Latests intel suggests last month’s spy shots didn’t show Porsche’s 2027 SUV flagship but the electric Cayenne that’ll debut a year earlier
May 2, 2024 at 08:46
- Large electric Porsche SUV prototype spied on test again
- Appear to have active vents in nose and space for three rows of seats
- New intel says it’s not the upcoming K1, but the 2026 Cayenne EV
Porsche’s R&D team has been out and about again, testing two big new electric SUVs that’ll hit the market within the next three years. But which big electric Porsche SUVs are they? That last time we spied one, intel pointed to it being Porsche’s upcoming K1 flagship, but new info suggests that prototype and the two seen in the latest spy shots hide the 2026 Porsche Cayenne EV.
We know both models are happening and will be here soon because Porsche has confirmed it. The electric-only K1 arrives in 2027 as the halo model of Porsche’s non-sports car lineup and will go into battle with the most expensive versions of the upcoming Range Rover EV and serve as a more affordable alternative to Ferrari’s first electric car.
Related: Is The Next Audi Q8 E-Tron Hiding Under This Porsche Macan EV Mule
But a year before the K1 lands, Porsche will also launch the Cayenne EV. The combustion Cayenne was facelifted and upgraded last year to keep it going for the next few years, but come 2026 it’ll be joined by an electric version.
The fossil-fuel-free Cayenne will ride on the same PPE platform already used by both the Macan Electric and Audi Q6 e-tron, meaning it will share very little hardware with its ICE counterpart. Naturally, the Cayenne will be both longer and wider than the Macan, and we’ve already seen Macan test cars with wider tracks covered by tacked-on arches that we think were mules for the Cayenne EV and its Audi Q8 e-tron cousin.
If this is the Cayenne, it’ll share a strong family resemblance to the Macan EV around the nose which will sport Porsche’s latest long-range LED headlights. There also appear to be active flaps in the lower bumper and conventional pull-style door handles rather than the flush-type that most automakers are switching to.
Judging from the size of the wheelbase and rear door of this prototype it almost looks like Porsche has created room for a third row of seats, something the Cayenne has never had before, but other cars using the same platform, such as the Audi Q7, have.
Expect the Cayenne Electric to offer the same basic bi-motor powertrain options as the Macan but with the addition of more powerful variants at the top of the range. The base Macan 4 makes 402 hp (300 kW) and 479 lb-ft (648 Nm) of torque and goes from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.9 seconds, while the Turbo kicks out 630 hp (470 kW) and 833 lb-ft (1,128 Nm), and can hit 60 mph in 3.1 seconds.
The Cayenne should be slightly slower because it’ll be heavier, which is also why we’re expecting to see it get an even bigger battery. Both Macan EV models come with a 100 kWh pack and are estimated to deliver more than 300 miles (483 km) of electric range.
