Automobile desk: Luxury car manufacturer Porsche has officially introduced the all-electric version of its popular SUV Cayenne in the Indian automobile market. This is the company's first electric SUV in the domestic market. The special thing is that the company has decided to continue selling the existing model with petrol engine for its fans, so that the customers will continue to get the option to choose between fuel and electric categories.
The starting ex-showroom price of the new Cayenne Electric in the Indian market has been fixed at Rs 1.77 crore. At the same time, its more powerful and high-performance 'Turbo' variant has been launched at a starting price of Rs 2.28 crore.
In terms of performance, Porsche has used the e-Performance powertrain in this SUV, which comes with electric motors on both axles for an all-wheel drive setup. It has a large battery pack of 113 kWh capacity. The standard variant generates 408 horsepower, which reaches an overboost strength of 442 horsepower when launch control is activated. This model achieves speed from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
At the same time, its turbo variant is a real powerhouse. This variant generates a tremendous power of 1,156 horsepower and torque of 1,150 Newton-meters. Talking about speed, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds, while its top speed is 260 km/h. For better ride and handling, modern mechanisms like adaptive air suspension and rear-axle steering have been included in it.
Talking about driving range, the standard Cayenne Electric can cover a distance of up to 642 kilometers (WLTP certified) on a full charge, while the Turbo variant has a claimed range of up to 623 kilometers. This vehicle supports DC fast charging of 390kW. It takes only 16 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent via ultra-fast charger. Apart from this, 11kW wireless inductive charging option has also been introduced for the first time with this Porsche model in India.
On the design front, Porsche has retained the traditional Cayenne's muscular physique with a closed front grille, active aerodynamic vents and matrix LED headlights with four-point DRLs. It is slightly longer than the petrol model and has a wheelbase of 3,023 mm. For practical use, it has 90 liters of 'frunk' (front storage) and a large boot space of 781 liters at the rear, which can be expanded to 1,588 liters by folding the seats.
Inside the cabin, premium features like 14.5-inch curved touchscreen infotainment system, digital driver display, 4-zone climate control, ventilated seats and panoramic roof are present. For safety and convenience, it has been provided with 2D Surround View, Lane Change Assist, Warn and Brake Assist as well as ultra-wideband based Comfort Access Technology for keyless access to the vehicle. In the Indian market, its direct competition will be seen with super-luxury electric vehicles like Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX and Lotus Electra.