Porsche has confirmed that the fourth-generation Cayenne will be exclusively offered with an electric drivetrain. Buyers who aren't interested in going electric won't be out of luck, as the German brand clarified that an updated version of the current model will live on beyond 2030.
The popular SUV won't carry on unchanged. Unveiled in 2017, and launched for the 2019 model year, it received a round of major updates inside, outside, and under the hood for 2024. Porsche confirmed it's planning another big makeover later in the 2020s, and it will continue to improve the hybrid and non-electrified drivetrain options. Even the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 will survive, the company stresses.
"Extensive technical measures will ensure that the twin-turbo [V8] engine is ready to comply with future legislative requirements," Porsche explained in a statement. "Up to and beyond 2030, the successful SUV will be offered with three powertrain variants worldwide," it added.
That timeline is significant. Porsche is also selling the first Macan alongside its successor, but the overlap is brief. The new model began arriving in showrooms earlier in 2024, and the original will retire in 2026 at the latest. It's already gone in Europe because it doesn't comply with looming regulations. We don't know when we'll see the next Cayenne, but it's not that far away; Porsche has started testing pre-production prototypes. If we assume it goes on sale in 2025 as a 2026 model (keep in mind this is pure speculation), "up to and beyond 2030" suggests the two SUVs could be sold side-by-side for five or more years. Porsche might shuffle its trim levels to differentiate the two models.
What's next?
Details about the fourth-generation Cayenne are beginning to trickle out, and Porsche published a batch of official spy shots (above) showing heavily camouflaged test mules undergoing shakedown testing. Peeking through the camouflage suggests the next Cayenne will borrow more than a few styling cues from the second-generation Macan. Its proportions will seemingly change as well: Its front overhang is shorter and its doors are taller (to accommodate the battery pack). The rear light bar, a feature that characterizes Porsche's newest models, carries on.
The new Cayenne will share its Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture with the aforementioned Macan, so it will feature an 800-volt architecture for faster charging. Testing is well underway, so we expect to learn more about the SUV in the coming months.
