2023 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid

After four years on the market, the regular Cayenne is still the go-to sporty mid-size SUV for those who enjoy driving. The Cayenne range has a diverse offering, starting at a reasonable $72k and topping out with hugely powerful V8 flagships that cost Bentley money. But the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid we review here is yet another gem in a multi-faceted range. It's a proper plug-in hybrid with the regular Cayenne's sporty genes and a 17-mile electric range from its turbocharged V6 and electric motor that develop 455 horsepower. There aren't many sporty mid-size PHEVs in this body style on sale in the USA right now, except for the BMW X5 Hybrid - but with just 389 hp, the Cayenne E-Hybrid has it beat. Not really sporty, but certainly quick, is another rival in the form of the 455-hp Volvo XC90 Recharge. And at the price of the 670-hp Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid comes into play, but that essentially uses the same V6 powertrain as the regular Cayenne E-Hybrid with a single digit more power. It basically exchanges performance for Bentley premiumness. We'd still rather have the Porker - the Cayenne E-Hybrid is still the pick of the bunch. For now.

This year, the price of a new Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid will be starting at $86,500 - an increase of just under 4%. This is followed by the E-Hybrid Platinum Edition at $94,400, with the Turbo S E-Hybrid being dramatically more expensive at $172,750. You still have to add the $1,450 destination charge to these prices to arrive at the final cost of the car.

Even the lightest Cayenne E-Hybrid weighs over 5,000 pounds, so it's quite astounding that it still handles so well. Compared to most SUVs, it changes direction and corners at speed like an oversize sports car, not a heavy SUV. The steering is sharp and responsive, and outright grip levels are very high. The ride isn't pillowy soft on the standard steel suspension, but the adaptive dampers round off jolts and does an excellent job nonetheless. It's not all moonshine and roses, though; the brake pedal has too much travel, while the car also won't let you one-pedal drive like rivals can. You only really notice the car's considerable weight when you drive a regular Cayenne and realize that the E-Hybrids' responses feel a little blunted by comparison. The Turbo S E-Hybrid dials everything up several notches, and its combined 670 hp makes for storming performance. At nearly 5,700 pounds, it's a hammer more than a scalpel, but you have to stand back and marvel at how rapidly the behemoth can cover ground.

The Cayenne E-Hybrid has what it takes to retain class honors in the mid-size plug-in SUV class for now. As an EV, it's not ideal, but if you have charging facilities on both sides of your commute, the 17 available miles might be sufficient. In terms of ride and handling, nothing can touch it at the price, and performance is excellent too, and better than the regular Cayenne S. Next year's 483-hp X5 Hybrid will be a serious threat for the facelifted 463-hp Cayenne E-Hybrid, though. If you settle for this year's model, you'll miss out on the upgrade coming next year, so you have to weigh up your options and see if you can get a cracking deal on the old car to make it worth your while.

The standard E-Hybrid wins on value for money, offering Cayenne S-beating performance for less money and the bonus of an all-electric range.We'd take it in Platinum Edition, which at least adds heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a premium audio system, but we'd add some other convenience and driver-assistance features the standard car is missing, too. Most of these are contained in the Premium and Assistance packages, such as adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist, a surround-view camera, a head-up display, upgraded LED headlights, heated front seats, and a panoramic roof. These packages do add around $12k to the price, though. Sadly, most of these items are missing from the expensive Turbo S E-Hybrid too.