Porsche has long had an issue with lesser-engined Cayennes. The initial resistance to its game-changing SUV was always going to be steamrollered by the time and money invested in making it go fast. But not every variant of its bestseller could be mended by a large and spirited petrol engine. Some were always destined to feature more humdrum powertrains, and in private the engineers would slowly shake their heads and concede that even by the most generous measure, these barely qualified as Porsches. They were there to satisfy customer demand and the requirements of the bottom line, pure and simple.
Back then, this mostly applied to entry-level oil burners; now it’s the plug-in derivatives below the much more powerful and prestigious Turbo E-Hybrid that give off a similar vibe. As was the case with the diesel-powered Cayennes, Porsche absolutely needs to offer a full lineup of petrol-electric models - but it is probably fair to say that no one (or no one reading this, at any rate) is entirely losing their minds at the prospect of owning a Cayenne S E-Hybrid, even in its new and improved format. It may say 519hp on the tin, but after 50 miles or so it’ll be a 353hp 3.0-litre V6 carrying the can - and at 2,515kg, there’s a whole lot of can to carry.
Furthermore, the can here is Coupe-shaped. Porsche does not require our blessing when it comes to its fastback SUV; evidently, it sells itself. Nevertheless, as with most of its rivals, the facelifted styling remains an acquired taste - one that still requires you to be okay with a fairly significant downsizing of the Cayenne’s boot capacity. If that works for you, the Coupe format is again available across the range, which includes the combustion S-badged Cayenne - very much Turner to the PHEV’s Hooch, thanks to a detuned 4.0-litre V8 that not only saves you not a few grand, but also a couple of hundred kilograms. Sure, you don’t get the E-Hybrid’s (theoretically) reduced running costs or access to a lower tax bracket or zero-emission range. But you do get a non-negotiable 474hp all the time and - let’s face it - a fundamentally better Cayenne.
Still, we digress. Certainly, there are reasons there for choosing the S E-Hybrid over one of its mechanically similar VW Group siblings. The Coupe’s conceptually flimsy design brief might not be everyone's cup of tea, but the latest Cayenne interior ought to be. Porsche’s far-reaching update has walked the line between increased digitisation and physical switchgear very well: yes, there is a large touchscreen teeming with icons, but there are also physical, clickable buttons on the steering wheel and to adjust the climate control. And while it’s a shame to lose the gear lever to a tedious dash-mounted selector, it’s easy to like more usable cubby space in an SUV.
Much like it was before, virtually everything in the Cayenne is nice to touch or prod or hold or look at. The car feels like it has been put together with the precision and aesthetic confidence of a Victorian pumping station. This, it turns out, is appropriate because there are undeniably times when the E-Hybrid feels like it weighs about the same as a Victorian pumping station. Obviously there is a legitimate two-and-a-half tonne reason for that, but with hefty steering and an assertive air-sprung chassis, Porsche has lent into the Cayenne’s reputation for burly, businesslike progress. It’s like driving a leather-bound bowling ball.
As you might imagine - and despite a claimed 553lb ft of torque on offer with everything firing - this does not make the S E-Hybrid seem terrifically brisk. Of course, assuming you’ve started with the new 25.9kWh battery charged and stick with the default E-power mode, that’s because it’s initially the 176hp electric motor doing all the hard work, meaning you mostly get around on 339lb ft of torque. This is sufficient for stately and typically sober headway - and inevitably makes you pine for the V8 like a man separated from his fourth pint. When the V6’s contribution does appear - either in Hybrid mode or because you’ve drained the battery - it is as mannerly and as tolerant of your requests as an Anglican vicar. And roughly as memorable.
If this doesn’t sound very like Porsche-like, it isn’t. But, credit where it’s due, things improve enormously if you push through the fustiness and actually drive the Coupe like it were a Porsche. Admittedly this requires a complete disregard for the kind of economising that presumably drew you to the E-Hybrid in the first place - but if you press very insistently on, the Cayenne’s underlying and newly improved faculty for demolishing fast roads rises up to meet you like hot fudge at the base of a vanilla sundae. Here, at last, the configuration of the steering and suspension make perfect sense: the Coupe’s husky footprint (greased here by optional rear-wheel steering) is suddenly made to seem deft and highly attuned to lively input.
The turn-in, and the clarity of the front axle, are remarkable given the volume of car behind them; tellingly, you stop worrying about the S E-Hybrid’s performance between corners because it is so adept at carrying speed into and out of them. Needless to say, the additional mass cannot be concealed forever (you’ll certainly notice it when you do finally want to slow down) yet many of the qualities that Matt B identified in the V8 Cayenne S - the spot-on steering, the chassis’s deceptive tolerance under load, the obvious emphasis placed on accuracy - are recognisable once you’ve pushed the boat out. Doing so doesn’t make the S E-Hybrid seem super-fast in the mould of its betters, but it is hardly any less cohesive or convincing when you need it to be - and with just the V6 to work with, this is one of the few modern Porsches that encourages you to keep your toe in virtually all the time.
There’s honestly something to be said for that. Although, if that sounds like your kind of jam, it's worth pointing out that you can have the 3.0-litre V6 entirely on its own in the entry-level Cayenne Coupe, and for nearly £20k less than the S E-Hybrid costs. Factor in the ticks needed for rear-axle steering, clever air suspension and PDCC, and you’d still save a bundle while ending up with a car that’s more than 300kg lighter and almost certainly quicker most of the time. Not that anyone would buy that version - but we like the idea of it more than we like the S E-Hybrid, which, for all its latent Porsche-specific talent, has demand-satisfying, school-run SUV written all over it. If you must have a Coupe that’s a PHEV, we’d recommend the Turbo if for no other reason than it gets the V8. Or you could just buy the V8-powered Cayenne S Coupe. Which, predictably, is what we’d do.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe
Engine: 2,995cc, V6 turbocharged, petrol, plus 25.9kWh battery and electric motor
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 353@5,000-6,000rpm (engine only; total system output 519hp)
Torque (lb ft): 369@ 1,450-4,500rpm (engine only; total system output 553lb ft)
0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 163mph
Weight: 2,515kg (EU)
MPG: 156.9 (WLTP; electric range 47-55 miles WLTP EAER)
CO2: 41g/km
Price: from £98,500 (£104,642 as tested)
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