Auto Review: Why the all-new Porsche Cayenne S Coupe is a trophy SUV

We live in a world where coupe SUVs are a thing. These SUVs with rear rooflines raked for style’s sake seem to be favoured by some sections of society. Speaking of which, the newly facelifted 3rd gen’ Porsche Cayenne just showed up on Middle Eastern shores last year and with it came the revised Coupe variant. To examine the differences between the new and old, and to make an empirical assessment of the all-new 2024 Porsche Cayenne S Coupe, we took it out for a test drive. These are my thoughts on Porsche’s new slant-roof SUV.

Externally, the new Coupe is nothing different from the one it replaces from the common man’s perspective. It still uses most of the Cayenne’s sporty silhouette, but with that chopped roofline that is, frankly, yet to be perfected. However, the discerning eye will notice that the headlamps now have a more trapezoidal design, replacing the predecessor’s triangular form and the new matrix LEDs have more details, giving the face more character. The new rear lamps, however, are a continuous stretch. In a nutshell, the Cayenne S Coupe is a fetching trophy SUV with a presence amplified by its badge. It manages to win over fans with its newness and sporting appeal, but not absolute beauty.

The interior is typical Porsche stuff, with a few adoptions that come with the new generation of Porsche vehicles. Place yourself inside and you get a feel for the manufacturer’s vision of perfection expressed in the most Germanic way possible. The layout is mostly dominated by straight lines. The build quality is top drawer and luxury is delivered in subtle, tasteful doses. Just take a look at those bronzed door and dash trims, will you? The main differentiator, between this and the predecessor’s cabin is the new passenger infotainment screen that combines with the central unit to form a large panel that blacks out when the vehicle is switched off. The additional screen allows the front passenger to watch something or manage navigation, while being completely invisible to the driver.

The sporty 3-spoke steering wheel with the Porsche Crest centre, which seems to have been lifted from a 911, is my favourite piece of equipment here; it even has a racy circular Drive Mode selector on it. Adjacent to it is this stubby transmission lever on the dashboard and above it a completely digital instrument cluster. Some may prefer the older instrumentation with the central analogue tachometer that splits the two smaller digital screens. The infotainment system itself has a smooth flow of menus, but the Porsche’s nav system and voice controls still need work. Luckily, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you can connect to Google Maps or whichever app you prefer. The cosseting front seats have plenty of adjustability (up to 14 ways) and with the new model, you can control the front passenger seat using the driver’s side controls. While in the rear, although you do have to straddle the central hump, there is plenty of space for three regular-sized adults in those slidable and reclinable contoured seats. There’s isn’t a three-row option, though.

The sloping roof takes away a little from the luggage capacity, but you still have 592 litres to stack up your Tumi or Louis luggage in the useful rectangular space, which can be expanded to 1,502 litres with the seats down. If your lifestyle involves kayaking and quad bikes, you can use a trailer and the 3,500 kg tow capacity.

There’s been a major rework under the hood with the previous 2.9-litre twin turbo being replaced by the current gen’s 4.0-litre biturbo V8. By doing so they’ve added 34 metric horses and 50 Nm of peak torque to the total outputs, while the 8-speed auto remains.

On the road, there isn’t much to fault the Cayenne S Coupe. It’s like a drawn arrow, raring to go with the simple tap of the accelerator pedal. It is able to deliver full-bodied experience of acceleration, which is accompanied by raspy exhaust note, making even drives to the grocery store exciting. And it can carry those speeds into and out of curves effortlessly, with powerful disc brakes present to rescue you when necessary. The balance of the chassis and the grip offered by the wide 315-section rubber (on 21-inch rims) and all-wheel drive system is immense. It’s no wonder that the Cayenne is revered around circuits the world over. Also note that it’s deceivingly long at 4,930 mm. But the superlative dynamics make it an easy drive, both in the city and on the highway. The downside to this kind of power is a tank-emptying fuel economy. We observed an 18.5l/100km. Even the claimed range is just around 13 l/100km.

The Cayenne has been among the perennial favourites for those looking for a sporty family SUV, one that is well equipped. But with the impeccable build quality, host of features and Porsche’s performance DNA comes the stratospheric pricing. Would I consider one? Surely, but I’d take the regular Cayenne S over the Cayenne S Coupe. The additional 150-plus litres of boot space and the price saving is something I’d prefer over being marginally quicker and a tad more fashionable.

FUN FACT

As the story goes, during the Cayenne Coupe development Porsche built three alternate body styles, namely the coupe style, a convertible and a longer wheelbase three-row SUV before settling on the Coupe.

GOOD - Sporting looks; build quality; straight line speed and dynamics;

BAD - roofline is yet to be perfected; in-car nav and voice controls; thirsty; pricey

EDITOR’S RATING - 7/10 stars

SPECIFICATIONS:

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