Potent Porsche Cayenne plug-in hybrid arrives

PORSCHE has announced the range-topping variant for its Cayenne large SUV, with the Turbo S E-Hybrid priced from $288,000 plus on-roads in wagon form and $292,700 in coupe guise.

Arriving in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is $46,400 and $39,100 dearer than the Turbo version of the Cayenne wagon and coupe respectively.

For the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, Porsche has borrowed the same powertrain from the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid – a plug-in hybrid set up that teams the Turbo’s 404kW 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 100kW electric motor that increases power output to a heady 500kW.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid’s 500kW outstrips the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S (430kW), Maserati Levante Trofeo (441kW), Range Rover Sport SVR (423kW), Lamborghini Urus (478kW), BMW X5 M (423kW) and Bentley Bentayga W12 (447kW) but falls short of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and its 522kW supercharged 6.2-litre V8.

At 900Nm, torque is also up 50Nm over the Panamera and 130Nm over the Cayenne Turbo’s 770Nm, with the Turbo S E-Hybrid’s torque output only matched by the Audi SQ7 and its turbocharged diesel V8.

In the Turbo S E-Hybrid, power is channelled to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, allowing for a zero-to-100km/h sprint time of 3.8 seconds while on the way to a top speed of 295km/h.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid uses a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery that has a pure-electric range of 40km and allows the Cayenne to travel up to 135km/h on zero-tailpipe-emissions power.

Charging the battery takes 2.4 hours when using a 400-volt connection and 16-amp fuse, while using a 230V/10-amp household socket takes six hours.

As befitting its status as top-spec model for the range, the Turbo S E-Hybrid scores a number of performance-oriented features, such as Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, a rear-axle differential lock, carbon-ceramic brakes, Power Steering Plus, Sport Chrono package, three-chamber air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), and 21-inch alloy wheels with body-coloured wheelarch extensions (wagon only).

Twenty-two-inch RS Spyder Design wheels are standard on the coupe version in Australia and optionally available on the wagon, while rear-axle steering, LED Matrix headlights, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and Night Vision with thermal imaging camera are optionally available on both.

The coupe is further differentiated by its adaptive rear spoiler, two-seat second row and an optionally available carbon-fibre roof.

Additional standard equipment in Australian models includes four-zone climate control, rear side airbags, LED headlights, ambient lighting, privacy glass, keyless entry and start, digital radio, panoramic sunroof and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, USB-C ports, sat-nav with real-time traffic information and Porsche Connect.

Standard safety kit extends to cruise control with a speed limiter, pedestrian protection, front and rear park assist with surround-view cameras, and lane-change assist.

Through the first seven months of the year, Cayenne sales have seen a significant 80.4 per cent lift due to the all-new model arriving in June last year, up to 839 sales from 465.

Despite the increase, it sits fourth in the $70,000-plus large-SUV segment, trailing the BMW X5 (1990), Range Rover Sport (1516) and Lexus RX (1135).

2019 Porsche Cayenne pricing*

2019 Porsche Cayenne Coupe pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs