Porsche is out testing prototypes for the next generation of its top-selling Cayenne, and some of the test vehicles have been caught on camera.
Earlier shots showed a test mule using a makeshift 2024 Macan EV body, while the latest shots plus a video from Car Spy Media show prototypes with the Cayenne’s new body.
The design is similar to what we see on the Macan EV, only on a larger scale. Details like the internals of the headlights and active aerodynamics in the front fascia can also clearly be seen.
The similarities to the Macan EV goes beyond the exterior styling, as the two vehicles will share a platform, in this case Volkswagen Group’s PPE modular platform designed for premium EVs. The platform is flexible enough to spawn low- and high-riding models in multiple size categories.
For the Macan EV, the platform supports a 100-kwh (95-kwh usable) battery pack and a motor driving each axle. Combined output for the Macan EV currently tops out at 630 hp in the Turbo grade, and even higher outputs are likely for a Cayenne EV.
Though it’s yet to be confirmed, a four-motor powertrain may be offered in the electric Cayenne. Such a system would not only deliver high power outputs but also quicker and more precise control for torque vectoring. Porsche in 2019 said it was developing just such a system.
When announcing the Cayenne EV in March, Porsche said the vehicle will come after the electric 718, which is due in 2025 and set to use a platform specific to sports cars. Porsche has also confirmed plans for a three-row electric SUV positioned above the Cayenne, which is due in 2027 and set to use a next-generation SSP Sport platform. This means the Cayenne is likely to arrive in 2026, which would probably make it a 2027 model in the U.S.
2027 Porsche Cayenne EV spy shots – Photo credit: Baldauf
Production will be handled at Volkswagen Group’s plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. The plant builds the gas-powered Cayenne that just underwent a major update for 2024.
Porsche predicts a majority of its sales will be electric by the end of the decade, and that means most of the automaker’s lineup will swap cylinders for battery cells in the years ahead. Porsche has previously said only the 911 is expected to still have a gas engine by the time 2030 rolls around.
An electric hypercar previewed by the recent Mission X concept is also likely to be part of the plan, though Porsche hasn’t indicated when exactly such a model would arrive.
