Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid — a technical triumph
Is it possible to combine an SUV with a sports car and a super-efficient hybrid? Porsche decided to give an answer by creating the Cayenne S E-Hybrid. This is a real multi-talent. It's a pity that it costs more than 400 zlotys.
A few years ago, it was hard to imagine an SUV from the Porsche stable. Other psychological barriers were overcome when the Zuffenhausen-based company introduced diesel engines and hybrids. The innovations made it easier to attract customers and brought Porsche to the financial level. The Cayenne proved to be the biggest success - since its introduction in 2002, it has been treated as a family Porsche, as well as a replacement for a limousine, which was not offered by the brand until the Panamera was introduced. Diesel engines solved the problem of limited range and frequent station visits, while hybrids made it easier to get around exorbitant taxes.
Since its debut, the Cayenne has been Porsche's most popular model. Therefore, it is not surprising that the brand makes every effort to ensure that the range of engines is as complete as possible. Entry fee - SUV 300 V3.6 with 6 hp. When there is a lot of money, nothing prevents you from ordering an almost three times more expensive Cayenne Turbo S. 4.8 V8, 570 hp. and 800 Nm is the best demonstration of the model. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid is exactly halfway down the range. The letter S in the designation signals that we are dealing with a car with more sporty aspirations than the basic version.
Only a trained eye will be able to recognize that there is a hybrid in the adjacent lane. It is revealed by bright green accents - brake calipers and lettering on the wings and tailgate. Differences in interiors are also symbolic. The hybrid features green indicator needles or upholstery stitching available at an additional cost. The analog speedometer has been replaced by an energy monitor that provides information about the battery charge rate or the percentage of power being used in the drive. With a strong pressure on the gas pedal, the arrow enters the red field. The word Boost on it describes the development of events well - the electric motor becomes an afterburner that supports the combustion unit. On the center console, in addition to the branded buttons for activating the Sport and Sport Plus driving modes, there are E-Power (all-electric mode) and E-Charge (forced charging of a traction battery with an internal combustion engine) program switches.
The sporty driving modes and adjustable performance suspension try to hide the fact that the S E-Hybrid version weighs a whopping 2350 kilograms. The extra 265kg of ballast to the Cayenne S is felt when braking, making tight turns and making sharp changes in direction. Anyone who has not dealt with a Porsche SUV before will be impressed by the 4,9-meter drive. It is important not only to calibrate the suspension or steering system. The internal architecture is also extremely important. We sit high, but only in relation to the road. As befits a sports car, the Cayenne surrounds the driver with a dashboard, door panels and an expansive central tunnel. We're sitting in the back, and the fact of driving an SUV doesn't even feel like the angle of the steering column.
You can complain about the not very linear response to the brake. This is a feature of almost all hybrids, which, after lightly pressing the brake pedal, try to recover energy, and only after applying more effort do they start using the electric brakes. By pressing the left pedal, the Cayenne is almost in reverse. 6-piston front calipers and 360mm discs and four-piston rear calipers with 330mm discs provide high stopping power. Who would like to enjoy longer delays and at the same time brakes that are not afraid of overheating should invest PLN 43 in a ceramic brake system, until recently known only from the fastest Porsche. However, the team responsible for the specification of the car made every effort to ensure that the customer did not try to turn an ecological hybrid into an uncompromising athlete by choosing the next items from the list of accessories. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid cannot be purchased, among other things, the sports exhaust system or the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus systems offered in other versions.
3.0 V6 mechanically supercharged develops 333 hp. at 5500-6500 rpm and 440 Nm at 3000-5250 rpm. The electric motor adds 95 hp. and 310 Nm. Due to various useful speed ranges, 416 hp. and 590 Nm can flow to the wheels when you press the gas to the floor.
There is a coupling between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, which makes it possible to use the full potential of both engines. With soft start, only the electric motor is running. As soon as the speed stabilizes, the sound of an internal combustion engine may appear. As soon as the driver takes their foot off the accelerator pedal, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid enters sailing mode. It turns off, and below 140 km / h also turns off the internal combustion engine, and then the kinetic energy of the car is used to the maximum. After pressing the brake, the generating set starts to restore the current, which leads to a decrease in speed. Starting the petrol engine and gear selection is smooth thanks to an additional electric pump that maintains operating pressure inside the 8-speed Tiptronic S gearbox.
The first-generation Cayenne hybrid had a 1,7 kWh nickel-hydride battery that allowed it to cover two kilometers in electric mode. The facelift of the model was an opportunity to upgrade the hybrid drive. A lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 10,9 kWh is installed. Not only does it allow you to go 18-36 kilometers in electric mode, it can also be charged with electricity from the network. So much for theory. In practice, in sections of 100-150 kilometers, and it is unlikely that anyone will drive longer ones, a hybrid Cayenne can be content with 6-8 l / 100 km every day. Assuming that we press the gas pedal sensitively and start the journey with a fully charged battery. In electric mode, the Cayenne accelerates to over 120 km/h, so it's not a city-only feature.
When not charging the traction battery, you need to be prepared for an average fuel consumption of 10-12 l / 100 km. Replenishing energy reserves should not be a major problem. Have you ever seen a Cayenne parked on the street lately? Exactly. This is a fairly rare sight, and suggests that exclusive SUVs usually spend the night in garages, where there is usually no power source. Even if it is a 230V socket, it is enough to charge the traction battery in less than three hours.
While the technology behind the Cayenne S E-Hybrid is interesting, the driving dynamics are even more impressive. 5,9 seconds after the start, the speedometer shows “hundred”, and acceleration stops at around 243 km / h. The combination of the two engines ensures that power and torque are never short. No. The mechanical supercharger of the V6 petrol engine and the electric motor guarantee an immediate and sharp response to the gas. No fluctuations or turbulence. Were it not for the sound of a running engine, the uninitiated might even wonder that a naturally aspirated V8 shouldn't be running under the hood.
The price of the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid starts from a ceiling of PLN 408. The car is well equipped, but every customer chooses at least a few accessories from an extremely long list of accessories. Additional rims, paints, roof rails, upholstery, headlights and electronic gadgets can raise the final amount by several tens or even several hundred thousand zlotys. The upper limit is set only by the imagination and wealth of the client's wallet. Suffice it to mention paints on request – Porsche will fulfill the customer’s request, provided that it costs PLN 286.
The hybrid Cayenne has many strong competitors - BMW X5 xDrive40e (313 hp, 450 Nm), Mercedes GLE 500e (442 hp, 650 Nm), Range Rover SDV6 Hybrid (340 hp, 700 Nm), Lexus RX 450h (299 hp) and VolvoXC90 T8 Twin Engine (400 hp, 640 Nm). The diverse characters of the individual models make it easy to customize the car to individual preferences.
Diesel-electric drive works great in every car. If it is ennobled with the reverence worthy of Porsche engineers and adorned with an improved chassis, the effect can only be excellent. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid proves that you can enjoy driving without being exposed to the environment.
