New 2023 Porsche Cayenne Turbo / Turbo S E-Hybrid ( Overview ). HIGHS
– Beastly power, precisely tuned handling, performance that’ll have you wide-eyed.
LOWS
– figure starting price, desirable options push the price even higher.
VERDICT
– The crazy-fast Cayenne Turbo blends the best of what we love about Porsche sports cars with a practical, family-friendly streak.
MotorTrend has tested every Porsche Cayenne model built since 2003. That’s 21 occasions including 10 variants and two body styles across three generations. Is the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid the quickest one yet? When the Cayenne S E-Hybrid arrived on the scene for the 2020 model year, Porsche claimed it was “the quickest, fastest, and most powerful Cayenne ever.” With 670 combined horsepower and 633 lb-ft of torque, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Cayenne is, indeed, the most powerful. And though we can’t vouch for the claimed 183-mph top speed, we did run a 2021 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid down our dragstrip to test the “quickest” claim.
Testing The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid
First, driving the 30-plus miles to our testing location using the SUV’s convenient E-Charge mode (it uses the engine to power the vehicle and charge the battery) ensured the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s 17.9-kWh battery pack was near full capacity prior to testing. Note: Using the vehicle’s standard 7.2-kW onboard AC charger, a full charge from near zero at home with a 230-Volt/10-amp socket (Level 2) takes about three hours. The EPA reports that with a full charge, the Cayenne’s all-electric range in E-Power mode is 15 miles.
For performance testing, we selected Sport Plus mode that uses both the 541-hp/567-lb-ft 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and the 134-hp/295-lb-ft electric motor in concert. With its standard AWD featuring torque vectoring and launch control, standing on both the brake and accelerator pedals results in an automated 2,800-rpm launch. That’s a pretty low-rpm launch figure for a high-performance vehicle, but the instantly available torque provided by the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission is immediately evident and effective. There’s an instant shove, and it feels like the front tires are merely tiptoeing on the pavement.
