UK Drive: Is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid the ideal performance SUV?

What is it?

Today, however, the Cayenne’s job is tougher than ever. Not only does it have a wide variety of rivals, but Porsche’s new Cayenne Electric is now here to show a battery-powered side to this popular SUV. This car, the Turbo E-Hybrid, could provide the best of both worlds, but is that the case? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

Even with this renewed eco-focus, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid remains within the upper echelons of performance SUVs, alongside the likes of the Lamborghini Urus SE and Range Rover Sport SV.

What’s under the bonnet?

Moreover, the Cayenne can manage up to 47 miles on electric-only power and during our time with the car – and with consistent charging – we saw 40mpg over a 500-mile drive. Which isn’t bad for a car with an engine of this size. The hybrid system did have a small hiccup during our test and needed to be reset, but aside from this, everything ran as smoothly as could be.

What’s it like to drive?

Of course, there’s the performance to talk about. The combination of petrol and electric power means that response is great, and while it might not be as instant as what you’ll experience in the Cayenne Electric, it’s still pretty good for a large petrol vehicle.

How does it look?

Our car also came with the optional GT Package, which adds a sporty rear wing to this Coupe model, alongside 22-inch GT design alloy wheels finished in a fetching shade of bronze. It’s not available on the standard SUV model, either, but does add just under £20,000 to the cost of the Cayenne Turbo – we’ll mention more about what else it adds shortly.

What’s it like inside?

Being such a big SUV, the Cayenne offers plenty of space too. Rear-seat passengers shouldn’t have much to argue about in terms of legroom, and a 434-litre boot isn’t bad, either. It’s dwarfed by the 747 litres of boot that you’ll get in the Cayenne Electric, mind you, and that car gets a 90-litre ‘frunk’, too.

What’s the spec like?

You do get a lot of performance for that money, of course, and pretty much every technical innovation you could think of, including rear-axle steering, Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control and high-performance ceramic brakes. It’s just interesting that the Cayenne Turbo Electric, which is faster off the mark and far more practical, costs around £30,000 less.

Verdict

The Cayenne Turbo does everything that a large, luxurious and powerful SUV should do. It’s comfortable over long distances, polished inside and has all of the features that you could possibly want. If you keep it topped up with electric, then it can be more efficient than you’d expect, too.

However, if it was efficiency you were after, then we’d be leaning towards the Cayenne Electric. That said, if electric power doesn’t work for you just yet, then the Turbo E-Hybrid provides a very pleasant stepping stone towards it.