Porsche unveils 340kW Cayenne E-Hybrid

PORSCHE’S new-generation plug-in Cayenne E-Hybrid large SUV will deliver more bang for the buck when it follows petrol variants into Australian showrooms in the third quarter of this year.

Armed with the petrol-electric hybrid powertrain from the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, the big wagon not only has more power and torque than the superseded Cayenne S E-Hybrid but will be a handy $9900 cheaper than before, at $135,600 plus on-road costs.

That pricing places the petrol-electric Cayenne between the base 3.0-litre turbo V6 Cayenne ($116,300) and the twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 Cayenne S ($155,100).

It also makes it dearer than Mercedes-Benz’s GLE500e ($129,500) and BMW’s X5 xDrive40e ($124,990), but cheaper than the Audi Q7 e-tron ($139,900).

Unveiled in Germany overnight, the E-Hybrid’s powertrain combines the recently enhanced 3.0-litre 250kW petrol V6 from the base Cayenne with a more powerful 100kW electric motor for combined power of 340kW – 31kW more than before.

This makes the E-Hybrid the most powerful plug-in SUV in its class, ahead of the Mercedes GLE500e (245kW), BMW X5 xDrive40e (180kW) and Audi Q7 e-tron (190kW).

The 2.3-tonne PHEV Cayenne can bolt from zero to 100km/h in 5.0 seconds flat, 0.9s faster than before, and on to a top speed of 253km/h.

A 30 per cent bigger, 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery now propels the E-Hybrid up to 44km on a charge and on to a maximum all-electric speed of 135km/h before the petrol engine kicks in.

Fuel consumption is rated at 3.4-3.2 litres per 100km on the European combined test cycle, which is a marginal gain over the previous model. Carbon dioxide emissions are also similar – 78-72 grams per kilometres now versus 79g/km before.

Peak torque rises from 550Nm in the superseded model to 700Nm, with all Newton metres available right from the get-go, thanks to electric motivation. This electric grunt is used to aid efficiency in standard driving modes, but switches to extra performance boost in the Sport and Sport Plus modes.

In Sport, the car re-charges the battery as you drive to prepare for another boost, while in Sport Plus, the car recharges the battery as quickly as possible.

This oomph is channelled to the tarmac via an eight-speed automatic transmission – shared with new petrol Cayennes – and all-wheel drive.

Porsches says the new Tiptronic transmission is faster and smoother than before, thanks to an electro-mechanical clutch.

The all-wheel-drive system has an electronically controlled clutch that Porsche claims delivers improved on-road driving dynamics and off-road capabilities.

Charging the water-cooled battery – mounted under the rear floor of the vehicle – on a standard home power socket takes 7.8 hours, but the e-Hybrid can be optioned with a 7.2kW on-board charger – double the standard item – to charge in just 2.3 hours on a high-speed 32amp socket.

Porsche’s active suspension is standard equipment, but it can be upgraded with the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control roll stabilisation. The vehicle is capable of towing trailer loads of up to 3.5 tonnes.

Standard equipment includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking, massage seats and an independent climate control system that can operate the heating and air-conditioning when the ignition is off.

In Australia, standard kit will also include a surround view camera, privacy glass, auto-dimming exterior and interior mirrors, rear side airbags, lane change assist, memory driver settings, and digital radio.

Options includes head-up display – the first in any Porsche – and 22-inch alloy wheels.



2018 Porsche Cayenne pricing*

Cayenne (a)	$116,300
Cayenne E-Hybrid (a)	$135,600
Cayenne S (a)	$155,100
Cayenne Turbo (a)	$239,400

*Excludes on-road costs