CAYENNE ELECTRIC PACKS HYPERCAR-BAITING 1140BHP

Advanced new Porsche SUV arrives in two guises: rapid and ballistic

- WILL RIMELL

Porsche has unveiled the long-awaited Cayenne Electric as its most powerful model to date, with 1140bhp on tap.

The German car maker describes its third EV, after the Taycan and Macan Electric, as “the beginning of a new era”.

The fourth-generation Cayenne is the first iteration since the SUV's launch in 2002 to be sold without a combustion powertrain.

It sits on the EV-only PPE platform - a decision originally taken as part of a bold plan by Porsche for 80% of its lineup to be electric by 2030.

However, during the Cayenne Electric's development last year, Porsche shelved that plan, citing slower than expected interest in EVs. As a result, alongside the new Cayenne Electric, Porsche will continue to sell the third-generation Cayenne, which will be heavily updated next year - its second facelift in nine years.

This means Porsche's flagship SUV will be offered well into the 2030s with three powertrains - petrol, hybrid and electric.

"With the electrification of the Cayenne, we are reaching a new level of performance that sets standards for the future," said Porsche marketing boss Matthias Becker.

"At the same time, we will continue to develop the Cayenne with efficient combustion and hybrid drive systems well into the next decade."

The Cayenne Electric will arrive in the middle of next year, initially in two guises. Prices will start at £83,200, with the top-rung 1140bhp Turbo coming in at £130,900.

POWERTRAIN

For its fourth generation, the Cayenne moves from parent Volkswagen Group's MLB to the same platform that underpins the Macan Electric and Audi Q6 E-tron.