Porsche Cayenne Electric prototype review

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Crucial all-new version of luxury SUV promises enormous performance, delectable handling, a long range and off-road capability all at once

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There’s no mistaking the importance of the Porsche Cayenne Electric. What we’re driving today on sun-baked Spanish roads, alongside Porsche’s test and development team, is the next-generation of Cayenne: purely electric, still in prototype form and pitched as a landmark in the German car maker’s line-up.

It aims to deliver the same impact as the original Cayenne did 22 years and three generations ago. But this time the reinvention comes without an internal combustion engine in sight.

The five-seat SUV, known internally as the E4, is based on the Volkswagen Group’s 800V Premium Platform Electric, lengthened slightly from the similar structure used by the Porsche Macan Electric and its Audi sister model, the Q6 E-tron.

But unlike the Macan Electric, which in many global markets (but not the UK) has replaced its ICE predecessor outright, the new Cayenne Electric is being positioned alongside the existing third-generation ICE Cayenne for the foreseeable future – a clear signal that Porsche is hedging its bets in response to a slower than anticipated uptake and inconsistent sales of its EVs.

So, after much speculation surrounding its future, the ICE Cayenne, based on the group’s long-serving MLB platform, is staying in production, with another facelift planned for next year. The new Cayenne Electric sits alongside it – or even somewhat above it in the overall Porsche model hierarchy.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Ahead of the planned unveiling in November, the prototypes I get to drive are wearing light disguise, but it’s clear that the Cayenne Electric takes direct styling cues from the Macan Electric – especially at the front, with slim LED headlights, a closed-off grille, air curtains to manage airflow around the wheels and active ducts to regulate cooling for the electric motor and brakes.  

It’s clearly differentiated from the ICE Cayenne in appearance, taking on more modern touches, including frameless windows and flush-mounted handles.

Mirroring the approach of the ICE Cayenne, the new EV is planned to be sold in two distinct bodystyles: the traditional upright SUV here and a sportier-looking SUV-coupé, set to be shown next year.

Under the floor sits a 108kWh battery containing LG-supplied pouch cells. The resultant range is expected to exceed 373 miles on the WLTP test cycle, depending on the model, while the charging rate peaks at an impressive 400kW, so a 10-80% top-up will take just 16 minutes under optimal conditions.

The drivetrain mates a Bosch-produced permanent magnet synchronous motor up front with a second PMSM developed and produced by Porsche integrated into the rear axle, together with a two-speed gearbox.

In the base model, the two motors are claimed to deliver a combined 400bhp, while the Cayenne S is set to offer around 600bhp and the Cayenne Turbo 805bhp.

The platform used by the Cayenne Electric allows for a 3020mm wheelbase – 35mm longer than that of the ICE Cayenne. The car’s total length is 4979mm, up by 49mm over its sibling.

INTERIOR

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The layout provides immediate packaging advantages: greater interior space both front and rear, a 90-litre frunk and a larger boot, measuring 781 litres or 1588 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.

The prototypes’ interiors remain largely hidden beneath black felt during my drives, but key features are visible. There’s a wide curved instrument panel, a ‘floating’ centre console and an infotainment layout nearly identical to that in the Macan Electric.

There’s also new ambient lighting, heated surfaces and a panoramic glass roof with Sunshine Control – segmented electronic shading, as seen in Audi EVs.

As usual with a Porsche, the driving position is superb, offering extensive adjustment and outstanding support.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Performance? Porsche isn’t prepared to spill all details just yet, but it does disclose that the new Cayenne Turbo can run from 0-62mph in less than 3.0sec and 0-124mph in less than 10.0sec.

Buyers who swap from the existing Cayenne Turbo into the new EV may miss the deep-chested drama and mechanical charm of its turbocharged 4.0-litre petrol V8, but they certainly won’t question its sheer drivability or ultimate pace.

As on the Taycan, there are dual charging ports, albeit here on the rear side panels. They’re concealed by motorised covers that slide open after a gentle press.
Greg Kable
European editor

Four driving modes are available: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. Each induces noticeable changes to the 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.

The car possesses a huge breadth of performance ability, feeling every bit at home at lower speeds on urban roads as it does when fully unleashed.

Braking, too, is extremely impressive. The transition between up to 600kW of energy regeneration to friction braking (steel discs are standard, carbon-ceramics optional) is seamless.

RIDE & HANDLING

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But it’s not the performance that stands out most: it’s the sheer composure and agility. Porsche admits that the Cayenne Electric carries a good deal more weight than its ICE sibling, but it hardly shows from behind the wheel.

Turn-in is keen and immediate, helped by optional rear-axle steering (fitted to both the base and S models) and a lower centre of gravity that works to contain body movement and endow the car with genuinely sharp response. There’s a recognisable Porsche character to how this big electric SUV changes direction: clean, balanced and precise.

The steering is crisp, evenly weighted and impressively consistent, with more feel than most electric rivals. It never comes across as overly filtered and there’s none of the artificiality we have experienced in some electric performance SUVs.

Grip and traction are immense, owed in part to the broad, staggered tyres (285/40 ZR22s up front and 315/35 ZR22s at the rear on the Turbo prototype) and in part to its mechanical locking rear differential and finely tuned four-wheel drive system. The way it shuffles torque between each axle and wheel is hugely effective, maximising traction.

That sense of composure carries over into the ride. Over broken surfaces and mid-corner bumps, the Turbo prototype remains well tied down. The combination of 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.

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. There’s a real sense of calm, especially in Comfort mode, where the chassis breathes with the surface.

Part of this can be attributed to the aerodynamic measures Porsche has integrated: the ride height lowers automatically by 10mm above 44mph (20mm in Sport Plus mode) and by 30mm above 84mph.

That blend of effortlessness and involvement is what ultimately defines the driving experience. The Turbo has the performance to astonish, but it’s the fluency of its chassis that makes it compelling. Less powerful models, including the standard Cayenne and the S, are expectedly more relaxed in their character, yet they preserve the same core dynamic clarity. They may not deliver the same straight-line urgency, but the way they link corners and settle into a rhythm is proof of well-tuned chassis fundamentals.

Off road, the Cayenne Electric is more capable than it will probably ever need to be. At Porsche’s test facility, I get a 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 regenerative braking and downhill speed control in one for smooth progress on extreme grades. Thanks to the air suspension, there’s a total of 245mm of ground clearance.

The locking differential doesn’t just come into play on the road: it also shapes the car’s behaviour off it, maintaining traction in tricky conditions by sending torque to the wheel that needs it most. Not all Cayenne Electric models will get it, but it adds a valuable layer of capability for those who seek it.

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VERDICT

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It’s still at prototype stage, but this new Cayenne already feels impressively resolved – not with sheer power and battery-charging speed alone but also 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 altogether – a decision that, at this point in time, feels more considered and ultimately more customer-focused than that made about the Macan.