Porsche adds Cayenne S Coupe to line-up

PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA) has expanded its recently revealed Cayenne Coupe line-up, with the mid-range S to slip between its entry-level and flagship siblings early next year.

A sloped-back take on the German brand’s first SUV nameplate, Cayenne Coupe is now available to order with the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine as the more traditional Cayenne S wagon.

It produces 324kW of power from 5700 to 6700rpm and 550Nm of torque from 1800 to 5500rpm and is mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring.

With the Sport Chrono package fitted as standard, this combination results in a zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 5.0 seconds, but it can be reduced to 4.9s with oneof the three optional lightweight sports packages fitted. Either way, top speed is 263km/h.

For reference, with the Sport Chrono package optioned, Cayenne S completes the triple-digit dash in 4.9s and has a terminal velocity of 265km/h.

While performance may be marginally slower, Cayenne S Coupe attracts a hefty $11,900 premium for the extra style that it brings over its third-generation counterpart.

However, buyers are compensated with a longer list of standard equipment, with Australian examples confirmed to feature air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive dampers, a larger fuel tank, metallic paintwork, 21-inch alloy wheels, a Bose surround-sound system, blind-spot monitoring and surround-view cameras.

As with the two other Cayenne Coupe variants, a large panoramic fixed glass roof is also standard, although a sporty contoured carbon-fibre panel is optional.

To improve high-speed stability, the trio also gains a roof-mounted adaptive rear spoiler that can extend by 135mm above 90km/h.

As reported, the regular Cayenne Coupe is motivated by a 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre single-turbo V6, while the flagship Cayenne Turbo ups the ante with a 404kW/770Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

Cayenne Coupe’s front roof edge is about 20mm lower than that of Cayenne, resulting in a shallower A-pillar, while its shoulders are 18mm larger thanks to redesigned rear doors and broader fenders.

As standard, all Cayenne Coupe variants are fitted with four sports seats, but a three-seat rear bench can be optioned for no cost.

The rear seats are 30mm lower to protect headroom against the sloping roofline, while cargo capacity is 625 litres but can expand to 1540L with the second row stowed. Storage space is slightly less for Cayenne Turbo Coupe at 600L and 1510L respectively.

2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs