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New British-based brand Perseus hoping to take on Porsche Macan

The premium compact electric SUV will be built on a ‘proven’ platform from an unknown European goliath and designed by a well known Italian styling house

Teaser image of the upcoming Perseus SUV

Perseus, a new UK-based premium electric car start-up, has announced plans to launch a ‘performance and technology-focused compact SUV’ by late 2027.

According to the newly established brand, its first as-yet-unnamed car will be “defined by attainable premium values” and “will combine inspirational and emotive design, groundbreaking technology, engaging performance and exceptional user experience with compelling value”. 

Based on all that, this could be Britain’s answer to electric SUVs like the Porsche Macan Electric, Tesla Model Y, the next-generation BMW iX3 arriving later this year and the forthcoming Polestar 7, also expected to launch in 2027.

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In order to get its first creation into mass production and onto the market in just over two years, Perseus says it’s been building partnerships with global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. However, the company is being very vague with details at this stage.

All we know so far is that Perseus will be turning to a major European manufacturer to provide a “proven, state-of-the-art” EV platform. Perseus is also working with a “pre-eminent Italian design and engineering house” to handle the exterior and interior styling. So far it has provided just a single shadowy teaser image of the new car. 

Meanwhile the user interface and software are being developed with the help of a specialist firm with expertise in artificial intelligence. Finally, a European contract manufacturer is set to build the electric SUV, hopefully to ensure high levels of build quality, and give Perseus access to the latest manufacturing techniques.

Which brands will be working with Perseus?

We hope to be given the names of some of the firms Perseus will be working with soon, as well as those of the senior executives, who we’re told come with experience working at Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus, Bentley and Ineos Automotive.

The founder and CEO of Perseus, Mohammed Yehya El Bakkali, said: “The launch of Perseus marks an exciting new chapter in global automotive innovation. Our ambition is clear: to create a premium-value British EV brand that delivers emotionally captivating design, cutting-edge performance and a best-in-class intelligent AI-enabled and software-defined customer experience.”

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Ellis Hyde, staff writer Auto Express
News reporter

As our news reporter, Ellis is responsible for covering everything new and exciting in the motoring world, from quirky quadricycles to luxury MPVs, hot hatches and supercars. He was previously the content editor for DrivingElectric and won the Newspress Automotive Journalist Rising Star award in 2022.

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