Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe GT Package review: long on name, big on ability

Verdict

Porsche has managed to turn its plug-in hybrid range-topper into a sensational sports SUV with a wide breadth of talent. The star of the show remains the glorious 4.0-litre V8 engine, which with a helping hand from the electric motor and a titanium exhaust, produces a soundtrack to make it hard to believe there’s a big battery at play. Added to that, the quality, tech and space keep this big Porsche at the top of its game.

Porsche seems to be able to do no wrong these days, whether it’s refreshing its core petrol-powered line-up, or going for full-on electrification. Whatever direction it takes, driver appeal is undiluted, while quality, tech and everyday usability just keep getting better and better, too.

Plug-in hybrids are often seen as the worst of both worlds, though; petrol power lumbered with a heavy battery to drag around, and a limited all-electric range without the financial benefits of a full EV.

Could the latest Cayenne, now in its third generation and with a recent round of revisions, buck the trend? As you’d expect, the focus is clearly on performance, so it only seemed right that our first taste of the raciest Cayenne was on a race track.

Not only is the Turbo E-Hybrid the most powerful of the latest Cayennes, with a total of 729bhp and 950Nm from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and electric motor, the Coupé with GT Package has all the features you’d expect in a Porsche sports car rather than an SUV.

You can decide whether the latest tweaks to the Cayenne’s somewhat challenging looks have made it any more attractive, but the slimmer matrix LED lights give it a more premium look, while there’s no end of addenda to up the pulse rate. There’s a bespoke SportsDesign front end, carbon fibre roof and rear spoiler, an aggressive rear diffuser, and 22-inch alloys. Inside there’s a GT sports steering wheel, plus sports seats in the front and in the back. Further packs can make it feel even more focussed, too.

15

Alongside all the sporty stuff, the quality of the Cayenne interior is hugely impressive – as is the tech. The widescreen infotainment system is crystal clear, brilliantly effective and simple to use, while the confusing array of buttons from Cayennes of old is long gone. There’s a sensible amount of space inside, too, with decent legroom in the back and 434 litres of boot space. Of course, this can be extended to 1,344 litres if you want to take a quick (and we mean quick) trip to the tip.

That GT steering wheel is lovely to hold with a Sport Response button to instantly give you maximum fizz for 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can twist through the various drive modes, taking you from fast to rocket ship – this sizeable SUV will get from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds.

This Porsche isn’t quite perfect, though. You can use the modes to keep it running on battery power for as long and as much as possible – and Porsche says it will go nearly 45 miles on electricity alone thanks to a larger 25.9kWh battery. 

The sport modes combine electric and V8 power well, but in the more prosaic hybrid mode there’s still a bit of delay when the engine, motor and gearbox try to work out what they want or need to do. It’s best just to press on – when the confusion subsides and this Cayenne does what it does best: go fast.

15

The steering provides more accuracy and feedback than you’d expect from an SUV, while the Porsche Active Suspension Management system, along with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus and a lower ride height, do their best to disguise the height and weight through all kinds of corners. We doubt there’d be many faster SUVs around a track – even if referring to SUVs and tracks does sound a little odd.

Although we were on a circuit, this will be the firmest of Cayennes on road. But when we were pootling around away from the main straight and in the gentlest of drive modes, the ride quality actually felt fine – and not as bruising as fast SUVs used to be.

What is really refreshing from a car with a decent slug of electric power is the noise this Cayenne makes. The titanium exhaust makes a fantastic sound that makes you forget about the electric boost that’s doing so much to help the car along. This setup saves weight, too.

Not that efficiency will be high on the list of many Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupé buyers requirements, but for the record, the official figures claim a frankly ridiculous 148.7mpg if you drive in the manner those official tests require – that is, plugging in as often as possible.

CO2 emissions of 43 g/km means there is some tax advantage to running this plug-in hybrid after all, especially if you’re lucky enough to consider one as a company car. Which will come in handy with a list price of £154,000 without any of the many tempting but expensive options…