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By Jonathan Crouch

Porsche's Cayenne Electric is a large sporting SUV that's an astonishing feat of technology. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 52

Porsche's Cayenne Electric is a completely different kind of Cayenne - and not only because it's battery-powered. It's sleeker, more technically advanced and has a fresh generation of interior design. In top Turbo form, it's faster too. Here, Zuffenhausen has reset the standard for what a large, sporting luxury SUV should be.

Backgroundword count: 168

Back in 2002, the Porsche brand was changed forever by a big, bold SUV called the Cayenne. And a quarter of a century on, here's another model of that name, the Cayenne Electric, that might have almost as much impact. In original concept, it was meant to be even more important than that; it wasn't very long ago that Porsche was boasting that 80% of its line-up would be full-electric by 2030. But those unrealistic ambitions have been scaled down radically, as proof of which updated versions of the existing combustion Cayenne will continue to be sold well into the next decade. The Cayenne Electric shares nothing but its name with that car. It rides on a completely different PPE platform (shared with the Macan Electric) which allows it to be significantly bigger. Plus it sets new standards for EVs in terms of towing weight and the introduction of an inductive charging system that doesn't require you to physically plug the car in. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 470

One by-product of the EV revolution is that power outputs in cars like this have spiralled. Did you ever think an SUV, even a large luxury premium one like this with sporting pretensions, would develop 1,156PS. Or deliver a 0-62mph sprint time (2.5s) quicker than the fastest 911 (the Turbo S). Yet that's what the curiously named top 'Turbo' version of the Cayenne Electric can deliver. Despite weighing a minimum of 2.5 tonnes in its lightest possible form. We'll come back to that because we want to concentrate here on the versions of this car that possible owners are more likely to end up with. At the base of the line-up, as with the Macan Electric, you can ask your dealer about a single motor rear-driven model. But the bulk of sales will be accounted for by the Cayenne 4 Electric. Like the Turbo, it also has a dual motor AWD powertrain but here, the total possible output is a more modest 442PS, so the 0-62mph time is extended to 4.8s. You don't get much of an EV range benefit for the drop in power though, the Cayenne 4 Electric's 398 mile figure just 11 miles down on the Turbo. The big output gap between these two models (likely to be filled by GTS version) is partly explained by the fact that during normal driving, the Turbo version only puts out 857PS. The extra 299PS is available only for 10 seconds at a time via a 'push-to-pass' button on the steering wheel. This activates extra power from the rear motor, into which a special motorsport-tuned direct oil cooling system has had to be integrated to accommodate it. The Turbo's top speed is 162mph. You'll need that top Turbo to get the brand's clever Porsche Active Ride system, which Zuffenhausen has never previously fitted to an SUV. Instead of anti-roll bars, this uses a motor pump-equipped active damper on each corner of the car. During cornering, braking and accelerating, that pump builds up active activating forces on the 'dampers' to keep the car level and free of body roll. There's even what Porsche calls a 'helicopter mode' when the car can actively tilt forward in harsh acceleration to increase velocity like a helicopter. Curiously, Porsche Active Ride doesn't work in the car's faster 'Sport' and 'Sport Plus' drive modes. All models get adaptive air suspension with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). The Turbo also gets the brand's 'PTV plus' limited slip differential. Rear-axle steering is optional and works more directly than it does on petrol Cayenne, turning the rear wheels by up to 5-degrees (up from 3-degrees in the combustion car). Porsche is offering an optional 'Off-road package' with modified geometry for the front end. You'll need this to unlock the full potential braked towing capacity (up to an impressive 3.5-tonnes).

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