Bentayga-beating 2018 Porsche Cayenne spied playing in the snow

Porsche is hard at work getting the next generation of Porsche Cayenne ready, as one of our spy photographers discovered when he spotted a pair out in the snow. Based on the photos alone, it's tough to tell this new version from the current model, which might explain the minimal camouflage.

It's safe to say the tail lights will get a noticeable upgrade, since they're the most heavily disguised parts of the car – don't be surprised if they look a lot like the Macan's when we finally see the production version. It also appears that the roof slopes a bit more toward the rear compared with the current model, and the lower portion of the front bumper sports a bit more ventilation.

Despite the mild exterior changes, the Cayenne is expected to receive some substantial alterations under the skin. The most significant of these is involves the platform on which the SUV will be based. The Cayenne will use the newest version of the MLB platform, which underpins both the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga. This should allow the Cayenne to shed quite a bit of weight. When the US-spec Audi Q7 switched to the MLB platform, it lost about 500 pounds. The Cayenne is already a quick SUV, and dropping a similar amount of weight will make it even more athletic. This will also aid Porsche in taking back the fastest SUV crown from corporate cousin Bentley, something the company isn't afraid of doing.

According to our spy photographer, the new Cayenne will likely show up sometime toward the end of next year as a model year 2018 vehicle. We would expect most of the current powertrain options, including the hybrid model, to continue on in some form. However, considering the backlash to the VW diesel scandal, we're not expecting any diesel variants here.

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