Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid 2018 : It’s a compelling car

Power comes from a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine mated to an electric motor, giving a combined 456bhp and 516lb ft of torque. Other figures are equally impressive; you can travel up to 27 miles on electric power alone, hit a top speed of 84mph without ever engaging the petrol engine and cover the 0-60mph sprint in 4.7sec.
But the really impressive number is 88mpg; that’s what the official tests say you should see on the fuel economy readout.
The Cayenne defaults to its electric-only driving mode on start-up, so there’s no engine noise as you pull away. Sadly, this only heightens the road noise, of which there is a lot at any speed.
Anything other than a soft prod of the throttle will invite the petrol engine to join the party, but its extra shove is welcome when it comes to overtaking and the noise is sufficiently raucous at high revs.

You can choose from the usual Sport and Sport+ driving modes via a dial on the steering wheel, plus an electric-only mode and ‘hybrid auto’, which lets the car decide what’s best. There’s also a boost function that gives you the full power of the electric motor and engine for 20 seconds.
The interior is much the same as the regular Cayenne. It’s very nice, indeed, with swathes of leather and Alcantara covering most surfaces. The bespoke bits for this E-Hybrid model are mainly confined to the driver’s information screens, which can show your remaining electric range and the battery’s state of charge.
With CO2 emissions of between 72 and 78g/km depending on which tyre size you choose, this should still be the cheapest Cayenne in the current range to tax and fuel. With prices starting just north of £67,000, this Cayenne is slightly more expensive than Audi’s rival Q7 e-tron but significantly cheaper than the Range Rover P400e.

It’s a compelling car, though, and the idea of potentially being able to travel into tariff-controlled cities such as London and out again without having to pay a congestion charge (depending on which tyre size you choose), yet still having all the benefits of a performance SUV, will appeal to many.

Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid specification
Where Montpellier, France Price £67,128; On sale June; Engine V6, 2995cc, petrol, plus electric motor; Power 456bhp; Torque 536lb ft; Gearbox 8-spd automatic; Kerb weight not stated; Top speed 159mph; 0-62mph 4.7sec; Fuel economy 88mpg; CO2 72-78g/km; Rivals Audi Q7 e-Tron, Range Rover P400e

Share this