Porsche Cayenne Electric – a brief introduction 

Porsche has landed its electric Cayenne in New Zealand. The initial line-up consists of the Cayenne and the Turbo (though an S model has since been added), the latter boasting some serious numbers including a ridiculous 0 to 100km/h time of 2.5 seconds. This is a 2.6 tonne luxury SUV we are talking about.

That’s thanks to two electric motors that can output up to 850kW and 1500Nm of torque. Dialling in the Sport Plus drive mode, holding the brake and flooring the throttle activates Launch Control, which primes the motors to deliver their maximum.

Read more – Electric Porsche Cayenne arrives with 850kW and 1500Nm 

Release the stoppers and this thing explodes forward. There’s the merest hint of wheel spin up front, but the Cayenne Turbo manages to translate all that grunt into forward thrust. You’re advised to brace your noggin against the headrest to preserve your neck. This thing is savage. But it’s not a one trick pony.

Configure your own Cayenne electric

We experienced the Turbo (and the entry level Cayenne) at Hampton Downs with a few quick laps and also threaded it through a slalom course to help highlight the fact it’s not only fast, but fairly agile. The Turbo we drove was equipped with the optional Porsche Active Ride pack. It’s not cheap at $16,700, but considering the Turbo costs $295,000, it’s not much in the scheme of things. It has myriad tricks to get the best out of the standard-fit air suspension.

All the Porsche Cayenne Electric specifications and pricing

And it’s not just about ultimate dynamics but also ride comfort as it works to limit pitch and dive, while also ‘tilting’ into turns to reduce roll. Turn left, and the right side of the Cayenne rises to limit roll, keeping the SUV flat. And then there’s Body Control, which aims to keep the SUV flat and parallel to the road at all times, and in all drive modes. 

Pointing the Turbo through the slalom, it manages to hide its 2.6 tonne mass well. It’s flat and controlled, which makes the transitions between the cones easier, while it resists understeer well. There are myriad other dynamic helpers, like rear wheel steer (another option, $3420) to maximise its agility.

Taking in a few laps of the track by swapping between Turbo and Cayenne reveals that neither are slouches. While the Cayenne was fairly tidy, you could detect a little extra body roll, particularly at the rear compared with the Turbo, which was literally locked down solid.

There’s also a palpable difference in performance between the two of them. The Turbo is sensational, even with ‘just’ the 630kW that the motors produce when not in the ‘over boost’ mode. The Cayenne is still a handy machine, but its 300kW feels merely adequate in comparison. But then the Turbo is nearly twice the price, with the Cayenne electric starting at $215,000.

They’ve also given the Cayenne some interesting sound characteristics, activated in the Sport drive modes. It does a reasonable imitation of an ICE machine, heard both inside and out of the vehicle. Although not all in attendance thought it was necessary for an EV to make a noise.

It’s a big beast, just shy of five metres, with a long 3m wheelbase. That gives rear passengers lots of legroom, though the seat is fashioned to keep two people happy, while the middle perch is more for an occasional extra. With that long wheelbase, the rear wheel steer option will help make it more wieldy in the car park. We can’t tell you much about how it drives on the road because we sampled it exclusively on the track. 

New for the interior concept is a curved central display, most functions performed via this screen. We like that there’s a spot to rest your pointing hand on, making it easier to hit the right spot on the go.

If you’re not sold on the look or the concept of electric propulsion, fear not, as the ICE Cayenne is set to continue. There’s a major facelift for the current version coming halfway through next year that will keep the petrol-fired versions going. It’s expected to wear a revised look, while adopting the interior fit out of the Cayenne electric. The ICE line is expected to remain until at least 2030, so there is plenty of time left to burn fossil fuel.

But the instant acceleration, the sheer ruthless efficiency and utter competence of this Cayenne electric is hard to argue against. It’s pure Porsche. The fact that the Turbo did about a dozen repeated launch control starts without worry was impressive.  

Expect a full road test of the Cayenne electric at some point in the near future.