SITGES, Spain – Porsche is about to tear up its own rulebook. The German automaker’s best-selling model of the past two decades – the Cayenne SUV that saved the company from financial ruin – is getting the all-electric treatment, and its engineers aren’t holding back. This isn’t some cautious toe-dip into full electrification for Porsche’s traditional internal-combustion-engine profit driver; it’s a cannonball dive into the deep end.
The upcoming battery-electric Cayenne Turbo, the flagship of the new fourth-generation SUV’s model range, will pack 805 hp, with short bursts hitting nearly 980 hp thanks to a “Press to Pass” button that sounds straight out of Porsche’s motorsport department. Engage launch control, and there are power figures claimed to eclipse even the Taycan Turbo GT’s 1,019 hp.
The 5-seat SUV, known internally as the E4, is based on the Volkswagen Group’s 800V Premium Platform Electric (PPE) unibody architecture. It’s lengthened slightly from the similar structure used by the electric Macan and its sister model, the Audi Q6 e-tron.
But unlike the electric Macan, which in many global markets has now replaced its combustion-powered predecessor outright, the new electric Cayenne is being positioned alongside the existing third-generation ICE model for the foreseeable future, a signal – along with the recent news of scrapping its planned in-house battery production, that Porsche is hedging its bets and responding to a slower-than-anticipated uptake of its electric models.
Ahead of its planned unveiling in November, the prototypes we drive during a final validation test on sun-baked Spanish roads (along with Porsche’s test and development team) wear light disguise, but it’s clear the electric Cayenne takes direct styling cues from the electric Macan – especially at the front. The slim LED headlights, closed-off grille, and detailing, including air curtains to manage airflow around the wheels and active ducts to regulate cooling for the electric motor and front brakes, provide it with unmistakable Porsche appearance.
Along with the latest Macan, there are hints of the Taycan in the surfacing treatment and other elements, too.
Relative to the ICE Cayenne, the BEV has more modern touches, including frameless doors and new flush-mounted handles. At the rear, a distinctive light signature spans the width of the tailgate, flanked by vertical venting and a new diffuser arrangement lower down.
Mirroring the approach of the current Cayenne, the new electric variant is planned to be sold in two distinct body styles: the more upright SUV here, and a sportier SUV coupe also set to debut next year. But while the overall silhouette, if not the detailing, is familiar, what’s underneath is a ground-up rethink.
Dimensions and Design
The PPE platform used by the electric Cayenne allows for a 118.9-in. (3,020-mm) wheelbase – some 1.4-ins. (36 mm) longer than today’s Cayenne. Length runs to 196.0 ins. (4,978 mm), also up by 1.9-ins. (48 mm) over its ICE sibling. The layout provides immediate packaging advantages: greater interior space both front and rear, a 3.2-cu.-ft. (91-L) frunk and a larger rear luggage compartment, with a nominal 27.6-cu.-ft., (782 L) expanding to 56.1-cu.-ft. (1,589 L) with the rear seats folded flat.
The prototype’s cabin remains largely hidden beneath black felt during our test drive, but key features are visible. There’s a wide curved instrument panel, floating center console and an infotainment layout nearly identical to the electric Macan. New ambient lighting, heated surfaces and a so-called Sunshine Control panoramic glass roof with segmented electronic shading, plus more legroom for rear seat passengers than the current gas-powered Cayenne, round out the changes.
Battery and Powertrain
Under the floor, boasting foot wells instead of the fully flat surface like some competitors, sits a 108-kWh lithium-ion battery using LG-supplied pouch cells and liquid cooling. The range is expected to exceed 373 miles (600 km) on the WLTP test cycle, depending on the model, while the charging rate peaks at 400kW. A 10%–80% top-up takes 16 minutes under optimal conditions; a 10-minute charge nets you around 186 miles (299 km), according to preliminary data provided by Porsche. Charging ports are located on both rear side panels.
The drivetrain mates a Bosch-produced permanent magnet synchronous electric motor up front with a Porsche-developed and -produced synchronous unit integrated into the rear axle, together with a 2-speed gearbox. In base Cayenne form, the two electric motors are claimed to deliver a combined 400 hp, with the Cayenne S set to offer roughly 600 hp. Step up to the 805-hp Cayenne Turbo and you get 155 hp more than the most powerful of today’s ICE Cayenne models, the Turbo GT.
The four driving modes: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus – each bring noticeable changes to throttle response and a newly developed synthetic soundtrack, which adds a layer of old-school exhaust character in varying degrees of presence depending on mode.
Driving Impressions
In city driving, the Cayenne BEV is astonishingly civilized – smooth and effortlessly composed, with instant yet finely metered throttle response that makes dashes between traffic lights fluid and refined.
The moment you stretch its legs on the open road, the full force of its dual-motor drivetrain is unleashed with a tidal wave of torque and an almost surreal linearity. There’s no buildup, no pause – just instant, seamless and relentless acceleration. The reserves feel unlimited, allowing the new Porsche SUV to deliver not only brutal pace but also a sense of impressive high-speed calmness.
Again, Porsche doesn’t spill all details just yet, but it does disclose the new Cayenne Turbo runs 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 3 seconds and 0-124 mph (200 km/h) in under 10 seconds, figures set to make it the fastest-accelerating Cayenne to date. As for top speed, nothing’s official yet, but we’re told it will be north of 155 mph (249 km/h).
Ride and Handling
But it’s the sheer composure and agility of the handling standing out most. While the electric Cayenne carries a good deal more weight than its gas sibling, it hardly shows it from behind the wheel. Turn-in is keen and immediate, helped by optional rear-axle steering on Cayenne and Cayenne S models, and a lower center of gravity that works to contain body movement and endow it with genuinely sharp response.
Steering is crisp, evenly weighted and consistent, with more feel than most electric rivals. It never comes across as overly filtered, and there’s none of the artificiality we’ve experienced in some electric performance SUVs. Small steering inputs off center result in clean, controlled corrections, giving it a planted feel that breeds confidence across a variety of road types.
The Cayenne Turbo doesn’t just cope with the weight of its big battery; it channels it. Grip and traction are immense, owed in part to the broad, staggered tires, 285/40 ZR22 up front and 315/35 ZR22s at the rear on the protoype we’re in and also to its mechanical locking rear differential and finely tuned all-wheel-drive system. The way it shuffles torque between each axle and wheel is hugely effective, allowing confident traction even on mixed surfaces.
That sense of composure carries over into the ride. Over broken surfaces and mid-corner bumps, the Cayenne Turbo remains well tied down. The combination of an active air suspension and twin-valve dampers introduces a pleasing tautness in Sport mode that, while firm, never turns brittle. Body control is excellent, with roll kept neatly in check. It transitions through tighter turns with a fluid progression, rather than abrupt movement, and with very little body movement.
Stability at consistently high speed on long, open motorway stretches is another strong point. It tracks straight and true with minimal driver input deep into triple-digit territory.
Off-Road Character
Off-road, the electric Cayenne is more capable than it’ll likely ever need to be. At the Porsche test facility, we get the chance to attack steep gravel climbs and twisting descents in the Cayenne S. With a dedicated Off-Road mode incorporating Gravel, Sand and Rock sub-modes, it crawls up inclines at walking pace with astonishing throttle control. Power delivery is so precisely metered that it responds smoothly, with no lurch or delay.
Descent control is equally refined, blending brake regeneration and downhill speed control in one for smooth progress on extreme grades.
The optional locking differential doesn’t just come into play on the road; it also shapes the car’s behavior away from the bitumen, maintaining traction in tricky off-road conditions and adding extra bite when it’s required and the wheel that needs it most.
Conclusion
It’s still at prototype stage, but the new electric Cayenne already feels resolved – not with sheer power and battery charging speed alone, but with how comprehensively it blends those traits with such mature dynamics and genuine driver appeal. Crucially, it’s also set to be launched without its ICE sibling being dropped from the line-up – a decision that, at this point in time, feels more considered and ultimately more customer-focused than that made with the Macan.
