When the traditional sports car giant Porsche starts talking about comfort and electricity in the same breath, it's clear that it's for real. At the IAA Mobility in Munich in September, we will see the electric new Porsche Cayenne 2026, which is set to redefine the future of SUVs. No pressure, Porsche! The new Porsche Cayenne 2026!
Porsche is still convinced that electric cars are not just a passing fad – even if sales of their famous Taycan fell by a whopping 49 % last year, and an additional 6 % in the first half of 2025. But despite the slightly sour taste of these numbers (read: “Ouch!”), Zuffenhausen is stubbornly insisting on electrification. New Porsche Cayenne 2026, and the next in line of victims of electrification.
Optimism is also due to the encouraging results of the second generation of the electric Macana, which has become the best-selling Porsche this year, with the electric version even outperforming its classic sibling, which still faithfully drinks petrol outside of Europe. Not bad for a vehicle that was once considered heretical.
The upcoming Cayenne Electric is set to repeat the Macan's success, and Porsche is introducing it in grand style:
“Porsche will not only be showing a prototype at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, but will also be presenting a technical innovation that will help shape the future of fully electric driving – and make it even more comfortable.”
Ambitious, Porsche, very ambitious – especially since the electric SUV market is already more crowded than the Vienna Ring Road on a Friday afternoon.
Faster than your reaction when you see your electricity bill
While full technical details are not yet available, Porsche is happy to reveal that the new electric Cayenne accelerates from a standstill to a distance of 18.3 meters in a modest 1.94 seconds. Which, frankly, is fast enough to make you wish you had Formula 1 neck muscles.
Richard Hammond, the well-known “Hamster” from Top Gear, says that the Cayenne Electric will be the most powerful Cayenne ever, surpassing the 729 horsepower of the hybrid Turbo E-Hybrid. The SUV is also said to be able to tow a trailer weighing up to 3,500 kilograms and will be slightly larger than the current generation – because apparently SUVs are not big enough and noticeable enough.
Porsche Active Ride or how to float like Aladdin's carpet
As for comfort, Porsche mentions something that sounds like a Hogwarts wizard's trick: the Porsche Active Ride suspension system. It adjusts the dampers 13 times per second. If you've ever thought the number 13 was unlucky, you're clearly wrong - at least if you drive a Porsche, where the only misfortune is that this marvel of technology isn't standard equipment in every vehicle on the planet.
Classic engines remain in the game – until further notice
Despite the strong push for electrification, Zuffenhausen is not yet ready to completely end its long-standing romance with gasoline. The classic Cayenne with an internal combustion engine will remain in production well into the 2030s, as will the Panamera and the legendary 911. As for the Macan, the classic version is unfortunately leaving next year, although Porsche is already developing a new gasoline crossover, planned for the end of the decade.
An even larger, all-electric SUV with three rows of seats is also in the works, but it may also be available with gasoline engines. Understand: Porsche wants to keep all options open, because why not play both cards at the same time? Although cynics might say that's a bit like carrying a parachute with you when you board a plane. You never know.
When will we actually see the Cayenne without camouflage?
A prototype will be unveiled in Munich in September, and the production model will be unveiled in all its glory at a special event on the US West Coast in late 2025. The Cayenne Electric will thus beat even the highly anticipated electric versions of the Boxster and Cayman, which will not be launched until 2026.
While Porsche's courage in electric waters is admirable, Zuffenhausen will have to roll up their sleeves if they want to truly "shape the future" with the electric Cayenne. In any case, it will be interesting to see how they do it. We wish Porsche luck - and batteries that charge faster than our bank account empties after buying their car.
