Porsche has differentiated the new Cayenne Coupe well from its more humdrum stablemate, the Cayenne SUV, creating a far more desirable machine.
The Cayenne Coupe’s 20mm lower roofline results in a sloping, racy profile and a nice pert rear.
On that rear are two spoilers: a fixed roof-mounted one and a trick adaptive one which extends by 135mm above 90km/h.
That sloped roof hasn’t compromised rear headroom as I could comfortably fit my 1.78m frame in the back. Taller people might struggle, however.
Boot space has shrunk considerably to around 600 litres in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe and 625 litres in the Cayenne Coupe and Cayenne S Coupe.
Looking up from the two-seat rear (a three-person bench is a no-cost option), you either see sky or a sea of Alcantara if you spec the carbon fibre roof which saves a massive 21kg over the standard glass option and lowers the car’s centre of gravity.
Motive choices in the Porsche Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe and Cayenne Turbo Coupe remain the same.
This means 335hp from a turbo V6 in the base Porsche Cayenne Coupe, 434hp from a twin-turbo V6 in the Coupe S and 542hp from a twin-turbo V8 in the Turbo Coupe, all mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission.
A hybrid Porsche Cayenne Coupe, similar to the Cayenne E-Hybrid, is on the way.
On tight Austrian country roads, piloting the Porsche Cayenne Coupe felt similar to the standard Cayenne.
That’s not a slight. On the contrary, Porsche has again thrown out the physics textbook and written their own set of rules to make a two-tonne SUV start, stop and steer with incredible alacrity.
Your head tells you a car this size simply can’t steer that well, but when you turn the wheel, the torque vectoring simply shuffles the power back and forth as needed, and with the occasional chirp of tyres, off you go fuss-free with a bellow of exhaust.
The weighty but precise wheel, coupled with the new rear axle steering, keeps you pointed precisely even if the sheer mass of the car wants to plough straight on.
Around sharp bends, the air suspension evens out any keeling and absorbs bumps effortlessly.
It’s equally impressive when cruising. Wind noise is non-existent and other road users cease to exist inside your cocoon of leather and glass, even when the speedo crosses 100km/h.
Should you consider the Porsche Cayenne Coupe?
After all, you’re paying more for a car with less space and practicality and which drives broadly the same as the Cayenne SUV.
But for a certain segment, using logic to justify this car is irrelevant.
To them, the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe make sense, and for such fashionistas, it’s just as well that the Porsche Cayenne Coupe is the most stylish SUV coupe of all.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe 4.0 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
Type V8, 32-valves, twin-turbocharged
Capacity 3996cc
Bore x stroke 86mm x 86mm
Compression ratio 10.1:1
Max power 550hp at 5750-6000rpm
Max torque 770Nm at 2000-4500rpm
Power to weight 246.4hp per tonne
Gearbox 8-speed automatic with manual select
Driven wheels All
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Top speed 286km/h
Consumption 8.1km/L (combined)
CO2 emission 280g/km
SUSPENSION
Front Multi-link, coil springs
Rear Multi-link, coil springs
BRAKES
Front / Rear Ventilated discs
TYRES
Type Pirelli P Zero
Size 285/40 R21 (front), 315/35 R21 (rear)
SAFETY
Airbags 8
Traction aids ABS, PSM (Porsche Stability Management)
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4939mm
Width 1989mm
Height 1653mm
Wheelbase 2895mm
Kerb weight 2200kg
Turning circle 11.5m
BUYING IT
Price excl. COE $621,888 (after $20k VES surcharge)
+ Racy looks, sporty cabin, precise handling
– Smaller boot, less headroom, pricey options
AGENT
Porsche Centre Singapore
29 Leng Kee Road
Singapore 159099
Group Test: Porsche Cayenne S vs Maserati Levante S vs Jaguar F-Pace
