Mat Watson reviews the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo EV: it shouldn’t be legal

This is the new Porsche Cayenne Electric, and it’s a bit like an asteroid. It’s big, heavy, ballistically fast and threatens to make dinosaur-powered cars extinct.

I spent a week with the most powerful version of this new car, the Turbo, and it blew my mind. In this review I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about the performance, practicality and tech in Porsche’s latest electric car.

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New Porsche Cayenne Electric: motors and performance

I want to start by talking about the most mind-blowing part about this car: the performance. I’ve got the Turbo version of the Cayenne Electric, and it has 1,156hp and 1,500Nm of torque. That makes this the most powerful road-going Porsche ever made.

And you really feel that when you launch the car. Despite weighing over 2.6 tonnes, I managed to do 0-60mph in just 2.4 seconds. That’s about the same as a Porsche 911 Turbo S.

The mind-blowing stats don’t stop there, because I also managed a sub 10.0-second quarter mile. That means a car weighing more than a Rolls Royce Phantom is as fast as a Koenigsegg Jesko Attack. Truly bonkers.

The Cayenne Turbo EV isn’t just a blunt instrument either, because I can’t believe how well it handles on a tight, bumpy British back road. The car I was testing had the optional advanced suspension, a £7,000 extra, but it’s well worth having.

It feels agile through the bends, and there’s hardly any body roll. Combine this with the insane power and you have a recipe for some very car sick passengers, and a driving ban if you’re not careful.

I was in awe of the Cayenne Turbo EV, but there’s a problem. I reckon it may be so fast and so capable that it’s a bit pointless in the UK. The standard car is more than powerful enough, with 442hp on tap and a 0-60mph time of 4.8 seconds, and there’s another reason I’d consider downgrading as well.

New Porsche Cayenne Electric: batteries and range

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo EV I’m driving is supposed to have 355 miles of range, but during my time with the car it averaged 2.4 miles per kWh. When you multiply that out by the size of the battery, it comes to a real-world range of 260 miles.

Alright I admit, I was driving this car pretty hard in the name of testing, but the standard Cayenne Electric has up to 399 miles of claimed range, and the more modest performance is likely to make that easier to get close to.

New Porsche Cayenne Electric: exterior design

I reckon the Porsche Cayenne Electric looks better than the petrol version. It just has a more purposeful front end, especially this Turbo version with its massive air vents. Those vents serve a purpose as well – they channel air over the front wheels for better stability.

The rear light bar looks good as well, and the Turbo has some interesting active aero as well.

There are two fins which slide out of the lower bumper when you go into launch mode, and the roof spoiler extends as well. It’s all in the name of cutting through the air as cleanly as possible, but it also looks wicked.

New Porsche Cayenne Electric interior and practicality

The interior of this Cayenne Electric feels very sporty, in classic Porsche fashion, but it’s still the most modern-looking cabin of any of the brand’s models.

One of the main highlights is the curved infotainment screen, which looks pretty cool and has clear, responsive graphics, but isn’t the easiest to use thanks to some confusing menu layouts. The optional passenger display is pretty pointless as well, because most people will just use their phones instead.

Material quality is excellent, and I love the body-hugging sports seats. They may be a bit firm for some people, but they suit me just fine.

There’s plenty of interior storage space as well, with door bins big enough to fit a large bottle and a decent-sized glove box. The cup holders are odd though, because they’re mounted really low down in the centre console . You have to grab your coffee by the lid, which could lead to spillages.

Space in the rear seats is really good – tall adults will be fine. You also get cutouts in the floor for your feet, so unlike in some other EVs you don’t feel like you’re sitting with your knees around your ears.

The seats slide and recline as well, and this car has the optional £174 pillows for the headrest. Expensive, but still pretty nice.

You get 506 litres of boot space with the rear seats all the way back, rising to 781 litres with them pushed forwards. I managed to get nine carry-on sized suitcases in the Cayenne Electric, plus another one in the large front boot.

New Porsche Cayenne Electric: Mat’s final verdict

So then, what’s my final verdict on the Porsche Cayenne Electric?

Well it is rather expensive, with prices starting from £83,000 and my Turbo version costing an eye-watering £172,000 with options, but it’s a very lovely thing. It’s quick, luxurious, spacious and good-looking, but the range isn’t amazing.

In the case of the standard car, I’d shortlist it. But if you want the fastest electric SUV out there, get the Turbo version. It’ll blow your mind.

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