Exploring the limits of the new Porsche Cayenne Electric in Spain

It’s clear that we’ve reached peak car confusion when a five-door, electric family SUV has the same Top Trumps stats as a new supercar launched in the same week. With a power output of 1140 bhp and a 0-62mph time of 2.5-seconds, the new electric Porsche Cayenne Turbo is a match – on paper, at least – for Aston Martin’s V8 hybrid Valhalla supercar.

But while Porsche’s new electric SUV might be further evidence that the automotive arms race has got out of hand, there’s no denying it’s a hugely impressive feat of engineering. Standing next to its ancestor on a twisting stretch of road near eastern Spain’s Sierra de la Valldan mountain range, it’s clear to see how far we’ve come in the development of performance SUVs. When the first generation of the Cayenne Turbo first rolled out in 2002, it's 4.5L Twin-Turbo V8 engine had less than half the power and a 0-62mph time that was twice that of the latest iteration.

‘The Cayenne electric is technological peak of the model line now,’ says Ben Weinberger, Porsche’s Spokesperson for Cayenne at the car’s launch in Spain. ‘It demonstrates the performance potential that electrification can unlock a project, I think, not as replacement, but as a new dimension.’

Launched late in 2025, Porsche is keen to promote the new electric Cayenne as an option, rather than a new model that will replace the existing combustion-engined Cayenne – Porsche’s second-highest-selling model behind the Macan. In the past, Porsche proudly promoted electric as the new era, but even the mighty Stuttgart sports car-maker can’t ignore the market conditions that have seen carmakers shift back to combustion.

Porsche ‘realigned’ its product strategy last year in response to ‘significant slower growth of the demand for exclusive battery-electric vehicles’ and so the combustion, hybrid and electric Cayenne will now be offered in parallel into the next decade. ‘Ultimately, it's up to the customer to decide what they want to try,’ explains Ralf Keller, Porsche’s director of its SUV product line.

So, does the electric Cayenne make enough of an impression to coax people out of the combustion-engined competitors, not least it’s fossil-fuelled sibling? Out on the smooth stretch of motorway north of Barcelona, the range-topping £131,000 Cayenne Turbo electric is a calm, comfortable and quiet place to pass the time, despite its supercar statistics. What becomes apparent as we drive further towards the off-road test track is that this car’s breadth of abilities. It can cruise quietly for a stated range of 387 miles, trundle through muddy trails or blast its way around a dusty rally stage.

Being treated to a ‘hot lap’ with Porsche’s longest-serving works driver, Timo Bernhard behind the wheel, the Cayenne Turbo makes short work of the rough off-road circuit. The family SUV we arrived in is transformed into a rally-raid racer with a simple flick of the drive mode selector into Sport Plus – and the addition of a pro racing driver. The pace and power delivery is instant and fierce.

Despite weighing in at 2.7 tonnes, the car’s ability to remain composed as it rips around a circuit at speed is astonishing. In the cabin, there’s little drama other than the physical force of the acceleration and change in direction. The ride quality is outstanding.

Much of that is to do with Porsche’s trick, self-levelling adaptive air suspension, which continuously adjusts damping for each wheel individually, drawing on vehicle speed, acceleration, steering input and ride-height data to balance comfort and performance across any terrain. On the road and track, this smooths out the vast majority of lumps and bumps, meaning the ride is comfortable and compliant.

Visually, it’s still very much a Cayenne both in silhouette and stature, but its stance is a little sportier and sharper than the existing combustion-engined model. Two optional styling packages are available: The Sport Design Package, which gives a more aggressive aesthetic with carbon, gloss-black or ‘Turbonite’ accents, and the Off-Road Package, which gives the Cayenne a more rugged look with matte black bodywork, reinforced skid plates and a reduced, lower front bumper to allow for greater clearance when off roading.

Exclusive to the Turbo model are active ‘aeroblades’, which pop out of each side of the rear bumper at speeds over 34mph, like something lifted straight from Q’s laboratory. Other than giving the Cayenne Turbo a party trick, Porsche maintains that they also help extend the car’s range by improving the air-flow characteristics.

Inside, the most noticeable change is the addition of the central Flow Display – a curved OLED screen that flows into the centre console, forming the largest continuous digital surface in any Porsche. On the road, the screen makes a lot of sense, with key controls for climate and driving functions remaining on the lower part of the screen, without interrupting the main content, such as maps. Porsche even offers a bespoke timepiece to match the spec of your electric Cayenne, with the wristband made from the car's own interior leather and a colour ring matching the exterior paint, with prices starting from £6,000.

Following in the footsteps of its smaller, better-selling sibling, the Macan, it’s no surprise to see the Cayenne shifting to electric. What is surprising is the supercar levels of power and performance from a family SUV, but the Cayenne handles it well. It's ferociously fast, more than capable of handling a rough and rutted trail, but also refined enough to cover large distances in comfort and near-silence.

While the Turbo’s athletic abilities and aeroblades might be largely theatrical, in a market bursting at the seams with new electric SUVs, Porsche understands that the Cayenne needs to rise above its rivals and continue to set the benchmark, whether it’s petrol-powered, hybrid or electric.

Porsche Cayenne Electric, from £99,900, Porsche.com, @Porsche