New Porsche Cayenne Coupe EV brings 1140bhp – and more range

Porsche has revealed the Coupé variant of the Cayenne Electric at the Beijing motor show, with the same powertrains as the SUV but longer ranges.

The new model is technically identical to the Cayenne Electric SUV, but its raked roof and lower overall height – down by 24mm to 1.65m– make it more aerodynamic.

Its drag coefficient of just 0.23, compared with 0.25 for the SUV, nets it 11 miles of additional range from the same 108kWh (usable) nickel-manganese-cobalt battery. 

This takes the entry-level variant's official range up to 410 miles, while the most efficient variant, the mid-ranking S, manages 415 miles. 

There is a compromise to practicality, though, as boot space has been slightly eaten away by the Coupé's roofline, down to 454 litres from 506 litres in the boxier SUV. 

It doesn’t, however, heavily impact rear head room. Customers can have either a two-seat layout with an electric reclining function or a standard 2+1 bench.

“The Cayenne Coupé is such an important car for us,” said Cayenne product line director Ralf Keller. “It accounts for around half of the Cayenne sales in Europe, so it’s not a niche option: this is a car that a lot of people want and will choose over the SUV.”

Underneath, the Cayenne Electric Coupé is identical to the Cayenne Electric SUV, sitting on parent Volkswagen Group’s PPE platform – which also underpins the Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 E-tron.

The entry-level variant is equipped with a 402bhp dual-motor powertrain that’s good for a 0-62mph sprint in 4.8sec and a top speed of 143mph.

The Coupé will also be offered with the SUV's range-topping Turbo powertrain, which makes up to 1140bhp with launch control engaged, for a 0-62mph time of 2.5sec and top speed of 162mph.

That power does come at a cost to range, though, it being pegged at 398 miles.

In normal driving, the Turbo makes up to 845bhp, with an extra 174bhp on offer for 10 seconds at a time via a 'push to pass' button on the steering wheel.

The Coupé gets all the same luxuries as the SUV, including standard air suspension (or active hydraulic suspension on Turbo models); active aerodynamics, including protruding ‘curtains’ that emerge from behind the rear wheels at speed; and rear-wheel steering.