Porsche Cayenne 2020 review: Coupe Turbo S E-Hybrid

At 4939mm long, 1989mm wide and 1653mm tall, there's no doubting the Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe is a large SUV, which is a good thing for its occupants.

Those up front are treated to plenty of space, divided by a wide centre console to really amplify that cockpit feel.

There are plenty of storage options, too, with a pair of cupholders located in the middle of the centre console, while a small tray resides in front, perfect for the key fob or some coins.

Behind is a lidded storage bin with a pair of USB-C ports located inside. Yep, there's no USB-A ports to be seen here, so make sure you have a newer cable, or purchase an adaptor if need be – this is clearly a Porsche with two feet (or four tyres) firmly positioned in the future.

The second row is a massive departure from the norm, with two bucket seats fitted in the Coupe instead of the usual three-seat bench from the wagon.

Two 12V power outlets can also be found up front alongside a decently sized glove box and big door bins that easily accommodate large bottles.

Porsche claims that by lowering the Coupe's rear seats by 30mm, it offers the same amount of headroom as the wagon. With the driver's seat set for my 184cm height, though, there was less than an inch between my scone and the roof, but that's not too bad for this niche.

There's no such compromise to legroom, however, as I had more than three inches of it to play with alongside an adjustable back rest, making finding the perfect position for longer journeys much easier.

Two cupholders are hidden in the fold-down centre armrest, while map pockets are naturally located on the back of the front seats.

Rear occupants are also treated to their own climate controls and therefore air vents, while two more USB-C ports are found at the rear of the centre console.

This layout optimises packaging and improves throttle response by shortening the length of the exhaust plumbing to the turbochargers.

Despite Porsche's trickery in the second row, it wasn't able to pull a rabbit out of a hat in the boot, where the Coupe's stylish tailgate has resulted in a 145L reduction in cargo capacity over the wagon (when comparing their Turbo S E-Hybrid forms).

That said, a family friendly 500L is still on offer, even with the electric motor, battery and other componentry in tow. Drop the 40/20/40 split-fold second row and there's 1440L.

Tie-down anchors are located at each corner of the boot floor. There's also a 12V power outlet but no spare wheel for the Turbo S E-Hybrid. Instead, you get tyre sealant and an electric air pump.

Maximum braked towing capacity is 3000kg, while unbraked is 750kg. Porsche's Trailer Stability Management system is standard.

The entire Cayenne Coupe range – and therefore the Turbo S E-Hybrid – hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or its European counterpart, Euro NCAP.

Standard features include anti-skid brakes (ABS), brake assist (BA), electronic stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, surround-view cameras and front and rear parking sensors.

It also comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), but this version only slows the vehicle down and doesn't bring it to a complete stop.

If you want such functionality, you'll have to tick the $3570 box for adaptive cruise control, which should be standard at this price point, with the same true of lane-keep assist, which costs $1220.

Eight airbags (dual front, front side and knee up front, and dual curtain for the rear) are fitted if the unfortunate occasion arises.

An active bonnet helps to reduce pedestrian injuries, while there are two top tether points and ISOFIX anchors for child seats and/or baby capsules in the second row.

Make no mistake, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is an absolute weapon in a straight line.

Porsche claims it sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in a scarcely believable 3.8 seconds. We say scarcely believable because the Turbo S E-Hybrid feels much quicker than that in reality due to the sheer violence of its initial shove.

Either way, it's only a tenth of a second quicker than the Turbo on paper, which hardly makes sense given its 96kW/130Nm advantage.

Well, it all comes down to weight; the Turbo S E-Hybrid is 335kg porkier (sorry, we had to) than the Turbo, but more on that later.

The instant torque of the electric motor is key to this visceral experience, of course, but it's certainly helped along by the hard-hitting 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Well, we're understating it a little bit.

The instant torque of the electric motor is key to this visceral experience, of course, but it’s certainly helped along by the hard-hitting 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

Either way, full-attack mode is only a push of the steering wheel's 'Sport Response' button away, with 20 seconds of savage acceleration on hand to help overtaking manoeuvres and the like.

Given how devastating the performance is, you'd be hoping to wash away speed with ease. Well, how does a set of carbon-ceramic brake discs sound? Not good enough? Okay, we'll raise you 10-piston callipers up front and four-pot stoppers at the rear.

It goes without saying that they're more than up to the task, and brake pedal feel is predictably good... unless you are driving around town with electric power only, at which point it instantly becomes wooden.

Inconsistency here is a hallmark of PHEVs, partly due to their regenerative braking systems, which use kinetic energy to gently recharge the battery using while on the move.

Despite being somewhat eco-friendly, the Turbo S E-Hybrid has one hell of a soundtrack to accompany its speed, with it easily confused with gunfire when on the overrun.

Granted our test vehicle was fitted with the optional sports exhaust system, but it still sounded phenomenal, so it's a must-have, no matter the cost.

Now it's time for a fun fact: the Cayenne takes its Turbo S E-Hybrid powertrain from the Panamera, but it makes one significant change...

While both models feature an eight-speed automatic transmission, the former goes for a torque-converter unit instead of the latter's dual-clutch set-up.

This is big news as smoother gear shifts result, particularly at low speed, all while not sacrificing that much in the way of quickness when driving with intent. It's so good, in fact, you hardly notice it doing its thing.

It comes with 22-inch alloy wheels.

Sporting intent or not, the Turbo S E-Hybrid still gets three-chamber air suspension with adaptive dampers as standard, which sounds like an amazing combination on paper.

In reality, it rides really well, particularly at speed, but a damper (pun intended) is put on this suppleness by its 22-inch alloy wheels, which are wrapped in low-profile tyres and manage to catch sharper road edges with ease, even in the comfiest setting.

Adjustment of these suspension settings, and that of the engine and transmission, are enabled by the Sport Chrono package's drive mode selector, which cycles through the obligatory Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Individual options.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid does, however, go one step further with E-Power and three hybrid modes: Hybrid Auto gives you the best of both worlds, while E-Hold maintains the battery's current level of charge, and E-Charge does a brilliant job of recharging it while on the move – at the cost of fuel consumption, of course.

Handling-wise, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is both a revelation and a relative disappointment. As we alluded to earlier, it comes with a significant weight penalty – one that cannot be ignored when attacking the twisty stuff.

Yes, the adaptive dampers and active anti-roll bars do a brilliant job of managing body roll (particularly the latter), but there's no denying 2535kg.

By comparison, prior experience shows the Turbo is much lighter on its feet, although it is a heavy proposition in its own right.

Make no mistake, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is an absolute weapon in a straight line.

Either way, the variable all-wheel-drive system on hand has torque vectoring, helping to provide next-level grip. Push hard into a bend and it simply won't budge, and the tyres barely make a whimper – it's impressive... most impressive.

And as we all know, Porsche loves to deliver a steering masterclass from time to time, and the Turbo S E-Hybrid is its latest instalment.

Yes, the power steering is electro-mechanical, but that doesn't mean its without feel. This is also a variable-ratio set-up, which means its lighter and easily manoeuvrable at low speeds and heavier and very stable at high speeds.

Our test vehicle was also fitted with rear-axle steering, a $4300 option, which makes for even sharper turn-in when carving up corners, or a smaller turning circle when navigating car parks and the like.