When Porsche unveils a new model, the world usually goes into ecstasy – forums explode, journalists gasp, and the whole thing feels like a well-orchestrated commercial for German engineering and automotive science. This time, however, the scene is a bit different. The Porsche Cayenne Electric has taken the internet by storm, but not necessarily for the reasons Zuffenhausen would like. First impressions – from both people who saw the car at the event and journalists who have already sat in it – are a mix of excitement, amazement, and that familiar “why did they do it like that?” feeling that we’ve come to associate more with Tesla than Porsche lately.
Let's start with the filling - the area where Porsche Cayenne Electric otherwise brilliant. A superb, almost brutally fast DC smash with ~400 kW is something that deserves a standing ovation. It's the electrical equivalent of a waiter serving you Christmas dinner, a hot dog, and three desserts in three minutes. But then the AC charge comes on... and the enthusiasm turns into a collective sigh. 11 kW. In 2026. For an SUV for more than €160,000. The internet was relentless – from “BMW iX has been doing this for three years” to “Peugeot e-308 has 22 kW, why not Porsche?”, to the most enthusiastic comment: “For 50 % I’ll watch Netflix for 4 hours – premium experience.” And the list for the Porsche Cayenne Electric – goes on.
And if anyone thought that dual charging ports would solve the situation – no. Together, they still power the car with the same, solemnly disappointing 11 kW. The option to upgrade to 22 kW does exist, but it is not standard. The date for ordering has not yet been determined. The internet says this: "This is not a compromise. This is stubbornness." Or simply the supplier's obvious incompetence.
When people step away from the charging stand and look at the car, the first thing they notice is the rear. That famous light element that just... hangs? A drop? Tears? Some kind of Peugeot rear. The reviews are relentless. “It looks like an MG headlight that melted in the sun,” it became an instant classic. Many expected a more radical step in the direction of the Taycan or Mission R aesthetics. Instead, we get a sleek facelift of a facelift that looks like Cayenne after a good SPA weekend, but not as a representative of the new age.
Porsche is known for its rear end – that signature – always being associated with a legend: the Porsche 911. This is now completely lost with the Cayenne Electric. Is the rear end ugly? Not at all. Is it a Porsche? That could be debated.
But the real action begins in the cabin.
At first glance, everything is in perfect order – Porsche's famous elegance, massiveness, solidity. But then journalists start feeling around, passengers open it, and the internet comments – and suddenly you're in the territory of small but annoyingly noticeable compromises.
Seats, for example. Well-shaped, sporty supportive, but surprisingly hard. Even on the back seat. We would understand this in a sports car, but in a large electric SUV many would expect more "lounge" softness, not the feeling of sitting on an invisible Recaro shell. The seats of the regular version and the Turbo version differ only slightly. Not enough - according to many. There is no significant difference. Oh - the materials are still real animal. Many criticize that there are no vegan solutions. In 2026. I don't know where Porsche is.
Rear bench is a story in itself. The car is registered for five people, but most first impressions say that it is actually a 4+1 configuration. The middle seat is narrow, high-mounted, and the tunnel puts the passenger in the position of a “spare member of the crew”. The edges of the left and right seat cushions are raised, like a support. The cupholders in the back are from Audi, and the armrest feels cheap – mainly because of the click when closing. If we add to this the fact that the materials in the back row are much more “Volkswagen Tiguan” than “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur”, it becomes clear why people raise their eyebrows. Some elements are hard, uncoated, and there is “fantasy plastic” in the pockets and drawers, which really does not belong in this price range.
One of the journalists cynically remarked: “For 160 thousand, I expect the plastic to whisper premium, not remind me of a Passat.” And here we have to agree. What kind of plastic and feel are in a car of this type, is important. Because in 2025, the badge doesn’t mean much anymore.
Speaking of whispering – the rear center console is almost a cabaret spot. It feels like a strange mix of old and new: manually adjustable fans (yes, the ones from 2015), classic temperature buttons, and in between a half-digital, half-analog interface that no one quite understands. Most people wonder why it’s not simply an LCD screen – like half the Chinese market already has. Instead of futurism, we get a technological Frankenstein: useful, but not inspiring. There’s simply too much of everything to work elegantly. Even the vents are quite industrial-looking, designed with very little attention to minimalism.
The situation is not much rosier up front., at least in terms of ergonomics. The center console looks premium, but it feels like Porsche designed it together with a group of industrial design students at a hackathon. The compartments are either too shallow or too deep, access is awkward, and the cupholders are buried so deep that you have to reach into them like a surgeon in the thoracic cavity. One journalist summed it up brilliantly: “With a Porsche, you expect Swiss precision, not a Rubik’s Cube.”
There are also problems with the armrest, which has a "volga" so that the driver's elbow will always rest in an uncomfortable position - or on the edge. As if no one would notice this. Or it is a negative selection in the interior design department. The result of "compromising" by B-staff, who do not let geniuses realize their ideas.
Even more surprising is the infotainment. Not because it's not beautiful - it is. Sleek graphics, modern interface, everything looks like a high-end Swiss TV. The problem comes when you press something. Delay. Slow response. A screen that takes a second or two to think about. Moving the map? Another thought. Searching for a destination? Take your time. As the internet starts comparing BMW OS 9 – “instant”, Tesla – “not a fan, but it’s fast”, and Android Auto – “why not just use it?”, it becomes clear that Porsche is not setting the standard here, but rather catching up with it.
At the same time, many have concerns about the curved main screen. According to some, it causes a kind of depth effect and even a slight dizziness, as the eyes are not used to such a break. In addition, the screen is “relatively small”, and the user experience of the graphics is closer to the little fingers than the big ones.
Oh, yeah. The rear camera is in place at the registration, where it will always be completely dirty.
And then there's the greatest irony of luxury cars: piano black. The internet tore it apart. “The most expensive micro-scratch surface in the world,” “Porsche Scratch Edition,” “great for photos, terrible for everyday life.” Nothing new – except that Porsche still doesn’t want to say goodbye to the most impractical material in the history of interiors and, of course, its use on the exterior. All these black surfaces will have to be protected with foils – which is a really unusual task for 2025. But it’s true that most Porsche owners protect their cars.
In addition, the black plastic around the tracks creates another visual effect: Even 22-inch rims look small. This is a common problem with vehicles when the fender flares are not contrasting enough and are too darkly colored – either matte black or glossy black. The difference between rubber and plastic is visually blurred, which reduces the feeling of the rims' size. If the rims are not really pronounced, this effect "eats" them, and the vehicle looks as if it is standing on wheels that are too small.
The final shock came from Porsche fans themselves. – comments like »Taycan "It's dead." People simply don't see a reason to buy a Taycan when the Cayenne Electric is faster, more useful, has insane DC charging potential, and—in most configurations—is even cheaper. Ironically, the Cayenne is now cannibalizing the model that helped Porsche open the door to the EV world.
Not enough power for an entry-level model: A little over 400 horsepower seems to many to be too little for an entry-level model, which is a plus because it is a huge car, and it can also do better. Zeekr 7x.
In the end, the feeling remains that Cayenne Electric an extremely capable, technologically advanced, beautifully finished SUV, but one that has fallen into some completely human, inconsistent decisions in key areas. It will probably be excellent on the road – almost no one doubts that. But the little things that the internet and journalists are now highlighting are anything but little things in the €160,000 segment. These are the elements that count. The ones that make the difference between a “great car” and a “legendary car.”
But what's most shocking? That this was pointed out some time ago by many German automotive journalists, who were amazed at the presentation yesterday that Porsche he couldn't find the inner strength to change things.
Porsche Cayenne Electric So a fascinating paradox remains: ingenious, but frustratingly imperfect. Big, confident, technologically brutal – and at the same time with small, surprisingly basic compromises that you simply don't expect from a Porsche in 2026. A car that excites, shocks, infuriates and entertains – exactly the way the internet loves it most. The car being talked about. And I – which will be talked about for a long time to come.
