{"id":18431,"date":"2026-05-21T10:23:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/18431\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:23:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:23:51","slug":"first-drive-is-porsches-cayenne-s-electric-the-sweet-spot-in-the-range-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/18431\/","title":{"rendered":"First Drive: Is Porsche\u2019s Cayenne S Electric the sweet spot in the range? \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it?\"TheThe Cayenne has traditionally been one of Porsche\u2019s most popular cars <\/p>\n

Throughout its long and varied history, Porsche has offered \u2018S\u2019 models which bring a little extra performance than the base car, but without the mad-hat lunacy of high-performance Turbo cars. Now, it\u2019s the latest Cayenne Electric\u2019s turn to get this treatment, with a new \u2018S\u2019 car being introduced to sandwich between the standard car and the faster Turbo S.<\/p>\n

Usually, these cars offer a sweet spot in the line-up, but is that the case with the Cayenne Electric? We\u2019ve been in Porsche\u2019s native Germany to find out.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s new?\"TheThe car corners keenly and with little roll <\/p>\n

The S trim serves to plug the gap between the standard Cayenne Electric and the range-topping Turbo S. As such, you\u2019ll find that it offers a middle-ground in terms of performance, equipment and price. It still comes in at \u00a399,900, mind you, but that\u2019s some way off the \u00a3130,900 you\u2019ll spend on a Turbo S.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

\"‘I<\/a>\"EastEnders<\/a>What\u2019s under the bonnet?\"AA compact spoiler hints at the car\u2019s performance <\/p>\n

As with the rest of the range, the Cayenne Electric S incorporates a dual-motor setup to provide all-wheel-drive. In this model, you\u2019re getting a still-substantial 657bhp and 1,080Nm of torque, which equates to a 0-60mph time of just 3.5 seconds. Given the space, the Cayenne Electric S would manage a top speed of 155mph, too.<\/p>\n

Range-wise, the Cayenne\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u2018pad\u2019 installed in the ground and the car will charge at speeds of up to 11kW completely wirelessly. It\u2019s quick enough for a full charge overnight and means you don\u2019t have to worry about cables.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it like to drive?\"TheThe S is available in both SUV and Coupe bodystyles <\/p>\n

Given its power output and acceleration times, it\u2019ll come as no surprise that the Cayenne Electric S still feels very fast out on the road, even if it is a second slower going from 0-60mph than the Turbo S. In truth, the S brings all of the performance that you could really want, and there\u2019s never any shortage of punch when you need it.<\/p>\n

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 \u2018floating\u2019 feeling when you\u2019re moving along. There\u2019s little roll through the corners despite this, which helps to build confidence when you\u2019re going around a bend. It\u2019s still a large car, of course, but it\u2019s very easy to position right where you want it.<\/p>\n

How does it look?\"TheThe battery is mounted low under the car <\/p>\n

In SUV form, the Cayenne Electric is quite a handsome thing, in our opinion, of course. There are a few ways to tell the S apart from the rest of the Cayenne Electric range, too, including Volcano Grey-painted front and rear spoilers, alongside a body-coloured diffuser and 20-inch wheels.<\/p>\n

Of course, being a Porsche means that there\u2019s a near-endless number of customisation options available to buyers \u2013 you can even change the colours of the alloy wheels to match the main paint of the car, albeit for an extra cost.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it like inside?\"There’sThere\u2019s a good mix of physical and screen-based controls <\/p>\n

Porsche has managed to bring together a great blend of solid materials and more high-tech features inside the Cayenne Electric\u2019s interior. The main screen, for instance, is curved and packed with features, but you\u2019ve also got a handy row of physical buttons for elements such as the volume and ventilation controls. It makes things a lot more intuitive to use when you\u2019re on the move than a screen-centric setup, and it\u2019s a far safer one, too.<\/p>\n

Space-wise, things are good too. Space in the rear is more than plentiful enough, though it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the spec like?\"TheThe roof can be controlled via a switch <\/p>\n

As mentioned, the Cayenne S starts at a shade under \u00a3100,000, which does make it an expensive proposition. However, for that amount, you are getting sportscar-rivalling performance and a whole host of innovations. Plus, the Cayenne\u2019s build quality truly lives up to the price tag and every part that you can press or prod feels special.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Verdict<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It is expensive, but this is hardly out of touch with the rest of Porsche\u2019s range. In the S, you\u2019re getting a rounded electric car that still has plenty of the \u2018wow\u2019 factor you\u2019d expect from one of this brand\u2019s cars.<\/p>\n

Model as tested: Porsche Cayenne S ElectricPrice: \u00a399,900Engine: Dual electric motorPower: 657bhpTorque: 1,080NmMax speed: 155mph0-60mph: 3.5 secondsMPG: NAEmissions: 0g\/kmRange: 403 milesMaximum charge speed: 390kW<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What is it?The Cayenne has traditionally been one of Porsche\u2019s most popular cars Throughout its long and varied…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21181],"tags":[22031,1290,3131,1590,8406,1875],"class_list":["post-18431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-porsche","tag-cayenne","tag-electric","tag-motoring","tag-performance","tag-porsche","tag-uk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}