Twin Test: Porsche Cayenne S Coupe V8 and Cayenne e-Hybrid
One car, two very different flavors, but ultimately delivering the same peerless driving experience second to none. The question is, how do you prefer it to be served?
At the start of this year, I was invited to try the Porsche Cayenne S Coupe, equipped with a twin-turbo direct injected V8 engine outputting 468hp and 600 Newton-Meters of torque, powering all four wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission. And because it’s a proper V8, you get the burble quality you expect from a V8, which is gorgeous and truly soul-stirring. Because this particular test unit has a coupe body-style, it feels compact, like a big hatchback on stilts.
The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) keeps it light on its feet, but never runs out of answers for everything our bad roads throw at it. Imagine a large rally truck on mixed surface (dirt, tarmac and rocks) and you get the picture. The massive 6-piston front and 4-piston rear Brembo calipers finished in red clamp down on 410mm front 355mm rear discs respectively. These are barely contained within the 20-inch wheels shod in Hankook Ventus S1 Z sized in 255/55R20 in front and 295/45R20 at the back.
Towards the end of the year, I find myself driving another Cayenne, the e-Hybrid variant. The 2.9 Liter V6 produces a combined 463hp and a shade under 650 Newton-Meters of torque, more than the V8’s. In lieu of the 8-speed PDK, the e-Hybrid comes with the excellent 8-speed ZF8HP, a very sturdy transmission used in so many heavy-weight and high-torque applications in both European and American brands. It’s a plug-in hybrid too with a claimed 91km all-electric range in the city and 74km on the highway with a top electric-only speed of 135kmh. Battery capacity is a hefty 25.9kwh, typically a fourth of the size of many full EVs of this body size.
Aside from regenerative braking from the electric gubbins, it shares the same brake system as the Cayenne S, albeit in neon green colored Brembo brake calipers. Wheels and tire sizes are also the same, although our e-Hybrid was shod with Pirelli P-Zero tires.
The surprising part is that despite being a hybrid V6, the engine note at full throttle is very aggressive, something you don’t expect from well, a hybrid. It had character the same way the V8-equipped S does.
On the road, the e-Hybrid feels more comfortable than the sportier S Coupe. The new e-Hybrid is also updated:
The cabin receives a raft of changes for 2024 and beyond. The old dashboard layout has been swapped out in favor of a slicker, more screen-heavy arrangement similar to the Taycan EV. The gear selector has been moved up to the dashboard itself, freeing up the busy center console.
The original semi-analog gauge cluster gone, replaced by a fully digital, 12.6-inch LCD display. A head-up display is optional. A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard with the latest version of the automaker’s Porsche Communication Management (PCM) software, with built-in Spotify and Apple Music connectivity. An optional 10.9-inch touchscreen gives the front passenger something else to fiddle with. It can stream video while in motion, but according to Porsche, a special layer on the display prevents the driver from getting distracted to look.
So the inevitable question: what is better to own? Or to rephrase, what would you buy?
Well, both are Porsches, so both have the same sublime steering, progressively powerful brakes, a solid chassis, and an overall engaging experience that will just get you in the mood 99% of the time behind the wheel. The S Coupe is more unique, and has the better soundtrack. But the e-Hybrid has slightly more power, particularly more torque where you need it (down low) and that impressive all-EV range is handy especially in the city. And you are number coding exempt too!
In the end, it’s the price that just wins me over. Thanks to tax incentives, the e-Hybrid is significantly cheaper. It’s in fact the most affordable Cayenne, more so than the base V6. No wonder its the smart choice and it’s the one I would get, hands down. All the good driving characteristics one expects from a Porsche, and a few more advantages that makes the head rule over the heart, which still pines for that soulful V8.
Thankfully, if you really wanted the best of both worlds, there’s still the Cayenne Turbo e-Hybrid giving you PHEV benefits with a proper bi-turbo V8 and 729 combined HP!
