Porsche vehicles may be fast, but they’re not quick enough to outrun the rapid onset of emissions regulations. That’s why it revised all three powertrains in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne to run leaner, as well as meaner. But the performance brand had to make some difficult decisions on how and where its bestseller will be sold.
This refresh to the third-gen Cayenne represents the mid-size SUV’s most significant update since the Cayenne nameplate was introduced in 2002. The changes assure it will still be fresh when sold alongside the fourth generation that launches with the full battery electric Cayenne in 2026. The electric Porsche Macan arrives first in 2024. Until then, Porsche brought back a new iteration of the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 in the Cayenne S, and it’s opting to forgo sales of the rip-roaring 650-hp Turbo GT in India, most Asian countries, and its home continent of Europe. Mark this the beginning of the end of the V-8.
It’s the 2024 Cayenne E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid that may provide the clearest indicator of where Porsche is going and how it’s going to get there.
![2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid](https://world-of-cars.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/review-2024-porsche-cayenne-e-hybrid-bridges-the-ev-gap.jpg)
2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
For 2024, Porsche swaps in a 25.9-kwh battery pack in place of the former 17.9-kwh unit in the cargo floor. It will increase the electric range beyond the 15 miles of its predecessor, but Porsche could not certify by how much at press time.
In driving out of L.A. and into southern California—where Porsches seem as numerous as Teslas—it seemed as if 20 miles may be the new floor, with 30 miles of range as the possible ceiling. Instead of dramatic changes, the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid continues to take incremental steps since it was first launched in 2011.
It now has an 11-kw onboard charger that lowers the charge time of the larger battery to 2.5 hours; the outgoing model had a 7.2-kw charger and a charge time of about three hours.
The E-Hybrid marries an updated 3.0-liter turbo-6 with a new but similarly sized electric motor producing 174 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque compared to 134 hp and 295 lb-ft in the predecessor. As a whole, output increases from 455 hp to 463 hp but torque drops from 516 lb-ft to 479 lb-ft. The more powerful motor hits harder and quicker, Porsche spokesperson Calvin Kim explained.
This results in a 0-60 mph time that improves by a tick, from 4.7 to 4.6 seconds, by Porsche’s measures. It sheds its 5,348-pound curb weight seemingly without effort, yet from a stop it doesn’t have the same front lift as the Cayenne S that hits 60 mph in 4.4 seconds with the Sport Plus pack. There are no known plans for the return of the 670-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid.
![2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid](https://world-of-cars.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/review-2024-porsche-cayenne-e-hybrid-bridges-the-ev-gap-1.jpg)
2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
Cayenne S Coupe or E-Hybrid SUV?
I tested the Cayenne S Coupe in the morning and the Cayenne E-Hybrid SUV in the afternoon. It’s an imperfect comparison. The difference in the Coupe and SUV body styles is negligible at 65 pounds in favor of the SUV, but by my eye the Coupe better looks the Porsche part. Its tucked tail better mirrors the Taycan and, to a lesser degree, the 911. The cut into cargo space—3.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats—wasn’t that significant either.
Both models were equipped with the optional air suspension and sport exhaust system; the former made more sense for the E-Hybrid. The E-Hybrid felt heavier, chunkier, and the extra 474 pounds over the Cayenne S could be felt in turns, in spite of the standard adaptive dampers. The V-8 Coupe went in and out of turns with more grace and stability, and while cruising, it felt quieter. Even with the panoramic sunroof standard on the Coupe, it felt more cocooned than the E-Hybrid, which had 21-inch aero wheels instead of the 22-inch RS wheels on the Cayenne S. The Cayenne S Coupe was more fun.
The arguments for the Cayenne E-Hybrid could come down to HOV lane access, as one colleague pointed out, or price. At $93,350 ($4,000 more for the Coupe) to start, the E-Hybrid is cheaper than the $97,350 Cayenne S as well (the Coupe gets a big upcharge here of $6,400).
I’m not alone in preferring the Coupe. Porsche says that it accounts for 30% of Cayenne sales since launch, which nearly doubles the take rate of coupe-style SUVs from Mercedes and BMW.
![2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid](https://world-of-cars.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/review-2024-porsche-cayenne-e-hybrid-bridges-the-ev-gap-2.jpg)
2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
Why buy the E-Hybrid?
On its own, the Sport or Sport+ modes optimize the power delivery from both sources to give the E-Hybrid that Porsche bite. And the Sport Exhaust system opens up the V-6 snarl when called upon, but otherwise the E-Hybrid prowls around in quiet with marginal road and wind nosie.