Porsche Cayenne Coupe EV brings 1140bhp and more range
Porsche has revealed the Coupé variant of the Cayenne Electric at the Beijing motor show, which features a sleeker design compared to its SUV counterpart.
The new Cayenne Coupé is technically identical to the Cayenne Electric SUV and uses the same powertrains, but offers a longer driving range.
Its raked roof and lower overall height drop the car by 24mm to 1.65 metres tall, making it aerodynamic. Its drag coefficient is just 0.23, compared with 0.25 for the SUV.
The result is a fairly significant boost to driving range and efficiency - read on to see what’s new.
The Cayenne Coupé’s extra slippery design earns it 18km (11 miles) of additional range from the same 108kWh (usable) nickel-manganese-cobalt battery used in the SUV.
That means the entry-level car now has an official range of 659km (410 miles). The most efficient car available, the mid-level Cayenne Coupé S, can manage 667km (415 miles).
While range is boosted, there is a slight compromise to practicality. Trunk space has been slightly eaten away by the Coupé's roofline, down to 454 litres from 506 litres in the SUV.
It doesn’t, however, heavily impact rear headroom. Customers can have either a two-seat layout with an electric reclining function or a standard 2+1 bench.
“The Cayenne Coupé is such an important car for us,” said Cayenne product line director Ralf Keller. “It accounts for around half of the Cayenne sales in Europe, so it’s not a niche option: this is a car that a lot of people want and will choose over the SUV.”
Underneath, the Cayenne Electric Coupé is identical to the Cayenne Electric SUV, sitting on the Volkswagen Group’s PPE platform, which also underpins the Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 E-tron.
The entry-level variant is equipped with a 402bhp dual-motor powertrain that’s good for a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) sprint in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 230km/h (143mph).
The Coupé will also be offered with the SUV's range-topping Turbo powertrain, which makes up to 1140bhp with launch control engaged, for a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of 2.5 seconds and top speed of 260km/h (162mph).
That power comes at a cost, with the range pegged at 640km (398 miles). In normal driving, the Turbo makes up to 845bhp, with an extra 174bhp on offer for 10 seconds at a time via a 'push to pass' button on the steering wheel.
The Coupé gets all the same luxuries as the SUV, including standard air suspension (or active hydraulic suspension on Turbo models); active aerodynamics, including protruding ‘curtains’ that emerge from behind the rear wheels at speed; and rear-wheel steering. Like the SUV, it has 390kW rapid charging potential, meaning up 321km (200 miles) of range can be added in 10 minutes.
The Cayenne Electric Coupé is open to order now, priced from £86,200 (approx. €100,000 / $107,000) – £3000 more than the SUV – and topping out at £133,900 (approx. €155,000 / $166,000) in Turbo form. It's expected to be a big seller for Porsche outside of Europe, especially in China, which is why it has been unveiled at Beijing.
