Porsche Cayenne’s E-Hybrid is More Nimble than Ever

Plug-in hybrid technology can go several ways, in directions that are more malleable and tunable than hybrids that are not plug-ins. That is why some marques use the systems to provide primarily electric experiences that need plugging in to work. While some marques use electrics to support big-engine power and a little bit of full-electric use, Porsche, it seems, has taken what many consider the most sophisticated route—the one with a base that really brings out its best in basic hybrid mode. Is this perhaps why racecar drivers and Porsche enthusiasts are saying the E-Hybrid Cayenne is the best of the breed?

It brakes the way it should, it’s more nimble than ever, and it’s taken what it’s learned from racing electrics and the Taycans. Power recuperation is so good that the car outperforms almost everything else in terms of electric efficiency, while still feeling and acting pretty much the way a Porsche is expected to—all within an extremely approachable platform, if not welcoming, to more drivers.

The addition of the E-Hybrid system to the Porsche Cayenne family has arguably turned it into the best example of how to properly combine fuel and electric propulsion for most people, all
while still keeping the soul of Stuttgart alive. Earlier Cayennes felt big and bulky, but were still hugely fun to drive—and still Porsche. The GTS model line brought them even more towards the desires of serious enthusiasts. But it is the inclusion of the electric motors that has made it, for many, the true example of the best of the breed.

The E-Hybrids are now, by numbers, the quickest of the Cayenne bunch, yet they are also the most sophisticated. The current model Cayennes benefit from improved suspension systems, with Porsche having moved around a fair bit with different chamber choices before settling, currently, on two air chambers. Because Porsche has always been building handling into the mix (and has pretty much nailed that down), the new suspension shows how well they have
sorted out the comfort side. The new Cayennes may feel even lighter, tighter, and more manageable to some than the internal combustion Macans, which are still being sold alongside the full electric Macan models. The Cayenne has made that much of a jump.

This is most evident in the fact that what people are raving about aren’t the top-end cars like the Turbo E-Hybrid models. They’re great, with a four-liter V8 under the hood and all. But what really seems to get those who know their stuff is that the base model Cayenne E-Hybrid is
pretty much spot on already. Two less cylinders, yes, but already with 470 PS which has four less than the internal combustion-only S model, but is quicker to 100 kph. The S E-Hybrid is even quicker and outdoes the performance numbers of the fuel-only GTS.

What Porsche has done, then, is make the E-Hybrid system (at its most basic) already a stellar sporty drive. It is telling the world that pairing and tuning the two technologies the way it has allows it to achieve a combination of handling, performance, and comfort that is just unavailable otherwise.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report Philippines’ Car Issue 2025.