2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric Sheds Some Camo, Still Hides Plenty of Details

Porsche is expected to launch a new generation of the Cayenne in 2026, and work is underway to fine-tune early prototypes of the SUV. What started its career by infuriating Porsche's die-hard fans evolved into Porsche's best-selling model, now already in its third generation. The fourth-generation Cayenne will be offered with both electric and combustion powertrains, although rumors indicate that the electric variants will come first.

It's still unclear whether the two will share the same design. Considering that German luxury carmakers are abandoning the trend of EV distinctive design, I would bet that they will not look much different, regardless of the energy source. However, Porsche bosses might disagree. So far, we've only seen the prototype of the ICE version as an early mule based on a modified Macan EV body. On the other hand, our photographers had spotted the electric Cayenne before, even though not everyone was sure about it at the time.

In April, a bizarre Porsche prototype was snapped during testing, showing a streamlined body that differed significantly from the Macan-based mule spotted in January. This made people think it might be Porsche's three-row flagship SUV, dubbed K1. However, the K1 is slated to use the SSP architecture, which has been delayed, making some doubt that Porsche is already testing a prototype. These people were actually right, as new prototypes have been spotted, revealing new details.

Our photographers found not one but two prototypes that were tested on public roads in Germany. They have shed some camo compared to the previous sightings but still have enough left to wow fans when it will be revealed in 2026. Based on the visible details, the prototype already sports a production body and lights. The black cladding hides the C-pillar and the lower parts of the doors, where we'll likely see a couple of surprises. The front and rear bumpers are only partially covered, with one of the prototypes sporting a weird air grille at the rear.

In good Porsche tradition, the prototypes have charging ports on both sides at the rear. The upcoming Cayenne Electric will ride on the PPE architecture, which will be shared with the Macan EV. It will have a wider track and longer wheelbase, as revealed by the previous Cayenne mule, which had tacked-on wheel arches to cover the gaps.

The Cayenne EV will debut in 2026 with a dual-motor setup and more power than its little brother, which delivers 402 horsepower in its base variant. However, the Turbo trim unleashes up to 630 horsepower. The Cayenne should probably be slower because of the added weight, although Porsche could offset it by using more powerful motors. The Cayenne EV will adopt the same modular prismatic battery as the Macan EV but with bigger-capacity variants. The added battery capacity should also offer over 300 miles of range.