New Porsche Cayenne Coupe S: New SUV is just right

Porsche has dressed its big Cayenne SUV up in a dapper suit with some fresh coupe styling so it can take on the head-turning BMW X6 and Audi Q8.

A Porsche SUV might sound like an affront to the gods of motoring, but without one we might not have the brand’s irresistible sports cars. But the German maker has applied the same precision that makes its sports cars the world’s best in its new Cayenne Coupe SUV, and the S version isn’t too hot or too cold, it is just right. Here are five things you need to know.

The Cayenne Coupe adds some style to the brand’s SUV range.

1. It was inevitable

The original Porsche Cayenne saved a famous brand from the brink of financial failure, shifting the fortunes of Germany’s sports car specialists. The new Cayenne Coupe reflects Porsche’s commitment to the SUV cause, following the likes of BMW’s X6, Audi Q8 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe by catering to growing demand for svelte spin-offs based on high-riding wagons.

The Coupe version costs $10,000 more for the mid-range S version.

2. Style Doesn’t come cheap

The coupe option adds $10,000 to the ticket of the mid-range Cayenne S, making it $166,200 plus on-roads or about $182,000 drive-away. Swoopy-roof looks also come at a cost to practicality. The rear seat has space for only two passengers and boot space has shrunk by 147L compared to the regular Cayenne. While we’re whining, Porsche’s options list is long and expensive — paying $4870 for adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance is rough for what’s standard in a Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla. Safety tech includes 10 airbags, servicing costs about $2000 for three years and claimed thirst is 10L/100km.

The Coupe’s interior is plush, but you’ll need to tick a few options to get some tech that included on some small mainstream hatches.

3. Clever — if you have the coin

Tech types will appreciate the widescreen infotainment display and split digital dash of the Cayenne, which feels modern and connected and is beautifully finished. Optional tech includes active anti-roll bars and self-levelling air suspension to keep its mass in check. Rear-wheel steering trims the turning circle and the torque vectoring differential lends agility in the bends. Tungsten carbide coated brake discs improve its stopping performance while minimising brake dust. Matrix LED lights illuminate the path ahead without blinding oncoming traffic and night view assist uses a thermal camera to help avoid pedestrians and wildlife after dark. The catch is that you need to budget about $30,000 to add all that desirable kit to the car.

The S version’s engine is the sweet spot in the range.

4. Goldilocks lives under the bonnet

In the middle of the range, the Cayenne S is powered by a sweet-sounding 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with 324kW/550Nm (essentially the same motor as Audi’s mouth watering RS5 sports coupe) and clocks 0-100km/h in five seconds flat. You can go a second slower with the regular 250kW Cayenne or a second faster with the 404kW Cayenne Turbo, at respectively $30,000 less and $90,000 more. Forget about the 500kW hybrid range-topper unless you have at least $300,000 to spend. The Cayenne S is all the Porsche SUV you need.

The Coupe doesn’t just enjoy highway driving but lives corners, too.

5. It drives like a Porsche

Of course no two-tonne four-wheel drive is going to handle exactly like a sports car. But the traits that make Porsche a dynamic benchmark — punchy engines, accurate steering and brakes that are impervious to fade — combine in holistically engineered cohesion of a kind rarely found in any class of vehicle. Quiet and comfortable on highways, the Cayenne S has an appetite for bends.

Porsche Cayenne S Coupe vitals

Price: From $166,200 plus on-road costs

Warranty/service: 3 Years/unlimited Km, About $2000 For 3 Years

Safety: Not Rated, 10 Airbags, AEB, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, 360-degree Camera

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, 324kW/550Nm

Thirst: 10L/100km

Spare: Inflation kit

Originally published as New Porsche Cayenne Coupe S: New SUV is just right