Porsche’s most popular model, the Cayenne, will continue with an internal combustion beyond 2030. The German brand has confirmed that it will introduce a “further upgrade” to the current third-generation Cayenne, which got a major mid-cycle update last year.
- Third-gen Cayenne to get mechanical upgrade
- Fourth-gen Cayenne is a pure EV SUV
The third-generation Cayenne will continue to be sold alongside the upcoming fourth-generation electric version of the SUV. The new Cayenne EV will be technically unrelated to its predecessor which will continue to be available with internal combustion and hybrid powertrains.
The “further upgrade” to the current Cayenne will focus on its 4.0-litre V8 engine, which makes 475hp in the Cayenne S, 659hp in the Cayenne GT, and 739hp in the top-spec Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid PHEV. A majority of these updates will aim to enhance the engine’s efficiency.
However, there is no information about the upgrades on the 3.0-litre V6 engine, that is available with 355hp or 470hp in the Cayenne e-Hybrid and 528hp in the Cayenne S e-Hybrid PHEV models.
While the internal combustion-powered Cayenne will be available post 2030, it depends on the market and the laws to allow sales of this model. Some countries like the United Kingdom has announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
The announcement comes just after a big dip in year-on-year EV sales in Europe, which saw a negligible 2 percent increase in the first half of 2024 compared to 28 percent last year. This decline may have led Porsche to extend the life of the Cayenne, its most popular combustion-engined model, amid concerns that the Cayenne EV might not be accepted by buyers.
While the future of the combustion-engine Cayenne appears secure, its smaller sibling, the Macan, will go fully electric by 2026.
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