Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid 2019 Review

Called by their official model designations, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe are each a mouthful. The new range-toppers for Porsche’s large SUV family not only arrive as the most expensive high-riding wagons the company sells, but also as the most powerful.

Combining the current Cayenne Turbo’s 404kW twin-turbo petrol V8 with a 100kW/400Nm electric motor delivers a prestige SUV and matching SUV Coupe with effective outputs of 500kW and 900Nm.

That’s more even than the mechanically similar Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid that debuted this generation of Porsche plug-in hybrid hardware.

In fact, the powertrain output equates to super (or perhaps even hyper) car numbers from just a few years ago. Yet they are delivered in a civilised, indeed luxurious SUV that very probably will be as at home on a frozen lake or sunbaked sand dune, as the unrestricted autobahns of its home country.

Of course, the point of difference between the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and its over $50,000 cheaper Porsche Cayenne Turbo counterpart is not just 96kW and 130Nm.

Crucially for markets like Europe and increasingly China, the Turbo S E-Hybrid can, at the rotation of a steering-wheel dial, transform itself from an autobahn stormer to an e-SUV and access zero-emission zones and city centres.

Or you can unplug from home and if your commute is around the Aussie average (circa 17km), drive with zero (local) emissions to work. In fact, Porsche claims that with a full charge, the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid can travel up to 40km and at speeds of up to 135km/h without troubling the gods of combustion.

The reality of that distance claim is very likely to be less -- and our drive, in record 40-degree heat, much on unrestricted autobahns, was not the ideal opportunity to test its bona fides.

Nevertheless, in Hybrid Auto mode, it was clear the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and its Coupe counterpart were more than happy to cruise at around 120km/h with the twin-turbo V8s sleeping, silent but ready for action.

This at least augurs well for the car’s efficacy in speed-limit obsessed Australia.

At $288,000 and $292,700 respectively, the new V8 twin-turbo plug-in hybrid Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe are serious coin.

That said, in comparison to competitors like the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga (both of which share some mechanical foundations), the Porsches look a little more competitive.

Consider too that less powerful Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Turbo S E-Hybrid is a staggering $185,500 more than the wagon version of the Cayenne range-topper.

Due to arrive Down Under in October 2019 as 2020 models (along with three other non-hybrid Porsche Cayenne Coupe variants, the Turbo S E-Hybrid pair benefit from a number of tweaks (also to make it into other Cayenne models) that sees wireless Apple CarPlay, Type C USB functionality and inductive smartphone charging added for the first time.

These new features are very much the tip of the iceberg, in terms of the standard equipment offered in what are the range-topping variants of Porsche’s top-end-of-town SUV.

Aussie Turbo S E-Hybrids will come standard with Sports Chrono, torque vectoring, power steering plus, and up to 22-inch wheels (in the case of the Coupe). Other equipment includes a panoramic sunroof and privacy glass, seat cooling (front only) and comfort access. You’ll also be able to precondition (heat or cool) your S E-Hybrid remotely while it’s plugged-in.

Still, Porsche has a reputation for leaving some features on the cutting room floor even in its most expensive models and the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid will likely be no exception.

At least on this occasion, the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Coupe sport carbon-ceramic brakes, active air suspension (which can deliver from 162-245mm ground clearance and automatically lowers at pace) and advanced connectivity and infotainment.

As a big-ticket SUV, you’ll expect big performance from the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and it delivers – although not in a league all of its own.

Top speed is a supercar-like 295kmh and the way it accelerated past 260km/h on our test drive suggests there’s much more to be had in Porsche’s typical understating MO.

Yet while the 0-100km/h acceleration time of the wagon version of the S E-Hybrid at 3.8sec is impressive in isolation, it’s only 0.1sec faster than the near $50K cheaper Cayenne Turbo. The S E-Hybrid’s double-ton comes up in 13.2sec -- the Chrono-equipped Turbo at 14.6sec is 1.4sec slower.

One of the challenges the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid faces (in spite of the 900Nm it has on tap over 1500-5000rpm) is the additional mass of the electric motor, battery and extra widgets required to manage, charge and discharge it.

At 2490kg (the S E-Hybrid Coupe is 45kg heavier), the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is a significantly heavier than its pure petrol counterpart (circa 300kg!).

From a standing start then, the S E-Hybrid’s extra kgs and Nm just about cancel themselves out. Once moving and in Sport or Sport Plus mode, where maximum e-boost can be delivered, the performance is, errr… electric.

This in-gear overtaking urge is one of the practical reasons performance buyers might still opt for the S E-Hybrid over its barely slower pure-petrol Turbo counterpart.

Of course, the raison d’etre of the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is the pure EV performance it offers. In E-Power mode 0-100km/h comes up in 6.6sec and an EV top speed of 135km/h is easily accessed.

Power is still delivered via the all-wheel drive system. Rather than an on-axle set-up, the Turbo S E-Hybrid’s electric motor is located between the engine and gearbox with the attendant efficiency benefits.

Charging of the 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery is possible via a normal domestic plug, home charging station or destination charger. In the case of the latter, a fill will take about 2.4 hours. Topping up at home is a six-hour proposition -- super-fast DC charging is not offered.

Unlike pure EVs, of course, the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid can charge itself while on the move or indeed hold its battery charge in reserve. The driver is able to choose from E-Hold or E-Charge modes, which do exactly what they say.

Hybrid Auto mode invokes the most efficient drivetrain utilisation -- switching between electric, petrol and/or combination of both as necessary.

As you’d expect, Sport and Sport Plus are the Porsche SUV equivalent of ‘party mode’ in Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes-AMG Silver Arrow F1 car – as far as the battery condition is concerned, it’s then a scorched earth policy once the loud pedal is pushed.

It’s just as well then that Aussie Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrids get a high level of driver aids as standard. Now lumped under the umbrella term of Porsche InnoDrive (at least in the European market), the assistance systems include adaptive cruise control that uses navigation data to improve comfort and efficiency, AEB, stop and go functions in traffic, and even predictive pedestrian protection. Night vision is an option.

Like most luxury brands, Porsche persists with a three-year unlimited-km warranty.

There is more to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid than just the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and some LG Chem cells.

The combination of the V8 and the electric motor drive through an excellent eight-speed automatic gearbox and Porsche’s own Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system combined with a torque-vectoring system, optional rear-wheel steering and more active and semi-active systems and acronyms than you can point a computer-controlled active damper at!

This is all hidden under an undeniably handsome wagon body that in its third generation has finally found comfort in its own skin. It’s not curvy and pretty in the way the Porsche Macan manages to be, but this generation of Cayenne is not likely to offend -- even Porsche tragics.

There’s good space in the two rows (there’s no third-row option for the Cayenne (call Audi about an SQ7) and although the luggage floor is raised to accommodate the battery et al, there is still decent luggage space – Porsche says 645-1605 litres in the case of the wagon.

As we detailed in our world and local launches of this generation, the Cayenne’s cabin is an excellent space in which to spend time.

There are myriad finishes from which to choose and a substantial number of interior options. As you would expect from its $300K-plus as-tested pricetag, the wow factor is in residence.

The strength of Porsche’s original SUV has always been its on-road credentials and that applies equally to the latest version, including the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.

On twisty, tight Belgian roads not so very far away from Spa-Francorchamps, you’re always aware of the size of the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid but rarely so its bulk.

There’s decent feel and predictability through the wheel and thanks to Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), body roll is almost eliminated – there’s just enough to feel right.

The big (440mm fronts with ten-piston callipers) carbon brakes are easily up to the task and deliver an extra bit of security in case you want to step up the pace.

It’s a shame the brake pedal is so inconsistent in terms of feel. This is obviously a function of the combination of regenerative and mechanical braking but it’s not a high point.

But boy does this thing munch miles. With the elevated speeds possible on our test route, a 150km highway leg disappears in under an hour. The toughest thing drivers of the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe will face on Australian roads is keeping their licences.

And perhaps a withering stare from the anti-SUV brigade.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid can even tow. Porsche rates the max load at 3000kg -- same as the normal Turbo -- with a tow ball down weight max of 120kg. There’s 100kg roof load permissable on the wagon and 75kg on the Coupe – on the understanding you don’t option a carbon roof on the latter.

Wading depth is reduced on the Turbo S E-Hybrid (Porsche couldn’t confirm by how much) and there is no Off-road Pack offered. The two factors are linked – normal Turbo Cayennes are pre-prepped for the off-road add-ons which gifts them the extra water fording ability. There is no off-road option on any Cayenne Coupes variant.

The chances of water fording depth being a purchasing factor for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe are, it needs be said, on the ‘extremely’ side of unlikely.

There’s a suggestion that on-road the stylised Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe delivers a very small performance increment over its five-door wagon counterpart but that’s more wishful thinking than reality.

About the only factor that separated the two on our drive was the fastback proved a little quieter – especially in terms of tyre noise. Hard to justify why, but that was the case.

Porsche Australia thinks it has “under called” the popularity of the Cayenne Coupe, however – and that will likely equally apply to the most expensive, most powerful variant offered.

With the arrival of the Turbo S E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe, the Cayenne has reached rarefied air; in terms of performance and pricetag.

In Europe where zero-emission zones are a reality and charging infrastructure better developed than Australia, there’s some attraction to the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s green performance promise. But Down Under, I’m not convinced…

Indeed, there’s probably a decent chance that the plug-in hybrid capability of the range-toppers won’t be a huge factor in many purchasers’ decisions.

As far as the rich listers are concerned, the two Turbo S E-Hybrids are very simply Cayennes with the lot. For many buyers and especially the badge snobs, that will count for enough.

How much is a 2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid (wagon)?
Price: $288,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 turbo-petrol/electric hybrid
Output: 500kW/900Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 3.7-3.9L/100km (NEDC – derived from WLTP)
Electricity: 18.7-19.6kWh/100km
CO2: 85-90g/km (NEDC – derived from WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested