Cayenne goes plug-in
If you want a practical Porsche plug-in hybrid, check out the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid, a more powerful, more efficient, slightly better-looking version of the greenest Cayenne variant. Showing off a few mild tweaks in the styling department (new quad-LED driving lights, for instance), the E-Hybrid is claimed as the first plug-in luxury SUV, and the third plug-in hybrid in Porsche’s model range.
Powered by a supercharged 3.0L V6 and a 95 hp electric motor, as in the Panamera EHybrid, this Cayenne puts out a total of 416hp and 435lb/ft of torque. The battery, a lithiumion unit, has a total capacity of 10.8kWh, and allows for an electric-only range of 36 km. The 0-100km/h time is a claimed 5.9 seconds, with a top-speed of 243 km/h.
In the Canadian market, this is a very interesting car. Like the two-wheel-drive Panamera, it retains the ability to hold on to that electric plug-in charge, or recharge the battery while moving, and then deploy it as needed. Blast into town along the highway and then flip over to electric-only once you hit the urban centres.
With an expanding range of SUVs and luxury sedans, you have to wonder whether Porsche is changing its focus. However, “Porsche will stay Porsche,” says Bernhard Maier, head of sales and marketing for the brand. “It is always the sportiest car in the segment. Best in class — that is what we aim for.”
While Porsche continues to claim that volume is not a primary concern, preferring instead to focus on a slower, more sustainable growth, crossovers like the Cayenne are a cash cow for the brand simply because they’re the sort of cars people want to buy. With demand for the Macan rapidly outstripping supply, the brand couldn’t be in a better position.
The real question, to my mind, is how soon the lessons learned in the Panamera and Cayenne E-Hybrids can be translated into a Porsche sports car the average person could realistically afford.