Porsche Cayenne EV

This week I got to visit the Porsche centre in Dublin for the launch event of their brand new Cayenne. While Porsche is universally known for the 911, it's actually the Cayenne that they sell.

In Ireland, Porsche sold 445 cars through 2025. 40% of those were the Cayenne. 5% were the 911. 30% were the Macan, which is a result of the new EV being launched (which I bought) and the Cayenne's successor being introduced, thus cannibalising itself to some extent. [source]

In 2026 and 2027, Porsche will be hoping that they see success with the Cayenna. But also that the introduction of the new generation of 718 (Boxter & Cayman) models re-ignite the lower end of the sports car market.

I, for one, am keeping a keen eye out for that new 718 as at some stage I would love a "daddy car."

Getting to the launch, I immediately had the opportunity to hang out with some folks I've known for years. Which is always pleasant.

The launch itself was classic Porsche. Lovely bite-sized food offerings, drinks and a nice atmosphere in their main showroom in Dublin. Even more, the cocktails they were serving had light up ice cubes. Which on first glance seemed a bit cheesy given the surroundings. But when you realise what the branding and marketing for the Cayenne is going for, the were fairly perfect.

The car itself is a bit like a grown-up, beefier version of the Macan. It has a lot of the same touches at a distance but up-close it's a very different car. The front is more squared-off, but it's unmistakably Porsche from any distance. The rear feels a bit boxy to me. It could be mistaken for any large SUV on the road if it weren't for the branding.

Interior is going to depend on the person speccing the car. But what was on display was lovely. The main noticeable difference between the new Cayenne and anything else Porsche has, if not anything else on the market, is the huge curved display adorning the centre console. When I got my Macan, I was delighted to have tactile switches and buttons for AC, audio, etc. So the Cayenne feels a bit like a step towards Tesla if anything else. Undoubtedly, it'll be controversial. It's impressive, but daily usage might get tiring.

I didn't get a chance to drive it as a phalanx of people were all over it for the time I was there. I won't give it a go as it's not on my bucket list of cars. I'm delighted with the Macan and that'll remain as the 'family wagon' for many years.

But if you told 15 year old me that I'd be invited into Porsche to get free grub and check out a brand new car to market, I'd have told you to get a grip in a very moody way while sporting a Slipknot hoodie.

No doubt we'll see a flurry of Cayennes hitting the road over the coming weeks and months. What's more interesting to me is to see if folks take to the EV version over the ICE/hybrid ones. The staff introducing the car focused exclusively on the EV, so it's clear where Porsche wants this to go. Time will tell, but an EV family SUV is a perfect format.

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