SPY PICS: Porsche Cayenne Coupe exposed

Here are the first pictures of Porsche’s inaugural Cayenne Coupe, which we first reported in June.

Porsche evidently hopes its chopped-roof SUV will follow the success enjoyed by the likes of BMW’s pioneering X5-based X6, which was followed by a series of stylised ‘coupe’ crossovers including the same company’s X2 and X4.

The original X6, which will soon be replaced in line with the next X5, also led to the creation of the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and upcoming Audi Q8, which along with the Maserati Levante will be direct competitors for the first Cayenne Coupe.

Porsche had originally planned to produce a coupe version of its smaller Macan before scuttling the idea, but given a second-generation Macan isn’t too far away, expect the family to include a Macan Coupe to rival the BMW X4, Mercedes GLC Coupe and Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

Clearly influenced by its BMW and Mercedes rivals, Porsche’s additional SUV model is pretty much all-Cayenne from the waistline down and still incorporates four doors.

But it’s topped by a lower, slinkier roofline featuring what appears to be a more heavily raked windscreen, and tailed by fresh take on its wagon equivalent with a more-sloping tailgate incorporating a sleeker, flatter roof spoiler and a (heavily disguised here) revised tail-light array.

Look closely and you’ll also see a vastly thicker C-pillar at the rear-end of much shorter and narrower side glass area. The fake silver window surround is there to divert your eyes from the dramatically sloping rear window line.

It’s expected the all-new German 4x4 coupe will be positioned as a sportier Cayenne derivative, eschewing diesel power in favour of a choice between biturbo 2.9-litre V6 and 4.0-litre V8 petrol engines selected from the third-generation Cayenne range just launched in Australia.

Word is that Porsche’s eight-speed Tiptronic S auto will be the standard transmission, but the massive brake rotors and callipers seen through the wheel spokes in these spy photos indicate something other than a regular Cayenne braking system.

These spy photos indicate the low-slung Porsche SUV is close to production sign-off, but the Cayenne Coupe is not due on sale in UK until the fourth quarter of 2019, so don’t expect it to arrive in Australia until early 2020.