Porsche AG said on Feb. 8 that the Cayenne sports utility vehicle it plans to launch next year as its first non-sports car should ensure the luxury automaker's independence and spice up a crowded segment. While the image of a Porsche rolling over rugged terrain itself might appear jarring to some, given Porsche's established image of pricey sports cars, Frederick Schwab, chief of Porsche's North American operations, said the car-like Cayenne "will have a Porsche flair." "The first word in SUV is sport, and Porsche is all about sports cars," he told reporters during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show, which opens to the public Friday. "The Cayenne will be a sports car." While he didn't give details on the Cayenne's features or price, Schwab said the SUV would be German-built and use the same platform as a corresponding Volkswagen AG model, with Porsche leading development of both. More than half of the 25,000 Cayennes expected to be made in a new $50 million German factory next year probably would be bound for U.S. showrooms, according to Schwab. "The SUV market is big enough for a niche (player), big enough for Porsche," he said. He said Porsche would likely offer three models with prices close to its 911 sport coupe. The Cayenne will offer sports car-like handling and "more than competent" off-road capabilities. In announcing plans for the SUV last year during Detroit's auto show, Schwab said the then-unnamed offering would be slightly wider and lower than DaimlerChrysler AG's Jeep Grand Cherokee. "It will be the heart and soul of Porsche," Schwab said then. "We're gonna be coming a bit late, but most niche markets don't enter at the beginning." While Schwab on Feb. 8 wouldn't spell out the Cayenne's possible price, Fortune magazine has reported the SUV would fetch about $45,000. Other estimates run $60,000 for a basic model and $80,000 for a fully equipped version with the Cayenne competing with the likes of Mercedes-Benz's M-Class and BMW X5. Last month, Porsche said it expects this year's profits to match or beat last year's level, despite unspecified development costs for the Cayenne. While Porsche has recovered from the brink of collapse during the early 1990s, Schwab said the Cayenne "makes good business sense" in helping the carmaker remain independent and not just focus on a couple of products as a niche player. Porsche sells about 50,000 cars a year worldwide and traditionally sells about 50 percent of its sports cars in the Unites States.