CAN YOU EMBREAD DRIVING?
Let us begin with the foundation vehicle. The V6 Cayenne, if you’d prefer. Is the entry-level model something you could live with, or is it not up to the Porsche badge? It’s actually okay in a laid-back, unsporting kind of way, and that’s what many people want from a bolshy SUV in private.
If you’re an avid driver, you’ll notice that the lighter V6 turns corners slightly more skillfully than the V8. Actually, compared to the previous generation, all new Cayennes appear to have slightly lighter steering. A small adjustment, but one that slightly improves the car’s city life.
Ask the V6 to give it its all, and it will gladly oblige up to 5,000 rpm, at which point it will become labored and lose air. Our test vehicle achieved 21 mpg during a short but uneventful road trip. Only 1 mpg more was consumed by the V8 Cayenne S over the same distance.
We particularly loved the base model car’s steel suspension with adjustable dampers, which smoothly absorbs shocks and leaves you wondering where all that energy has gone. It’s a serene cruiser that’s pleasant to drive around town in.
HOW ABOUT THE VERSION THAT IS V8?
And thus, the Cayenne S. A little more burlier at turn-in, but more fulfilling overall. Being behind the wheel of a modern V8 engine in this day and age without even the slightest hybrid aid providing a veneer of eco-conscience is simply strange. However, Porsche claims that new 4.0-liter engine will abide by all existing and future emissions laws and regulations, meaning that the Cayenne Turbo is no longer the sole vehicle with eight cylinders.
Sure, the acceleration is quick rather than rapid, and the noise sounds as digitally enhanced as a car chase in Mission: Impossible, but that’s okay. What is the required speed for your two-ton SUV? Is 170 mph and 0-62 mph in 5.0 seconds (4.7 seconds with the Sport Chrono package) truly insufficient?
Not at all. I’M READY FOR MORE.
The hybrids are fortunately here to remedy that. Specifically, one of them. There isn’t much of a price, power, or performance difference between the E-Hybrid and S E-Hybrid, with the latter differentiating itself with standard air suspension for a softer ride. Everybody has a robust but not very sonorous V6. However, the Turbo E-Hybrid tops the range with its insane 729bhp power, which is made possible by a large twin-turbo V8 and an e-motor that efficiently compensates for any turbo lag.
All three hybrids now have better batteries (up from 17.9 to 25.9kWh) and motors (up from 134 to 172bhp) thanks to the revamp. Since the Cayenne is still built on the same platform, the 130 kilogram battery isn’t physically larger, but new, more efficient cells allow for a tailpipe emissions-free range of up to 56 miles if you drive carefully. Additionally, it will now charge more quickly—on an 11kW charger, it will go from flat to full in less than 2.5 hours. For a 7kW residential wall box, allow an additional hour.
IS IT STILL POSSIBLE TO DRIVE LIKE A PORSCHE?
The V6 and V8 Cayennes now handle vehicles well. As we’ve grown accustomed to these high-riding battle buses using air suspension, active anti-roll bars, and 48V roll stabilization to eliminate body roll, understeer, and shrug off a portion of their corpulent mass, perhaps some of the awe factor of their seemingly physics-defying abilities has been lost over time.
However, leading a Cayenne down a difficult route is still an extremely spectacular experience, and no direct competitor is even close to being as confident and calm when hustling. A BMW X5 or, hold your nose, an X6 is the only vehicle that comes close; Urus, Purosangue, and the DBX are from another dimension. And, perhaps less subtly than the relatively pure Cayenne, smash a road.
When you go to a hybrid vehicle, the additional weight of the battery beneath the boot floor is noticeable. As the car juggles battery replenishment regeneration with gripping the green calipered brake discs, you notice the shaky brake sensation. Furthermore, even while the e-boost does a respectable job of clearing the way for the plug-in vehicle, the base V6 never seems very happy about it. Here, skipping the optional sports exhaust is not necessary.
According to our test, the basic E-Hybrid achieved a maximum mileage of 148 mpg, but it actually achieved a more reasonable average of 90 mpg when it was started with a full charge (indicating 48 miles) and driven quickly with the air conditioning on. However, this figure drastically decreased when the electric energy ran out. It most likely rides well enough to consider its S E-Hybrid brother more of a luxury than a need.
HOW ABOUT THE ANGSTORIOUS ONE?
Porsche even put the Turbo E-Hybrid through its paces on a scorching Spanish circuit to show us just how good it is. A strange decision on a thirty-degree day when the brakes were already going to have a long day, but sufficient to make us conclude that, although entertaining, a Cayenne should never be taken on a track. Unless you’re using it to rescue people from gravel traps, in which case it may do it while you sleep.
On the road, however, it’s astonishing, fusing a true classiness with all the juvenile vulgarity that comes with a vehicle with almost 700 horsepower. Competing automakers should immediately cringe at the work at hand and send Cayennes in for benchmarking. Its impressive range of capabilities includes a very changeable balance for more assertive driving and starker character changes between drive modes with the 2023 upgrade.
Even without the extra GT package for the Cayenne Coupe, this car’s speed and enjoyment truly don’t trail far behind the pure craziness of the previous Turbo GT special. It also rides smoother.
