About Cayenne
When Porsche announced an SUV in the late 1990s, enthusiasts reacted as if the company had announced it would start making lawn mowers. Then the Cayenne arrived in 2002, developed alongside the Volkswagen Touareg, and promptly became the best-selling Porsche of its era, funding the sports cars the purists loved. It proved that a high-riding family vehicle could carry the Porsche crest without embarrassing it, and it set the template that Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari later followed.
Across three generations the Cayenne has grown sleeker and sharper. The first one, especially the bulbous early model, was an acquired taste; the second and third looked more confident, added the sloped-roof Cayenne Coupe and brought powerful plug-in hybrids, including the Turbo E-Hybrid. Its handling is a genuine surprise for something this size, which is why reviewers keep calling it the driver's SUV. The usual gripes are about price, especially once the options list gets involved, and cargo space that trails roomier rivals.
The newest chapter is electric. Porsche has introduced the Cayenne Electric, built on a dedicated EV platform with fast charging and enormous power in its Turbo form, and has said it will be sold alongside the combustion and hybrid Cayenne rather than replacing it. Rivals include the BMW X5 and XM, Mercedes-AMG GLE, Range Rover Sport and Lamborghini Urus. This page follows both Cayennes through reveals, tests, recalls, pricing and the debate over Porsche's electric strategy.