Competition in the luxury SUV sector is heating up with the new Cayenne Electric from Porsche. Following the launch of the Macan Electric last year, it is the company’s second high-seat model to ditch the internal combustion engine. Its bigger brother comes after the BMW iX M70 and before a rumored electric X5 M that is due to hit the market around 2028.
The Cayenne Electric looks familiar at first glance and hardly differs from its petrol-powered counterpart. Since there’s no V8 under the hood to cool, Porsche closes the grille but adds air flaps in the nose. These movable cooling fins are part of a broader active aero kit that also includes an adaptive roof spoiler. Climb into the range-topping Turbo and the aero blades extend from the corners of the rear bumper.
Other aerodynamic improvements over a conventionally powered Cayenne include tailored wheels and a redesigned rear diffuser. The underbody of the electric SUV is almost completely closed, while the front is equipped with air curtains under the familiar headlights.
Porsche has made the EV slightly larger than its ICE counterpart. It is 196.2 inches (4985 millimeters) long, 78 inches (1980 mm) wide and 65.9 inches (1674 mm) high. This makes it slightly longer, wider and lower than the BMW iX M70. At the same time, the massive wheelbase of 119 inches (3,023 mm) only slightly exceeds that of the M Performance electric SUV from Bavaria.
But while the exterior doesn’t stray too far from a normal Cayenne, inside it’s a completely different story. Embracing the oversized screen trend, Porsche dominates the dashboard with a curved 12.25-inch OLED panel. To the left is a 14.25-inch digital instrument cluster, while to the right is an optional 14.9-inch passenger screen. Side note: It won’t be long before BMW includes an additional display for the front passenger.
At market launch, the Cayenne Electric will be offered as a base model and with a hotter turbo. The latter produces an incredible 1,140 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet (1,500 Newton meters) of torque. It is the most powerful Porsche production vehicle in history. Despite being a large and heavy electric SUV, it delivers acceleration that surpasses supercars, reaching 100 km/h in just two and a half seconds. It only takes 7.4 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 200 km/h. At full throttle it reaches a top speed that is electronically limited to 162 mph (260 km/h).
However, these performance numbers come with an asterisk. Full punch is temporary and only available when Launch Control is active. In normal driving, the twin engines deliver a total of 845 hp. At the touch of a button, a 10-second push-to-pass function adds 174 horsepower.
Stick with the base Cayenne Electric and you’ll have to make do with 402 hp, or 436 hp if you activate launch control. Even the entry-level equipment can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a respectable 4.8 seconds to 230 km/h. For comparison, the BMW iX M70 produces a maximum of 650 hp and 1,015 Nm (749 lb-ft), enough to complete the sprint in 3.8 seconds and reach 155 mph (250 km/h).
Back to the Porsche Cayenne Electric: Both the base and turbo models share a 113 kWh battery, slightly larger than the BMW’s 108.9 kWh battery. The cheaper of the two Cayenne electric vehicles can travel 399 miles (642 kilometers) on a single charge on the WLTP cycle, while the more powerful variant stops after 387 miles (623 km). In comparison, the iX M70’s WLTP range varies between 318 and 373 miles (521 and 600 km).
Porsche designed the Cayenne Electric to support 400kW DC fast charging to match the BMW iX3, allowing the battery to be charged from 10% to 80% in under 16 minutes. In just 10 minutes you can add enough energy for 202 miles (325 kilometers) in the base model and 196 miles (315 km) in the Turbo. For comparison: The BMW iX M70 has a maximum output of 195 kW and only covers 95 to 113 miles (152 to 182 kilometers) after 10 minutes.
In addition to the significantly faster charging time, the Cayenne Electric has another advantage: it supports inductive charging, making annoying cables unnecessary. However, at 11 kW, refilling the large battery takes some time. Still, it’s a useful convenience that you don’t have with the iX M70.
As for the price, Porsche in Germany charges 105,200 euros for the base Cayenne Electric and 165,500 euros for the Cayenne Electric Turbo. In between lies the BMW iX M70 with a starting price of 124,900 euros. The first combustion-free Cayenne is already available to order.
