2011 Porsche Cayenne
The * * * * 2011 Porsche Cayenne S hybrid luxury SUV is a study in the art of compromise. This is fascinating, because Porsche built its reputation on a dogged, heels-dug-in, Germanic refusal to compromise.
Porsche ferociously believes that the driver’s only job is to drive, and that its purpose on Earth is the pursuit of speed. It took the automaker more than a decade to smell the cappuccino and put cupholders in its cars.
And when it did, its engineers were so look-what-I-did-in-school-today proud that only an exceptionally heartless soul could tell little Siegfried this was the ugliest vase anybody ever brought home from art class. Anyway, Ziggy probably heard the stream of invective across the Atlantic the first time the cupholder dumped steaming java on an American lap.
The Cayenne S hybrid’s cupholders are fine, by the way. That’s not the point.
The point is that Porsche’s first hybrid is not the fastest, least-expensive or most fuel-efficient big luxury SUV, but it’s probably the best all-around vehicle in its class. The Cayenne hybrid effectively balances performance, fuel cost and practicality to lead the pack.
Cayenne delivers what buyers expect.
Porsche is among the last automakers to offer a hybrid. The sports-car specialist feared heavy batteries and electric motors would rob its vehicles of the speed and agility that are their calling card. It sat on the sidelines while hundreds of thousands of hybrids sold.
Then somebody at Porsche HQ in Zuffenhausen got a shock. Their fast, powerful vehicles wouldn’t meet upcoming European and U.S. emissions and fuel-efficiency standards without electrification. Porsche got serious about hybrids fast.
The resulting Cayenne S hybrid SUV delivers the performance Porsche owners expect and the fuel efficiency the 21st Century demands.
Prices for the 2011 Cayenne S hybrid start at $67,700. I tested a well-equipped model that stickered at $85,535. The 2012 model arriving in dealerships now starts at $69,000. It’s virtually identical to the one I tested. All prices exclude destination charges.
The Cayenne S hybrid develops a maximum of 380 horsepower from a supercharged 3.0-liter V6, electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteries. The hybrid powertrain also produces 427 pound-feet of torque at a so-low-you-think-it’s-a-typo 1,000 r.p.m. All Cayennes come with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Cayenne S hybrid competes with other luxury SUVs that emphasize fuel economy in addition to power and comfort. The BMW X6 hybrid, Cadillac Escalade hybrid, Mercedes-Benz ML 250 Bluetec diesel and Volkswagen Touareg hybrid are prime competitors.
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