Porsche’s new CEO, Matthias Mueller, will focus on the company’s entry-level offerings in a bid to up global sales by 50 000 units by 2013.
Mueller, 57, takes the reins as CEO of Porsche AG from October 1st and his most pressing assignment will be the formulation of a plan to revive the company’s entry-level segment. Sales at the lower end of the Porsche spectrum have been in something of a decline of late, with a 12 percent decrease in combined Boxster/Cayman figures in the nine months through April.
Porsche is determined to grow its global sales from 100 000 units per year to around 150 000 units. The most likely manner in which this growth will take place is likely to involve wholesale expansion of the company’s model line up – doubling it from four models to eight.
This development could potentially give rise to such models as a revived Porsche 356, a spiritual successor to the 914 (both of which could possibly be based on the VW BlueSport concept using a four-cylinder engine). There is also the possibility that a sub-Cayenne SUV based on the VW Tiguan.
Mueller was formerly the head of product management at VW’s Audi brand up until 2007. He’s currently in charge of product planning and management at VW Group.
“Mueller was very successful at Audi, which entered new niches when he was responsible for product strategy,” said Daniel Schwarz, an analyst in Frankfurt at Commerzbank AG. “He can now apply that to Porsche.”