bahrainthismonth.com | JULY 2026 MOTORING 63 Heavy, But Never Clumsy That is the real Porsche trick here. The Cayenne Turbo Electric is long, wide and heavy, measuring almost five metres and carrying a 113kWh battery, but it never feels lazy. The steering has the reassuring precision you expect from the badge and the adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management keeps the body controlled without making the ride brittle. On Bahrain’s smoother stretches it feels calm and planted, but even when the road surface becomes less perfect, the Cayenne retains a sense of isolation and control. You feel the weight if you go looking for it, particularly under hard braking or quick direction changes, but the car manages it with remarkable discipline. Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus and four-wheel drive help it fire out of bends with ridiculous confidence. The active aerodynamics also play their part. The Active Air Intake Flaps, adaptive roof spoiler and active Aeroblades are not there for show. They help the car cut through the air, cool itself and stay composed at speed, all while giving the Cayenne a more technical edge. Luxury With A Pulse Visually, the test car made an immediate impression in Mystic Green Metallic, especially with the 22-inch Cayenne SportTechno wheels, SportDesign Package in high-gloss black and Glacier Iceblue lighting details. It looks sleeker than a traditional Cayenne, but still muscular from the rear, with enough width and stance to remind you this is no ordinary EV. Inside, it feels every inch the modern Porsche flagship. The Black and Sage Grey two-tone leather gives the cabin a fresh, premium atmosphere, while the 18-way adaptive sports seats offer the support needed when you test the acceleration again. Seat ventilation is welcome in Bahrain, as are the four-zone climate control, Air Quality System and thermally insulated glass. The curved digital driver display, central screen and optional 14.9-inch passenger display give the cabin a high-tech feel without losing the familiar Porsche driving position. The augmented reality head-up display is particularly useful, placing information cleanly in the driver’s line of sight. Mood Modes add ambience and the BOSE Surround Sound System gives the cabin the audio quality expected at this level. Practicality has not been forgotten either. There is a 90-litre front luggage compartment, 747 litres behind the rear seats and up to 1,554 litres with the seats folded. This is still a Cayenne, after all, and part of its appeal is that it can deliver outrageous performance without abandoning everyday usefulness. Charging is equally serious. The battery has a gross capacity of 113kWh, the quoted combined range is up to 669km and maximum DC charging power is 390kW. Under ideal conditions, 10-80 percent charging can take as little as 16 minutes, helping make the performance feel less like a novelty and more like a usable future. After a completely thrilling whirlwind of a test drive experience, the Cayenne Turbo Electric can only be described as extravagant, dramatic and occasionally ridiculous. Yet after driving it, the madness starts to make sense. This is a luxury SUV that can cruise quietly, cosset passengers and then, with one firm press of the accelerator, deliver acceleration fierce enough to make you laugh out loud. For more information: 17459911 Porsche Centre Bahrain, Sitra
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