With up to 850kW/1 500Nm in the flagship Turbo model, the Cayenne officially becomes the most powerful production road car Porsche has ever made.
Porsche has removed the wraps from its third fully electric model, after the Taycan and new-generation Macan, in the shape of the new Cayenne Electric.
Ranking above the former as the most powerful production Porsche ever made, the Electric seemingly doesn’t replace the combustion engine third-generation Cayenne, though it has been internally named as the fourth generation.
Dimensions
Joining the Macan in being based on the new EV-dedicated Premium Platform Electric or PPE platform, the Cayenne Electric measures 4 985mm long, 1 980mm wide and 1 674mm tall, with its wheelbase stretching 3 023mm.
By comparison, the combustion model, which has been around since 2017, has dimensions of 4 930 mm in overall length, a wheelbase of 2 895mm, height of 1 698mm and width of 1 983mm.
ALSO READ: Ground-up new Porsche Macan revealed as dedicated EV
According to Porsche, this translates to an overall boot capacity of 781 litres, which expands to 1 588 litres with the rear seats folded down.
The lack of an engine means an additional 90 litres can be stored underneath the bonnet. What’s more, the Cayenne Electric also has a claimed tow rating of 3 500kg.
Advanced underpinnings
Taking prominence is the 800-volt architecture that can recuperate as much as 600kW using the regenerative braking system.
Reportedly developed from Porsche’s participation in Formula E, the Cayenne Electric not only comes with air suspension as well as the Porsche Active Suspension Management system, but also an electronic traction management system, plus torque vectoring on the flagship Turbo.
Rear-axle steering is standard across all models, with the Turbo also having the option of active anti-roll bars as well as the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes.
Big punch
Cayenne
Supporting DC charging up to 390 kW, but up to as 400kW “under specification conditions”, the Cayenne Electric will have two models: base and the mentioned Turbo.
Motivated by a new 113-kWh battery pack, both feature a pair of electric motors on the front and rear axles, which in the standard Cayenne, means an output of 300 kW, or 325kW/825Nm with the activation of launch control.
Accordingly, it will get from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, hit a top speed of 230km/h and require a waiting time of 16 minutes from 10-80% using a fast-charging outlet.
While this translates to an available range of 325km, the Cayenne has an overall distance of 642km.
In a first for any Porsche model, both the base and Turbo support wireless or inductive charging up to 11 kW via a charging outlet underneath the chassis.
As such, parking above a charging plate sees the process commence without requiring a cable or wall box.
Turbo
For Turbo, the dual-motor setup produces 630 kW. The addition of launch control, though, sees output increase dramatically to 850kW/1 500Nm.
Excluding the launch control, the Turbo offers a Formula E-style Push to Pass system that raises power, for 10 seconds, by 130 kW to 760 kW.
In its most powerful setting, though, the Cayenne Turbo will get from 0-100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 260 km/h.
Unsurprisingly, the claimed range is reduced to 623 km, while the 16-minute wait from 10-80% avails the battery with a short-range distance of 315 km.
Styling
A visual evolution from the combustion model, with styling from the Macan and Taycan incorporated, the Cayenne Electric has, according to Porsche, been designed with aerodynamics in mind to aid efficiency.
As such, it sports an adaptive bootlid spoiler, moveable cooling flaps, air curtains on the front wings and a sealed underbody.
Optional on both variants is an off-road package, active rear aeroblades on the Turbo only, and alloy wheels in nine designs between 20 and 22 inches.
New interior
Inside, the interior has been redesigned from that of the Macan to house not only a different dashboard, but a new 14.25-inch instrument cluster as well as a vertical OLED infotainment system of unknown size.
Optional is a 14.9-inch display on the passenger’s side, an augmented-reality Head-Up Display, and, despite the mentioned centre display, analogue switchgear for the sound system and air-conditioning.
Not for us, yet
On sale in Europe from next year, the Cayenne Electric, for the moment, has not been confirmed for South Africa.
ALSO READ: Porsche Cayenne Black Edition models added to SUV line-up
