It was inevitable. Porsche had to join the SUV Coupé craze; whether the top brass at Zuffenhausen liked it or not. So, say hello to the Cayenne Coupé, the latest, even more sporty addition to the third generation of the highly successful SUV range. Tellingly, the Coupé was launched at Auto Shanghai, as China is the biggest individual market for Porsche, and the Cayenne the favourite model for Chinese Porsche customers.
The Coupé is essentially a Cayenne with a sloping roofline and some design highlights include sharper lines with a unique rear section, an adaptive rear spoiler, a rear bench with the characteristics of two individual seats, and two different roof concepts, which includes a panoramic fixed glass roof fitted as standard or an optional carbon roof.
Proportions are more dynamic, positioning the Coupé as the sportiest-looking model in the segment, according to Porsche. This look is supported by a roof spoiler that accentuates its distinctive silhouette, a shallower front windscreen, and A-pillar than in the Cayenne (courtesy of a 20 mm lower roof edge), redesigned rear doors and fenders (broadening the shoulders by 18 mm) and the rear number plate integrated into the bumper.
The adaptive roof spoiler, as seen for the first time on the current Cayenne Turbo, is combined with a new adaptive rear spoiler as part of Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA). The spoiler extends by 135 mm at speeds of 90 km/h and up, increasing the contact pressure on the rear axle.
Panoramic glass roof
The large panoramic fixed glass roof gives passengers an extraordinary sense of space, while integrated roller blind protects them against sun exposure and the cold. A contoured carbon roof is optionally available in one of three lightweight sports packages. These packages also include Sport Design features, new, weight-reduced 22-inch wheels, seat centres in classic checked fabric, carbon and Alcantara interior accents, and a sports exhaust system on the Turbo model.
As in the Cayenne the Coupé version offers plenty of space for up to four people with two individual seats at the rear as standard. Alternatively, comfort rear seats can be ordered at no additional cost. Rear passengers sit 30 mm lower than in the Cayenne, assuring plenty of headroom despite its lowered silhouette. Boot capacity is 625 ℓ, and up to 1,540 ℓ with the rear seats folded down.
The Coupé benefits from all the technical highlights of the third generation Cayenne, with two engines now available. The normal Coupé comes with a three-litre six-cylinder turbocharged engine delivering 250 kW and maximum torque of 450 Nm. With Sport Chrono Package fitted it sprints from 0-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds, dropping to 5.9 seconds with the optional lightweight sports packages, and boast a top speed of 243 km/h.
The four-litre twin-turbocharged V8 in the top-of-the-range Turbo Coupé delivers 404 kW and 770 Nm of torque. It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 286 km/h. The Cayenne Coupé models are available for order now and pricing starts at R1,303,000 (with a three-year Driveplan) for the normal Coupé (R1,353,000 with a five-year Driveplan) and R2,277,000 for the Coupé Turbo (R2,327,000 with a five-year Driveplan).
Text: Ferdi de Vos / Images: Porsche AG
