We Blog Any Car had the chance to try the new 2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid.

This is a very interesting vehicle because it is a 3.0 V6 petrol supercharged engine connected to a electric motor.

 

From the outside you will notice that it has special green touches to remind you that this is an environmentally friendly vehicle. It has: green “E Hybrid” badges on the front wings, Cayenne written in green on the rear boot and you can’t miss the bright green brake cailpers.

  

 

Inside it’s the same as the normal Cayenne with its splendid Porsche build quality.  I really do like the feel of the damped switches on the centre console and the supportive seats.

It has a huge centre storage box which doubles up as a centre armrest for the driver and passenger.

 

 

 

Sitting behind the wheel you will find that the driving position is good and it has a neat small steering wheel.  Overall visibility is brilliant because you have a commanding driving position and view of the road.

 

In the rear there is more than enough room for 3 adults to sit happily on a long journey as there is plenty of head and leg room.

 

Now onto how this car feels on the open road……………..

 

The first thing you notice when turning the key is the sound of……………………. nothing!!!!!  

There is just a beep to show you that the car is turned on and ready to move.

 

When put into mode you just set off silently.  It is an eerie feeling! My mind was asking “this is a Porsche? Where is the roar?” When you press the right pedal harder it is then that the petrol motor comes in. It’s a seamless transition if you are not hard on the right pedal. You can waft around in silence if you don’t want to be a racer.  I did find it very strange driving a Porsche with no engine sound, especially in a vehicle as large as this.

 

When you do step on the loud pedal (the accelerator) you get a combination of electric motor and the petrol engine.  It is smooth and gives you the feeling that you are not going that fast…….. but you must check your speed as it is deceptively quick, especially from 30 to 70 mph.

 

I did notice, whilst driving down the road, intriguing sounds coming from maybe the rear??  I will guess it’s from the battery pack. It’s an electronic whizzing sound which I like. It reminded me of the intro of Kraftwerk’s “Robots.”

 

The sound that comes from the engine is brilliant.  Check the video below.

The steering in this Cayenne feels light and very positive  (it’s even smooth over the UK pole holes)! I noticed that this SUV is heavier than the regular Diesel Cayenne. This is especially noticeable when you feel the need to apply the brakes “HARD.” When you do do this you can feel the weight transfer through the vehicle from your seat and then to the brake pedal. To remedy this apply more brake pedal pressure and the Cayenne will come to a halt.  I will not mark it down for this because the battery pack is under the boot floor and it all contributes to the weight.

The Cayenne S E-Hybrid weighs 2,425 kg, compare that to the Cayenne S Diesel which weighs 2,335 kg.

During my short time with the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, it was tested on a mix of “HARD” dual carriageway and A road driving.  Its average fuel consumption was 23.9 mpg. (Remember we didn’t have chance to charge the batteries).

 

Porsche’s approximate charging times is 2.7 hours with 3.6 kW on-board charger and 1.3 hours with 7.2 kW on-board charger.

 

They also say typical electric range during everyday driving is between 11 – 23 miles.

 

 

When driving the Cayenne S E-Hybrid forget the Porsche signature centre rev counter. My favourite thing to watch is the screen on the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system. The Energy Flow screen is where you can see how you are driving the car and what power source you are using. It does make you think about being smooth on the accelerator pedal.

Check out the short video demo below.

 

We Blog Any Car stats:

  • 3.0 litre V6 engine
  • Supercharger
  • 333 hp
  • 95 hp from its electric motor
  • 590 Nm total torque
  • 150 mph max speed
  • 5.9 seconds 0 to 62 mph
  • 8-speed Tiptronic S auto gearbox
  • Fuel consumption in mpg (Combined 85.6, 83.1)
  • 79 CO2 emissions
  • £ 65,784.00 on the road price

 

WE BLOG ANY CAR THOUGHTS…………….

In all honesty I was slightly worried about it not “feeling” like a Porsche.  I needn’t have worried. You know you are in a Porsche as soon as you get in.  Even with its electric capabilities, it has Porsche DNA running through its core.

 

It has that tight Porsche feel even on the move.

 

Also this Porsche is great for arriving and departing in the early hours from your house without waking up your neighbourhood in E-Hybrid mode.