It’s a Porsche SUV with a 17-mile EV range
Cayenne Coupe loses a bit of cargo space but makes up on style
Porsche lets you pick from a dizzying array of options
Porsche has already shown that it can do amazing things with both SUVs and with plug-in hybrid models. Now the automaker is combining both of those concepts with one of its other bests: The extra-stylish crossover coupe body shape. It’s the Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid and we help answer: Should you buy one?
The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is a little bit confusing. Yes, this coupe has five doors, and yes, it offers enough ground clearance to tackle trails you’d probably never consider trying. So what makes it a coupe? It starts at about the B-Pillar.
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
From that B-Pillar rearward, the Cayenne Coupe’s roof drops much more quickly than the upright standard Cayenne. Porsche calls that one the Cayenne SUV if you’re following along. By the time you reach the end of the rear door, the roof height is about half of the SUV’s (looking from the top of the doors upward), and the drop happens more quickly from there.
It’s sort of an automotive mullet. Look at it from the window sills down, it’s clearly an SUV. Look at it from the sills up and it’s a coupe. A sleek hatchback sedan, at least, but the German auto industry decided that was a coupe more than a decade ago.
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
E-Hybrid means this one has Porsche’s plug-in hybrid system. Integrated into the eight-speed automatic is an electric motor that can generate 134 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, with that torque from below a gas engine’s idle through 2,400 rpm.
It’s enough power to move the Cayenne Coupe at highway speeds, but not to accelerate at a level that’s sufficiently Porsche. So there is a gas engine, Porsche’s single-turbo 3.0L engine that makes 335 hp and 332 lb-ft.
The total? A GTS-beating 455 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. With the added benefit of 17 miles (27 km) of electric range followed by 21 mpg (11.3 L/100 km) combined once the battery pack runs out.
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
What does the Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid compete with? BMW offers its X5 with a PHEV xDrive45e, so does Audi with the Q5. Neither comes close to this level of propulsion or handling prowess. Nor do they offer the desirable crossover-coupe body.
In late 2022, Porsche upgraded the Cayenne’s infotainment system. The tweaks include built-in Spotify, new appearance and tile changes, and wireless Android Auto – it already had wireless CarPlay. All very handy for an already well-integrated system.
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
The Cayenne’s cabin is big on emphasizing the model’s sportiness. That includes heavily bolstered seats, Porsche’s traditional gauge array, and the quick-access switches to turn on the SUV’s various sports modes. All of which greatly transform the SUV’s character.
Porsche prices the Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe from $91,800 in the US and $105,300. Porsche then gives you nearly endless levels of customization, letting you add only the options you want (heated or ventilated seats are available a la carte), or adding on tens of thousands in performance and appearance extras (like the Lightweight Sport Package). It’s a level of configuration not often found in modern vehicles, so if you’re ordering your own Cayenne this can add plenty of fun at the dealer ahead of time.
Why You Should Buy a 2022 Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
- It’s a 455 hp Porsche that can get you to work and back using zero gasoline.
- When the gas engine was on, we saw an impressive fuel economy average in the 9 L/100 km range (around 25 mpg).
- This is a model you can tick only the exact options you want.
- Porsche’s adaptive suspension and dynamic chassis control transform this crossover into a big beast that can out-corner anything in this size class.
- Cargo space is bigger than the numbers suggest, as long as you’re not planning on hauling items higher than the bottom of the rear glass.
- Rear headroom still enough for tall adults, despite the stylish roofline.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a 2022 Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid
Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid | Photo: Evan Williams
- If you’re ticking more than one or two option boxes, the almost as powerful and much quicker Cayenne Coupe GTS becomes a performance bargain. If you’re looking at a loaded model, the 670 hp Turbo S E-Hybrid is even harder to ignore
- Coupe body shape offers just 17.6 cubic feet (498L) of space behind the rear seats, less than some compact crossovers.
- Though it has 455 hp on paper, this Cayenne never felt as quick as the numbers told us it should.
- Highway ride was twitchy, with the Cayenne begging us to drive more quickly than the legal limit and good sense would allow, though it did reward you when it was off-ramp time.
- At this price point, we’d want a lot more electric range than the E-Hybrid can offer.
Final Word
The Porsche Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid can do everything the Cayenne SUV can do, including going off-road further than you’d expect. But it does it by trading a little bit of ultimate cargo capacity for style. With the E-Hybrid powertrain, it sips fuel while delivering Porsche-level performance. We’d just like a little more of that performance because we think that 455 hp should feel a bit quicker than this does.
