Porsche had a lot to learn from the 918 program in terms of developing new hybrids. And they have taken their know-how and put it into the latest Cayenne E-Hybrid.
Unveiled a couple of weeks ago, the hybrid SUV isn’t billed as a “green” car, even if it cuts back on CO2 emissions and offers 88 UK mpg (73 US mpg / 3.2 lt/100 km) on a combined cycle. Instead, Porsche refers to it as a proper sports car.
It’s priced almost identically to the Cayenne S, which uses a twin-turbo petrol V6. However, the E-Hybrid has more power and torque and better fuel consumption, but also a weight penalty of some 300 kg (661 lbs). That’s due to the hybrid system, which slightly affects the handling, but doesn’t ruin it.
By combining a turbo’d 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor, the Cayenne E-Hybrid has a total output of 461 PS (455 HP / 339 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. This allows it to sprint from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.8 seconds, and up to a top speed of 252 km/h (157 mph).
Also Read: 3rd vs 2nd Gen Porsche Cayene: Is The New Model Fresh Enough?
It also has a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides the juice for the electric motor. It can be charged in as low as 2.3 hours via the optional 7.2 kW onboard charger and a 230V connection with 32 amps, or 7.8 hours with the standard 3.6 kW onboard charger and a 230V connection with 10 amps.
Drivers can choose between one of four driving modes, EV being the default one. Hybrid is the one suitable for daily drive, as it can automatically switch between the electric motor and internal combustion engine, and it can use both units at the same time, too.
AutoExpress recently jumped behind the wheel of the hybrid Cayenne and they were quite impressed – but let’s see what they had to say about it in the following video.