- The Turbo model smashes the 0-62mph sprint in 2.5 seconds
- Prices will start at £83,200 or $109,000 in the US
- Interior now contains more screen real estate than ever
Porsche has finally revealed all about its upcoming electrified Cayenne model, which will be offered in both Cayenne Electric and a spicier Cayenne Turbo Electric variants.
The latter will be crowned the most powerful Porsche production model to date, thanks to its frankly terrifying 850kW (1,156hp) power and up to 1,500 Nm of torque when Launch Control is activated.
Direct oil cooling of the rear axle motor allows high continuous outputs, with plenty of tech borrowed from motorsport to ensure it can pull its face-melting party tricks on a regular basis.
A top speed of 162mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of just 2.5 seconds are possible in the German marque’s chunky SUV, while adaptive air suspension and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus mean it is just as happy tearing up racetracks as it is tackling the school run.
But the breadth of its abilities don’t stop there, because both the Cayenne Electric and Cayenne Turbo Electric feature all-wheel-drive with various driving modes and easily adjusted suspension that will also see it happily traverse some pretty tough terrain.
Porsche also claims that it is one of the most technologically accomplished electric vehicles it has developed to date, with a new 113 kWh high-voltage battery delivering an official range of 398 miles on a single charge.
Throw in a similar 800V architecture to that found on Macan Electric and Taycan, and the Cayenne can happily charge at 390kW, with the German marque suggesting that this can extend to 400kW under the right charging conditions.
In the real world, this translates to a 10-80 per cent charge in around 16 minutes from the fastest DC charging outlets, or an additional 200 miles in just 10 minutes of charging time.
The ‘entry-level’ model isn’t exactly a slouch, offering 300kW (408hp) in normal operation and 325kW (442hp) and 835 Nm of torque when using Launch Control. It can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in a supercar-baiting 4.8 seconds.
However, the list of ‘world firsts’ gets even longer when you consider this will be the first EV with optional 11kW wireless inductive charging, which comes in the form of a cost option floor plate that delivers charge without the need to plug in.
Despite the mammoth amounts of power and the bandwidth of capabilities the electrified Cayenne offers, Porsche is still playing it safe by continuing to offer an array of powertrain options.
Both pure internal combustion engine and hybrid variants will be developed well into the next decade, according to Porsche’s head of sales and marketing, Matthias Becker.
In the UK, prices start at £83,200 for the Cayenne and £130,900 for the Cayenne Turbo, with order books open now. In the US, prices are pegged at $109,000 and $163,000 (around AU$168,000 and AU$250,000) respectively.
On the big screen
Alongside the welcome design tweaks to the exterior, the Cayenne Electric will bring with it the largest display area ever to appear inside the Porsche.
This is all thanks to a new central ‘Flow Display’, complete with curved surface, a fully digital instrument cluster with 14.25-inch OLED technology and a 14.9-inch optional passenger display.
There’s also an optional AR head-up display that delivers the equivalent of an 87-inch display area 10m in front of the vehicle… just in case you needed even more digital visuals to be blasted into your retinas.
The German company has also upped the ante of its new, AI-powered voice assistant, which now understands “complex, interrelated queries, recognizes the context and responds like a real conversation partner,” according to the marque.
This central Flow Display and optional passenger display can also play host to a growing number of third-party apps, as Porsche opens its digital ecosystem up to streaming, gaming and infotainment developers.
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