First Drive: Is Porsche’s Cayenne S Electric the sweet spot in the range?

What is it?

Usually, these cars offer a sweet spot in the line-up, but is that the case with the Cayenne Electric? We’ve been in Porsche’s native Germany to find out.

What’s new?

You’ll also be able to get the S in either standard SUV or Coupe bodystyles, with the latter bringing a slight bump in range due to its more aerodynamic design, albeit at the detriment of rear-seat headroom.

What’s under the bonnet?

Range-wise, the Cayenne’s large battery helps it to deliver up to 403 miles from a single charge. Thanks to a top charge rating of 390kW, you should be able to get the car’s battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes. Porsche has also developed a clever wireless charger for the Cayenne Electric, too; simply drive over an electric ‘pad’ installed in the ground and the car will charge at speeds of up to 11kW completely wirelessly. It’s quick enough for a full charge overnight and means you don’t have to worry about cables.

What’s it like to drive?

In slower types of driving, the Cayenne S performs well. Its ride quality is more than adequate to deal with larger bumps in the road, while the standard air suspension gives the whole car a lovely ‘floating’ feeling when you’re moving along. There’s little roll through the corners despite this, which helps to build confidence when you’re going around a bend. It’s still a large car, of course, but it’s very easy to position right where you want it.

How does it look?

Of course, being a Porsche means that there’s a near-endless number of customisation options available to buyers – you can even change the colours of the alloy wheels to match the main paint of the car, albeit for an extra cost.

What’s it like inside?

Space-wise, things are good too. Space in the rear is more than plentiful enough, though it’s odd to find a chunky transmission tunnel blocking middle-seat space. At 781 litres, the boot in the Cayenne Electric S is more than large enough for most occasions, and you can always fold down the rear seats if you need more space.

What’s the spec like?

Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels and high-performance Matrix LED headlights, alongside two-zone climate control with full app integration so you can warm or cool the car remotely via your smartphone. The main screen is also very intuitive to use and because of that curved shape, it feels more ergonomic to operate. A useful handrest placed just ahead of it helps, too.

Verdict

As is normally the case, it feels as though the S is now the best pick of the Cayenne range. It brings more than enough performance while still being more than usable and comfortable enough for daily driving. We like the intuitive mix of screens and physical buttons, too.

It is expensive, but this is hardly out of touch with the rest of Porsche’s range. In the S, you’re getting a rounded electric car that still has plenty of the ‘wow’ factor you’d expect from one of this brand’s cars.