be combustion or battery-powered? Or both?

Dealers predict it'll be a plug-in hybrid, at least initially. A full-on battery-electric version is expected to come at a later date. There's a decent possibility the unnamed new Porsche could utilize various mechanical and technical aspects from parent company Volkswagen Group's new Landjet project. That electric flagship vehicle is being developed for VW, Audi, and Porsche.

We still don't know whether Landjet-based models will be SUVs, sedans, or a mix of both. Porsche's need for a three-row vehicle, regardless of powertrain type, is quite necessary. Without one, it's simply missing out on even greater sales. Next year, a pure EV version of the Macan compact crossover will arrive, though it may not utilize the Macan name.