Love them or hate them, SUV-coupes are here to stay. BMW pioneered the segment with the X6 in the late aughts, and now nearly every upscale automaker offers its own fastback version of a popular crossover.
Porsche entered the fray with the Cayenne Coupe in 2020, and it isn’t wasting any time bringing out a sloped-roof version of the all-new Cayenne Electric. Meet the Cayenne Coupe Electric, Porsche’s fastest and most aerodynamic Cayenne yet.
The Cayenne Coupe Electric will launch with base, S, and Turbo trims, all with identical powertrain and power specifications to their SUV brethren. That means an 800-volt architecture, 400-kW DC fast charging, and a claimed 10-80% recharge time of just 16 minutes.
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Source: Porsche
I drove the Cayenne Turbo last month and was impressed by its performance .The blend of ride and handling offered by Porsche’s Active Ride suspension system truly blew me away. I was also pleasantly surprised by its massive, curved touchscreen. You can check that video and article out here, but for this one, I’ll be focusing on how the Coupe variant differs from the SUV.
While its front end is identical, the Cayenne Coupe Electric gets a new roofline from the A-pillar back, which sits 0.8 inches lower than the SUV’s. Like its sibling, it gets an active rear spoiler and flaps that deploy from the sides of the rear bumper to smooth air flow for better high-speed stability.
The tweaks reduce the Cayenne’s already-impressive 0.25 coefficient of drag to just 0.23—putting this full-size SUV at the same figure the Tesla Model 3 launched with, even if it does have a larger frontal area. It also increases range by 9 miles (15 km) in Europe’s WLTP testing, compared to the standard car.
Photo by: Porsche
The overall effect is something that looks more like a high-waisted fastback (think Polestar 2) than a conventional SUV. I’ll be honest, the coupe-SUV concept is an acquired taste for me, but it’s executed well here. It looks appropriately mean from the rear three-quarter view and in profile. If you’re into this sort of vehicle, the Coupe Electric is likely to please.
Of course, the sloped roofline brings sacrifices in practicality. Rear-seat headroom is reduced, and cargo volume behind the rear seats shrinks by about 8.7 cubic feet from 27.6 cubic feet in the SUV to 18.9 in the Coupe. There are a few clever storage pockets for smaller items, but if your regular activities involve hauling kids’ strollers or IKEA furniture, the conventional SUV will suit you better.
Photo by: Porsche
The 844-horsepower (1,156 hp with overboost) Cayenne Turbo Electric is already Porsche’s most-powerful road car ever, and the Coupe variant ups the ante. The Sport Chrono package comes standard on Coupe variants, and Porsche adds an optional Lightweight Sport package, which cuts weight by about 39 pounds (17.6 kg). The package swaps the standard panoramic glass roof for carbon fiber and adds a Race Tex headliner and Pepita seat inserts. 22-inch wheels shod in performance tires are also included.
Expect the Cayenne Coupe Electric to reach dealerships in its home market of Germany this summer. U.S. pricing isn’t available yet, but in Germany it will start at €109,000 for the base mode, €130,300 for the S, and €168,500 for the Turbo.