Porsche's electric Cayenne line-up now spans base, S and Turbo variants, and the S Coupé tested here occupies the middle of that range. With up to 400 kW in normal driving and 490 kW with Launch Control, it sits between the 300 kW base model (325 kW with Launch Control) and the 630 kW Turbo (850 kW with Launch Control). Porsche quotes 3.8 seconds for the 0–100 km/h sprint and a 250 km/h top speed, against 4.8 seconds and 230 km/h for the base car and 2.5 seconds and 260 km/h for the Turbo. Even the entry model, the test notes, would be more than adequate for ordinary driving. The S Coupé variant joined the range in March, after the model's world premiere in November 2025 and the start of series production in Bratislava in February 2026.
The Cayenne shares the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture with the Macan, but Porsche reworked two central components for its larger SUV. The battery is more deeply integrated into the body structure, and the S and Turbo use an oil-direct-cooled rear-axle motor that is exclusive to those versions; the base model relies on a water-cooled drive. Both axles use permanently excited synchronous machines, and the front motor is essentially derived from the Macan. The Turbo's extra output does not come from a different motor but from a longer version of the same design, with the S receiving the shorter unit. Porsche also fits its Porsche Active Ride adaptive suspension to an SUV for the first time.
Cooling, weight and chassis behaviour
The rear motor is cooled by an electrically non-conductive oil that draws heat directly from the copper windings, whereas conventional water-jacket cooling requires heat to reach the outer jacket first. Porsche states motor efficiency of up to 98 per cent and cites this more effective cooling as one reason the S achieves a slightly higher range than the base model despite its greater power. In practice, the test found the S accelerates smoothly and forcefully without Launch Control, with instantly available torque and no early power cut-off during repeated full-throttle bursts.
Managing that performance is another matter. The standard S Coupé has a kerb weight of 2,560 kilograms. Adaptive air suspension with electronic damper control is fitted as standard, and the test vehicle added Porsche Active Ride for €8,324. Its active dampers are connected to a motor-pump unit on each axle and generate targeted forces at each wheel without mechanical stabilisers. In Comfort mode the system can overcompensate for roll and pitch, and the car leans slightly into a curve rather than outward — an unusual sensation that reduces the forces felt by occupants. Sport and Sport Plus keep the body flat without excessive harshness. The test nevertheless notes that the weight cannot be fully masked, that pushing too far produces understeer, and that the 22-inch wheels transmit sharp edges into the cabin. Rear-axle steering, at just under €1,700, cuts the turning circle from 12.7 to 11.6 metres, which the test calls a real everyday advantage for a car almost five metres long.
Battery and charging performance
The drivetrain draws on a battery with 113 kWh gross and around 108 kWh usable capacity, arranged in six modules with 192 pouch cells. The cell format changes from the Macan's prismatic cells, and the chemistry is new: a nickel-rich NMCA cathode with roughly 86 per cent nickel and an anode containing six per cent silicon raise energy density by about seven per cent over the previous NMC-811 chemistry. The pack holds eight kilowatt-hours more than the Taycan's and is around 103 litres more compact. Two cooling plates per module heat or cool cells from above and below, and Porsche says the pressure fans consume about 15 per cent less energy than conventional suction fans. Pre-conditioning is triggered automatically through the Charging Planner when a charging stop is set as a navigation destination; there is no manual option, so drivers arriving spontaneously cannot specifically pre-heat the pack.
Charging is where the car is strongest. Porsche designs the charging curve to peak early, with over 300 kW available from around five per cent state of charge and the theoretical maximum at roughly 55 per cent. In the test, a session at an EnBW HyperCharger began at nine per cent SoC; at 12 per cent it drew 333 kW and from 13 per cent around 360 kW, rising to a maximum of 386 kW at 44 per cent. The 390 kW in the data sheet was narrowly missed because of the charger rather than the car: Porsche only provides 390 kW above 520 amps, while the HyperCharger delivers a maximum of 500. For 400 kW, Porsche specifies an even narrower window of more than 850 volts, a battery temperature of 40 to 42 degrees and 45 to 48 per cent SoC.
The decisive figure for a short stop is the 10–80 per cent time, which the test measured at around 16 minutes, matching the configuration. After the first drop, the car continued at roughly 290 kW, held about 270 kW between 60 and 71 per cent, and still drew 183 kW at 80 per cent before a sharper decline.
Quiet Charging and the price of options
One drawback appeared during the first fast-charging session: the cooling fans are noticeably loud during charging and briefly afterwards. Porsche's Quiet Charging mode, which can only be activated manually on the display after charging starts, reduces fan speed, lowers cooling performance and lets the battery heat faster. In a comparison run, the car was noticeably quieter and the 10–80 per cent time remained 16 minutes, with a peak of 385 kW; the high plateau ended earlier, at 42 per cent. The test cautions that this is a single measurement each and that outside temperatures were around 20 degrees. Porsche says a noticeable performance reduction only occurs at high starting battery and ambient temperatures — for example 35 degrees battery and 45 degrees ambient, where charging time can extend by about one minute.
Efficiency remains the other side of the equation. Porsche quotes a combined WLTP range of 616 kilometres for the tested configuration, while the S Coupé range reaches up to 669 kilometres and the S with SUV bodywork up to 653 kilometres. On mixed city, country-road and motorway routes, consumption varied between roughly 20 and 27 kWh/100 km, settling near 24 kWh/100 km in everyday mixed driving. With around 108 kWh usable, that implies about 450 kilometres on a full charge, or roughly 315 kilometres using the 80–10 per cent window — figures from the on-board computer that the test notes are not directly comparable with WLTP values.
The test vehicle's price illustrates Porsche's approach. The S Coupé starts at €130,300, but €69,440 of options brought the car to €199,740; Active Ride, ceramic brakes with black callipers and the lightweight sport package alone accounted for €34,589. Substantive features such as Active Ride are the exception, the test argues, while much of the list — ceramic brakes among them — is expensive because Porsche's options catalogue is generally extensive and costly. The large battery and high DC charging power, by contrast, are part of the basic technical package, and towing capacity reaches three tonnes as standard, or 3.5 tonnes with the optional Off-Road Package. Competitors cited include the BMW iX5, Mercedes EQS SUV and Audi SQ8 e-tron, with the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche's own Macan Electric a class below.