Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid goes green with power

BY JOHN STEIN Automotive Editor October 31, 2011 9:52AM

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2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE S HYBRID

ENGINE: 380-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6

TRANSMISSION: eight-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: all-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 20 city/24 highway

BASE PRICE: $67,700

AS TESTED: $86,110

WEBSITE: porsche.com/usa

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Updated: October 31, 2011 12:52PM



I know what you’re thinking: a Porsche hybrid, isn’t that a bit like ordering a hot fudge sundae with a Diet Coke? Where is the sense in that decision?

You want sense? For starters, the 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds, with a top speed of 150 mph.

Put that in your battery pack and smoke it.

As you might expect, a Porsche hybrid makes and follows its own rules, but it is surprisingly green by design and its high-tech drivetrain system offers up myriad surprises.

According to Porsche, the Cayenne S Hybrid can drive up to 37 mph on electric power. This hybrid also can coast up to one mile with the combustion engine off. These features not only deliver better fuel economy, but limit excessive emissions.

Of course, the Cayenne’s engine is still what this Porsche is all about and the Cayenne S Hybrid delivers its 380 horsepower from a supercharged V-6 and a 47-horsepower electric motor.

The hybrid system uses a 288-volt nickel metal-hydride (NiMh) battery that is nestled beneath the luggage compartment; regenerative braking helps to put charge back in the battery while you drive.

At a base price of $67,700, this green Cayenne delivers 20 mpg city/24 highway. That’s not going to win any mileage competitions — and trust me, it is not intended to. However, the mental peace of mind one gains happens with not much lost on the performance side. The real-deal gas-only 400-horsepower Cayenne S gets a 16/22-mpg rating but shaves just a half second off the sprint time of the Cayenne S Hybrid. It’s true that the hybrid version will cost a $4,000 premium over the Cayenne S, but in this class of vehicle, especially a Porsche, that’s hardly worth mentioning.

Driving the hybrid Cayenne, you do get the overall feeling you are in a truck. A higher seating position and slight roll in tight, heavy turns ensure a bit of lean, but it’s not uncomfortable in any sense. The powerful V-6 is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Shifts were not always smooth, but then again this transmission is doing a lot between coasting and reengaging at very high speeds.

On the center console you will find an “E” button that helps keep the Cayenne Hybrid in full electric mode while maintaining a Porsche-like acceleration. For the daily around-town errands, this is where you will save the most fuel. Helping to ensure others on the road know you are in a Porsche, there is a “boost” mode that energizes throttle inputs of more than 70 percent.

One of the challenges all hybrids share is finding real estate to hide those big, heavy battery packs. Porsche has maintained the Cayenne’s standard cargo capacity by offering 62.9 cubic feet of space. Legroom for front seat passengers is generous and rear seat occupants will not have to sit sideways to be comfortable. Rear seats slide forward 6.3 inches to optimize utility space in the storage area.

For me, one of the areas of contention with the Cayenne comes from the extraordinary number of buttons and switches that lay before the driver. You do get used to many of them as you meander through menus of multifunctions after multifunctions, but I was still struggling to get a grip on key placements after seven days in the Cayenne.

With a final landing pad of $86,110, the Cayenne is certainly on the top edge of performance hybrids – you can call it a performance SUV while you are at it. Though it is still tough trying to explain the choice of hot-fudge sundae and Diet Coke, sometimes a simple “because it works for me” is all that needs to be said.

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