Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric driving report: And physics takes a short break

There is - once again - a new "most powerful production Porsche of all time". And after a spin in the new Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric, you immediately believe it. Even under normal conditions, the top version of the more elegant SUV variant has 630 kW (857 hp) at its disposal. In the overboost range, the turbo delivers an incredible 850 kW (1156 hp) and mobilizes an almost unbelievable torque of 1500 Nm. At the steering wheel, this results in a dizzying zoom effect when the 2.6-ton SUV storms to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds like a super sports car, hits the 200 km/h mark after 7.4 seconds and only brakes the electronics at 260 km/h top speed.

The new electric spearhead in the Porsche range is not just a demonstration of performance. Porsche has designed the coupé with a strikingly consistent driving experience in mind. As soon as you get in, you notice how low you sit. Not upright and enthroned as in many large SUVs, but rather integrated, almost tucked in. You don't look over the car, you sit in it. The optional sports seats reinforce precisely this impression with firm but long-distance-compatible lateral support. The result is a workplace that looks less like a family van and more like a large sports car.

That suits the shape. Although the 4.99-meter-long coupé adopts the front of the regular Cayenne Electric, it visibly takes its own direction from the A-pillar onwards. The flatter windshield frame, the coupé-like roofline, the flush-integrated rear window and the differently positioned rear spoiler noticeably change the proportions. Porsche calls this the "iconic flyline of the 911". This is not quite marketing-speak, because the line, which is only 24 millimeters flatter, actually makes the Cayenne Coupé a different car in appearance. Less beefy and powerful, more taut and sinewy. The fact that this reduces the drag coefficient by 0.02 to cW 0.23 cW and increases the WLTP range by 18 additional kilometers to 669 kilometers is more of a minor matter.

What is more interesting, however, is how little this all seems like a pure design exercise. On the road, the coupé does not drive like a fashionable offshoot of the familiar SUV, but like a more focused interpretation of the SUV concept. The steering is precise, clean and pleasingly direct. Particularly at higher speeds or on fast country roads, the car conveys a clarity and connection with the road that is far from a given in this vehicle class. The optional rear-axle steering also helps to make the almost five-meter-long car appear more manageable than its exterior dimensions would suggest. The top-of-the-range turbo version is also equipped with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus ex works, which keeps the heavy body surprisingly alert when cornering at speed.

The standard PASM air suspension does its job so convincingly that the question of the active high-end suspension "Porsche Active Ride" (8324 euros) can at least be asked. The optional system combines maximum comfort with high driving precision. But even the standard suspension keeps the body remarkably well under control without being unnecessarily harsh on poor roads. The Cayenne Coupé Electric's suspension is firm, but not harsh. It confidently filters out bumps without losing the decisive feel for the road and body movement.

The driving modes are clearly distinguishable. In normal mode, the coupé glides quietly and weightlessly enough to credibly show off its electric side. In Comfort mode, the steering is somewhat lighter, and everything seems more relaxed and suitable for long journeys. Sport and Sport Plus tighten the reins noticeably, but without tipping over into nervous exaggeration. This is pleasant because the Cayenne does not try to artificially dramatize its dynamics. It appears sorted in the best sense of the word. Even the enormous power of the turbo does not unfold as theater, but simply as an accessible fact.

Of course, it is still not possible to do without staging. In Sport mode, Porsche underlays the drive with an artificial carpet of sound that audibly plays with eight-cylinder impressions. This sounds better than it sounds, as the acoustics remain discreet and do not become intrusive. In Sport Plus, the sound becomes denser and more futuristic when decelerating. Anyone who generally rejects such sounds will not become a fan here either. Those who accept them as part of the driving experience will get a harmonious implementation.

However, the handling of an electric luxury-class SUV is now just as important as the driving dynamics. The Cayenne Coupé Electric adopts the new display and operating concept from the SUV version, which looks very tidy and basically follows a clear logic. The instrument display sits perfectly in view, the head-up display projects the most important information clearly into the field of vision, and the front passenger also has his own display (1951 euros) in front of him, on which he can control apps, videos or games - not visible to the driver. Above all, Porsche has done away with the bad habit of banishing every function to the depths of a touch menu. Haptic controls remain for central functions.

The small palm rest in front of the central display is also very successful. What sounds like a trivial feature actually proves to be a helpful detail for operating the central screen when driving. The so-called "flow display" is not an angular touchpad on the dashboard, but an elegantly curved eye-catcher that is harmoniously integrated into the center console - even if the lower horizontal surface is not always easy to read and tends to reflect depending on the incidence of light. Not a serious operating error, but just the kind of small imperfection that is immediately noticeable in a car that is actually very perfect.

The typical SUV usability is not neglected in the coupé either. While the front seats are naturally spacious and comfortable, taller people do not have to tuck their heads or legs in on the rear seats, despite the sloping roofline. The significantly longer wheelbase compared to the Cayenne with combustion engine creates noticeably more space here. The rear seats are electrically adjustable as standard, with a choice of two or 2+1 seats, and in the Coupé the backrest can also be electrically adjusted in two positions. The trunk alone is a good 240 liters smaller than the SUV with a maximum of 1313 liters, albeit still generous. The 90-liter frunk under the hood remains unchanged. Just like the generous three-ton towing capacity, which can be increased to 3.5 tons with the optional off-road package (1910 euros).

When it comes to assistance and warning logic, Porsche strives for restraint. The legally prescribed warning sounds remain comparatively discreet. The lane departure warning appears elegantly as a red line in the head-up display; only the augmented reality instructions can appear a little too present here, depending on taste. At least the system can be customized. The louvre-free ventilation also makes a good impression, as it works effectively without blowing draughts into your face. There are also comfort details such as ambient lighting with communication light and mood modes, panel heating and a panoramic glass sunroof with Sunshine Control.

The Cayenne Coupé Electric is just as fast at the charging station as it is on the road. The high-voltage battery has a gross capacity of 113 kWh and, thanks to the 800-volt architecture, charging takes place at suitable HPC columns with up to 390 or 400 kW. The jump from 10 to 80 percent should be possible in less than 16 minutes. Unfortunately, alternating current is only available with 11 kW as standard, but also with 22 kW for an extra charge of 1666 euros. Also for an extra charge (approx. 7000 euros), but a real innovation, is inductive charging, which allows the car to be conveniently charged at 11 kW via a base plate without a cable connection. Technically impressive, as we were able to experience for ourselves. But even more important in everyday life: the recuperation, i.e. the recovery of energy when the accelerator pedal is depressed or the brakes are applied, is exceptionally powerful at up to 600 kW and can be configured in three stages. From relaxed cruising to noticeable deceleration, everything is possible.

The surcharge compared to the SUV version for the 168,500 euro Turbo Coupé is 3,000 euros. The base model with 325 kW (442 hp) starts at 109,000 euros, while the mid-range S model with 490 kW (666 hp) starts at 130,300 euros. Prices that make it clear that the Cayenne Coupé Electric is not intended to be a rational electric solution. It is a genuine luxury product, albeit one with a fairly clear technical idea and a driving impression that has surprisingly little to do with the cliché of the heavy electric SUV. It is true that this Porsche also lives from numbers, from overboost, top speed and torque in irritating orders of magnitude. But it convinces where these numbers take shape in everyday life: in the low seating position, in the precise steering, in the controlled suspension comfort - and of course also in the moment when you press the pedal to the floor on the open road and the car folds the world backwards for a moment. (aum)

Data Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric

Length x width x height (m): 4.99 x 1.98 x 1.65
Wheelbase (m): 3.02
Drive: Electric, 630 kW (857 hp), overboost: 850 KW (1156 hp), all-wheel drive, 1-speed automatic transmission
Max. Torque: 1500 Nm
Top speed: 260 km/h
Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: 2.5 sec.
WLTP average consumption: 22.0-20.0 kWh
Battery capacity: 113.0 kWh
Range (WLTP): 576- 637 km
Max. Charging power: 11 kW AC/ 390 kW DC
Unladen weight / payload: 2650 kg / 600 kg
Trunk capacity: 500-1313 liters + 90 liters (frunk)
Towing capacity: 3000-3500 kg
Price: from 165,500 euros