I Can't Believe How Smooth The Porsche Cayenne Electric Is

The new Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric has 1,139 horsepower in Launch Control mode and accelerates from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 2.4 seconds. But truth be told, I’m more interested in the way it goes over a speed bump.

That’s because one of this car’s options is the latest version of Porsche Active Ride—a fully active suspension system run off the Cayenne's 800-volt electrical system that applies force into the car's body. It counteracts the motions a car and its passengers would normally experience during acceleration, braking, and cornering in real time.

Photo by: Porsche

By putting force into the body instead of simply reacting to and damping out the road surface, active suspension decouples ride from handling. Normally, you’d need a stiff suspension to make a heavy car go around corners well, and that resulting harsh ride would make potholes and speed bumps a nightmare. Active Ride also eliminates the need for anti-roll bars, which work to stiffen a car's chassis but often decrease comfort.

My former Motor1 colleague Chris Perkins explains the history and fundamental technology behind active suspension way better than I can. Here’s a video primer, if you’re interested:

Porsche has offered Active Ride as an option on the Panamera and Taycan in the past, but it says the Cayenne’s system is its most capable yet, due to the SUV’s longer suspension travel compared to lower-slung models. This allowed Porsche to add a Comfort mode which it says eliminates virtually all road imperfections and keeps the car totally level. Sport and Sport Plus dial the balance closer to what you’d expect from a Porsche, letting more info filter in to the driver. Normal is somewhere in between.

What this means in practice is that the Cayenne Turbo Electric can corner at the limit while keeping its big, SUV body almost completely flat. It also means the over-5,000-pound SUV can soak up bumps like they’re not even there, eliminating head toss for the driver and occupants. You don’t feel the car’s weight, because the suspension is constantly counteracting it.

Photo by: Porsche

The way the Cayenne Electric reacts to large speed humps and raised crosswalks is perhaps its most impressive superpower. It simply picks itself up, cruises across the raised surface, and sets itself down on the other side. There’s no secondary motion, seesawing, or rebound as the car settles back onto level ground. It’s both uncanny and supremely comfortable.

With active suspension, you can have both pillow-smooth ride and race-car handling without giving up anything. Anything except cost, that is—the Cayenne Turbo Electric starts at $165,350, and Active Ride is a $7,790 option on top of that.

That said, how much would you pay to never wince at a pothole again?

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