SPY SHOTS: Next-Gen Porsche Cayenne Coupe
EXCLUSIVE: It’s About Time for a New Cayenne. Could This Be It?
The 955-generation Cayenne debuted nearly 15 years ago, and it served Porsche well for eight model years. For the 2010 model year, it was replaced with the 957-generation. And aside from a minor facelift in 2014, it has served largely unchanged for another eight successful model years. Porsche has a relatively strict eight-year model turnover, so we’re due for a new Cayenne to launch any day now. As luck would have it, we’ve acquired spy shots of what we believe to be that next-gen Cayenne.
The bodywork attached to this car is something of a red herring, with massaged Panamera panels attempting to hide what is actually underneath. This Porsche is quite obviously taller than a Panamera, with extended rockers below the doors to hide the car’s true ride height. Similarly the wheelbase is somewhat shorter than a Panamera’s would be, and it appears a good deal wider than a Panamera as well.
If you look closely, you can see warning decals with pictograph lightning bolts, indicating that this is some form of hybrid or electric-only vehicle. The photographer corroborates this with claims that he never heard the car driving with an engine note, and the photographs lack any visible exhaust vapor in the cold weather. With Porsche’s recent focus on electrified performance [Note: Think Mission E] it is possible that Porsche is preparing an all-electric version of their Sport Ute to combat Tesla’s Model X. We expect the next generation Cayenne to likely continue the same engine and model availability as the outgoing 958-generation, but with an updated interior to reflect that found in the new Panamera, and a sportier, more aggressive exterior sheetmetal design.
Rumors have been circulating recently that Porsche will build a Cayenne Coupe body style to bring the fight to BMW’s X6M, Land Rover’s upcoming Range Rover Sport Coupe, and Mercedes-AMG’s GLE. Considering how successful those models have been for their respective brands, this is a ‘no-brainer’ for Porsche to follow suit, as a rakish coupe-style roofline would certainly assist the Cayenne fit Porsche’s sports car ethos. This test mule seems to be a close approximation of what a Cayenne Coupe might be like if and when it arrives.
There has been no indication of when to expect this new car, but with Porsche’s increased focus on the upcoming New York Auto Show, it’s possible we may even see this car take a bow on stage as soon as April.
[Source: Chris Doane Automotive]
