America has an issue. Well, truly it has plenty of issues, however the (small) one I’m speaking about right here is that it simply doesn’t appear to “get” plug-in hybrids. Sure, they promote right here, however how usually do folks truly plug them in? Even although there are actual advantages to doing so. We additionally have a tendency to think about PHEVs as being environment friendly, somewhat than as a efficiency car however Porsche is attempting to alter that with the most recent variations of its Cayenne E-Hybrid.
The new Cayenne is wonderful in commonplace, ICE-only kind. The 2023 Cayenne S is one of the best quick SUV on sale proper now and second place isn’t precisely shut. I drove the bottom Cayenne E-Hybrid which is powered by a turbocharged V6. That fuel engine and the hybrid system put out a mixed (and wholesome) 463 horsepower however whereas the baseline degree of sportiness of the Cayenne is there, I wouldn’t name it tremendous thrilling. Porsche is prepared with a treatment to this example with the 2024 Cayenne S E-Hybrid and, most excitingly, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.
Full Disclosure: Porsche wished me to drive the 2024 Cayenne S E-Hybrid and Turbo E-Hybrid so badly that it flew me to Barcelona the place I attempted to not eat an excessive amount of ham, however positively overindulged in cafe con leche and loved talking my very restricted Spanish with a hearty lisp.
Unlike the ICE Cayenne S and its turbocharged V8, the S E-Hybrid will get the identical V6 engine as the bottom E-Hybrid, but it surely will get an elevated energy output of 512 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. That comes from tweaks to the fuel engine and whereas I didn’t precisely have my hair set on fireplace by the efficiency (it’s nonetheless a heavy car at 5,311 kilos) and whereas I didn’t drive it back-to-back with the non-S E-Hybrid, it’s nonetheless a fairly spectacular SUV that hides its weight properly, even on an ultra-twisty Spanish highway close to Montserrat.
While the bottom E-Hybrid comes on the Cayenne’s critically good metal spring suspension, the S E-Hybrid comes with the identical two-valve, two-chamber air suspension that blew me away on the Cayenne S. The experience high quality on supply right here is great, as is the velocity with which the suspension reacts to modifications within the highway. There have been (as soon as once more) instances after I had the SUV in Sport Plus mode and forgot about it.
While the S E-Hybrid is probably going going to be the quantity vendor right here, essentially the most thrilling model is the Turbo E-Hybrid which successfully replaces the Turbo S E-Hybrid of the earlier technology. This monster makes a mixed 729 hp and 700 LB-FT of torque. Those are successfully supercar numbers, even when the 5,719 pound curb weight isn’t a supercar quantity. For some context, the Lucid Air Sapphire I drove not too long ago – a 1,234 hp EV with 429 miles of vary – suggestions the scales at simply over 5,300 lbs. The Turbo E-Hybrid is form of a porker of a Porsche.
Of course, that made Porsche’s invitation to come back and drive it on a monitor that’s used primarily for bikes much more intriguing to me. Like, Porsche is aware of sports activities automobiles and provides a shit about the way it’s perceived as a model, so these engineers should be mighty happy with their new technological terror in the event that they’re going to show a bunch of journos free.
Yeah, holy shit. This factor is wonderful. Sure, it’s nonetheless a really heavy SUV, but it surely’s shockingly agile and because of large carbon ceramic brakes, hauling that weight down from stratospheric speeds for corners is feasible for greater than a single lap. I’m not often an enormous fan of “high-performance SUVs.” It simply looks as if you’re asking one car to do the whole lot and the outcomes aren’t often nice. Just take a look at the Lamborghini Urus Performante for proof of this.
The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid (particularly with the GT package deal that we gained’t get within the US) feels planted and secure. That air suspension that provides the S and S E-Hybrid its magic experience now makes the Turbo E-Hybrid really feel prefer it’s prepared to interrupt the legal guidelines of physics. Make no mistake, that is no 911 Turbo (although our lead drivers have been in them) and no person will realistically ever take their Cayenne to the monitor, however the efficiency is actual.
Of course, my second on-track session marks the primary occasion of my getting carbon ceramic brakes smoking coming again into the pits. I’ve by no means felt so snug pushing one thing so large so laborious and that’s positively price one thing.
At the start of this factor, I talked about how America doesn’t plug in its plug-ins. Porsche has an answer to that, too. Sure, it’ll work finest should you do as you’re alleged to and juice it up nightly, however Porsche has designed the automotive to always monitor and high up its traction battery as you drive. This implies that you’re typically not going to be able the place you’re working on ICE solely and that’s good for gas economic system and mom earth gaia.
Porsche has additionally rigged up the E-Hybrids to remain in EV mode for means longer than you’d anticipate. During my drive on the Spanish Autovia (aka freeway), I needed to preserve checking to see if the combustion engine had engaged and typically, it hadn’t. Porsche hasn’t given us EPA gas economic system numbers, however I think that they’ll be fairly spectacular, particularly within the wildly highly effective Turbo model.
Ultimately, would I purchase any of the E-Hybrid fashions if it was my very own greenback? Hell yeah, I’d. If you’re the form of one that has an honest commute – even 30-40 miles a method – you’ll end up spending means much less on gasoline than you anticipate and also you’ll at all times be able to boogie, even should you forgot to plug in. Given the present state of America’s EV charging community (learn: piss-poor and unreliable), this center step is seeming increasingly more like a strong transfer.
Source: jalopnik.com