Porsche has officially confirmed that the upcoming all-electric fourth-generation Cayenne will be sold alongside the current third-generation crossover, whose life cycle has been extended for the next decade.
Earlier this week, we reported that Porsche had downgraded its electric vehicle plans and extended the life cycle of its key hydrocarbon models, the Cayenne and Panamera. Porsche's management was prompted to make this decision by the global slowdown in demand for electric vehicles that began last year and a sharp drop in sales of the electric Porsche Taycan family: according to the company itself, in the first half of this year, demand for it fell by 51% (compared to sales in January-June 2023) to 8,838 units.
Fourth-generation Porsche Cayenne
Five years ago, Porsche committed to having 80% of its sales volume be electric vehicles by 2030 – 20% for the 911 family, which would retain combustion engines but be adapted to run on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels. Now the company says it can theoretically achieve its desired 80% share of electric vehicles, but that depends on real demand in key markets, meaning it probably won’t hit 80% by 2030. Understanding this, Porsche has decided to continue developing power plants based on the V8 petrol engine, which are installed on the top versions of the Cayenne and Panamera, in order to offer them after 2030.
The current third-generation Porsche Cayenne
The current third-generation Cayenne debuted in 2017 and is currently Porsche's best-selling model: 54,587 units were sold from January to June this year (+16% compared to the same period last year). Last year, the «third» Cayenne underwent a major restyling, during which it received an almost completely new interior. The third-generation crossover will have at least one more major technical upgrade ahead, and probably another restyling, since the gasoline Cayenne is destined to live after 2030.
Fourth-generation Porsche Cayenne
In turn, the fourth-generation Cayenne will be fully electric, it will be based on the modular PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform with an 800-volt electric architecture — the first carrier of this platform was the second-generation Porsche Macan crossover. The latest Porsche press release does not say when exactly the premiere of the «fourth» generation will take place, but there is an indirect indication of the middle of the current decade, that is, the premiere can be expected as early as 2025.
According to the German magazine auto motor und sport, the “fourth” Cayenne will go on sale in 2026, and in 2028 the Porsche range will be replenished with an even larger three-row electric crossover, the commercial name of which is still classified; within the company it is known as the K1 project. The Porsche K1, as well as the fourth-generation all-electric Panamera and second-generation Taycan, will receive a new modular SSP Sport platform, which is still under development.
Porsche Cayenne fourth generation
Photos published by the Porsche press service of camouflaged prototypes of the fourth generation Cayenne, which are currently being tested on public roads, provide little information about the appearance of the upcoming new product — it is only clear that the proportions of the crossover will not fundamentally change, wait There is no need for a revolution in design, the difference between a “hydrocarbon” Cayenne and an electric one will be about the same as between a “hydrocarbon” Macan and an electric one. The “hydrocarbon” Macan, we recall, recently left Europe along with the Porsche 718 family of mid-engined sports cars due to non-compliance with new cybersecurity rules, but the release of these models for other markets is still ongoing. The new generation Porsche 718 will go on sale next year and will be fully electric.