Driven: 2023 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid - Putting the Sport in SUV

It is the most complex (and expensive) version of the Cayenne that you can get. While there may be people out there who will have things to say against it, remember that they have not driven one, and that most (if not all) of its detractors cannot afford one.

Once you drive it, even the most upset opposer of the plug-in hybrid coupe-styled SUV with a twin-turbo V8 will have a different opinion.

Design Evaluation

With two decades since the Cayenne became a reality that you can see on the road, everyone should have gotten used to the idea of a Porsche SUV. The first generation has aged well, while the second-gen has appeared as an evolution that did not make the original look ugly. Things moved on the same line from there, and Porsche can proudly show all its Cayennes together without any regrets from a styling perspective.

A few years ago, the brand also introduced a Coupe version of the Cayenne, which still has four doors, all with window frames, but with a sloped roofline. It follows the SUV-coupe trend that ended up being insanely popular now, so we must apologize in a way to the folks at BMW who got all those mean things said about them back when the first X6 came out.

The idea was ahead of its time. We cannot say the same about another coupe-styled SUV that predated the X6 but came from a volume brand. We will spare you the memory of that one. Back to the SUV-coupe thing! Porsche did it better, there, I wrote it.

This example we drove came in a flashy color, which will attract attention, so it will be up to you to choose one that fits your personality. This one looks nice in real life and will gather looks, as well as keep people aware of it on the road, but it is not great if you want to play it off as if it's nothing. It will attract attention and the color will be a talking point.

If you compare it to a conventional Cayenne, the coupe only has a hood, front fenders, and front doors in common. The rear is entirely different, but follows the same styling idea, while the lights are also changed a bit on both ends.

Interior Assessment

While the exterior is boldly configured, the interior is a mélange of classic touches and modern elements that fit just right. The seats are part black leather, part fabric, and the latter is the famed "pepita" fabric which was used in the 1960s and 1970s. The Houndstooth fabric is still popular among enthusiasts, and it comes as a classic touch even in a modern interior. Please do not overdo it, though.

The rest of the cockpit features leather, Alcantara, carbon fiber, and polished aluminum. Plastic is kept to a minimum, and those bits that are plastic are the finest ones you can get in a car. It feels luxurious, looks good, and the level of quality is top-notch.

The old center console with plenty of buttons is long gone, ever since the third-gen Cayenne. Its replacement is still practical, even though you must now look at a few screens to figure out what you are pressing.

Key functions of the vehicle have remained on buttons or switches, so at least we have that covered as it should be. The center console has a touch-sensitive surface that is split up to enable quick access to things that you might find yourself using more often in a day, such as A/C settings, seat warming or cooling (not fitted to the tested configuration), and a few others. The controls for the temperature and vent speed still have buttons on them, so you do not have to take your eyes off the road to keep it cool inside.

Driving Take

The Cayenne has always been quite capable on the road, and it can do things off-road when it has the right tires. The Coupe version of the third-generation Cayenne continues the same tradition on wide tires, on a wider track, and still claims to have off-roading abilities. Nobody gets one for those, or the few people who do use them as a side benefit, not as the main purchase reason.

Why? Because the Cayenne Coupe Turbo S E-Hybrid is nice to drive, and it is as sporty as its name might suggest. The steering is on point, with enough lightness to be easy to handle around town and during parking maneuvers, but also precisely weighed when you are driving. It provides confidence, and it has been configured to filter out any vibration or unwanted feeling from the road, while still providing feedback.

The suspension is also adjusted by someone who knew what they were doing, as there is no unpleasant reaction while riding on bumpy surfaces, and the level of comfort on less than perfect roads is still high.

Just like the steering, the suspension precisely eases you into a corner. You will quickly gain confidence in its ability to limit roll to a minimum, while providing optimal grip. Unless you have no intention of attempting to break the laws of physics, you will be able to point and steer the Cayenne Coupe where you want it to go, at about any pace.

Please remember that the car can be driven much faster than the average driver can handle it, and faster than it is legal to do so on most roads in the world.

Bring those two elements together, and you have a risky situation at hand, but the vehicle is not at fault here just for existing and having a specific set of capabilities. It is a tool that may be mishandled, and the consequences are the same as with any other car, but more expensive on this side.

The car feels always composed, almost regardless of speed, and that is another thing that may have you flooring it whenever you leave each corner and there's a bit of space ahead. It is intoxicating, and it will blow your mind.

It is intoxicating, or it can be so thanks to its acceleration capabilities, as well as the neat sounds made by its V8 motor. It handles like a champ, and it can probably be among the top three models in the segment in this aspect for years to come. Everything on it has been optimized to make it handle incredibly well for an SUV.

It may also be due to its electromechanical roll stabilization system, or Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, mated to the Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus system and Porsche Active Suspension Management.

It can be had with optional rear-axle steering for even more agility, a reduced turning circle, and other benefits that you will realize only when you drive a comparable example without the tech.

It puts the Sport in Sport Utility Vehicle, and its PHEV configuration makes it interesting from several points of view. It does not seem to have the hybrid setup just to save fuel, as Porsche has tapped into every inch of performance it could squeeze out of it.

The hot-Vee configuration of the twin-turbo motor would have been low on lag anyway, but the hybrid setup knocks any delay out of the park. At the same time, it can operate as a hybrid SUV, drive on electric power alone for many miles at a time, charge its systems as it drives along, and maintain a set charge level if the driver sets it to do so.

It is hugely impressive, and the only time when you feel that you are in an SUV is when you slow down just before a corner and feel a bit of its weight.

Otherwise, it is as if all that weight is not there, and it can accelerate as if it is shot out of a cannon. Its figures are just part of the story, as it feels even faster, and its capabilities might make anyone who booed Porsche SUVs take back what they said about them.

Also, when approaching a corner, you might notice that the braking feel is a bit different when compared to a regular Cayenne, as it also features regenerative braking. If you have experienced EVs, hybrids, and conventional vehicles, it should be fine, as you will get the hang it out quickly.

Everyday Living

Thanks to its PHEV setup, this Cayenne is not only sporty, but also friendly with what was left in your bank account after getting it. If you have a place to charge it each day, you might find that you are not using that V8 as often as you would think.

Even without a full charge, you can drive enough on electric power alone and might be something that will make many choose this instead of a different SUV, but you can also see it as an added benefit.

It is worth noting that this model comes with just four seats, instead of the usual five for the Cayenne, so you might want to think twice when you order one, as it may be had with a five-seat configuration as well. Think this through, as switching from four to five seats is complicated from a legal standpoint.

We do expect an SUV to be practical, so this is something that you must consider, and think of what you might need in two or three years, not just today or tomorrow. The same applies to the trunk, which is almost 150 liters (about twice the volume of a mini fridge) smaller than what is found on a regular Cayenne.

The rear seats can be folded independently (split 40:20:40), so you can still carry stuff if it does not fit in the trunk alone and you do not have anyone sitting in that seat. Honestly, we would get the five-seat model here just to prevent any unpleasant situations in the future.

Even if a third passenger would fit on the rear seats between the two other occupants, not having a seatbelt for them, as well as a headrest is dangerous, so please do not try to fit more people than you should in a vehicle, regardless of brand.

Testdrive roundup

If you had told us many years ago that we would love the 2023 Cayenne hybrid, some might have looked at you strangely. To whomever it may concern, this Cayenne is a Porsche and handles as expected. It is incredibly quick, not just for an SUV, and it is fast on its toes.

It is also surprisingly economical. As you can observe in the photo gallery, after our first 53 kilometers (about 32.93 mi) with the vehicle, we had an average fuel consumption of 10.6 liters/100 kilometers (about 22.19 U.S. mpg), which is next to nothing when considering a performance-oriented SUV with a twin-turbo V8 and a total of 670 combined horsepower.

The values obtained were achieved with a battery that was just 75 percent charged, and we drove it in the city and on the highway as well. By the end of our test, long after we were running on gasoline alone, both to charge the battery and to turn the wheels, the average fuel economy value did not increase dramatically, but rather modestly to 12 liters/100 km (ca. 19.6 U.S. mpg) after numerous vigorous accelerations and a highway drive back to the Porsche dealer. More than reasonable for this level of power, if you ask us.

We did not make any special effort to achieve this fuel economy result, and we are sure that things can be improved for an even better value by simply cutting back on flat-out acceleration from time to time.

It is important to note that the optional Burmester audio system did a respectable job, as well, when we were listening just to it instead of the roar of the V8. Even the stock sound system is quite nice, as the vehicle is properly shielded from the outside world, so the ride is quiet when the V8 is off, and pleasantly V8-sounded in the background when it is on.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Massive power and torque at hand instantly
• Great sound from the V8, excellent soundproofing otherwise
• Impressive fuel efficiency
• Comfortable, refined, and luxurious interior
• Customization options and possibilities can make your car stand out

Cons

• It is more expensive than a more practical Cayenne
• Four-seat option may be a poor decision when you need it the most
• Options will get its price to a potentially disturbing level
• Less trunk space than a regular Cayenne
• On-board 14.-1 kWh Lithium-Ion battery needs 6-8 hours to fully charge from a domestic plug, just like on a regular PHEV, and we expected more from a car that can cost $200,000 with several options ticked