► The new 2019 Porsche Cayenne Coupe
► Sportier looks, lower roofline, four seats
► Additional model to rival X6, Q8, GLE Coupe
If one country knows more about spinning off niche cars than any other, it’s surely Germany. The new Porsche Cayenne Coupe is the latest new model to follow this path, slicing and dicing the SUV segment even further to appeal to those who want a bit more swagger with their sensible family utility.
It’s basically a Cayenne SUV that’s had a rolling pin taken to the rear end, that plunging roofline copying the formula set by the slammed BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. A-pillars and windscreen angle are shallower than the regular Cayenne’s, the roofline 20mm lower and the redesigned back doors and swollen wheelarches stretch the track by 18mm for a squat stance. The very Ronseal name of the Cayenne Coupe says it all: it’s the hardware of a Cayenne underneath wearing a different, more sporting top hat.
‘The distinctive roof flyline that falls away to the rear makes the Cayenne Coupe appear more dynamic, and positions it as the most sporting-looking model in the market segment,’ said Michael Mauer, Porsche’s vice president of design.
He told us that the bottom of the A-pillar is the same angle as the regular Cayenne’s, but that the top third is a faster angle. Mauer has ruled out a three-door version, although he admitted they had sketched it as a working idea.
CAR magazine was at the world debut in Stuttgart and concludes that the sleeker Cayenne actually works well for a vehicle of its ilk. It’s a bit like a larger Macan, with that fast-angled rear screen. You just have to remember that cars like this pay for all those GT3s and GT4s…
Why do car makers continue to blend genres and bodystyles like this?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, remember. German rivals have successfully broadened the appeal of their SUV ranges with lower-slung, sportier crossovers and that’s exactly what the Cayenne Coupe intends to do. Porsche has form here: it’s already gently massaged the Panamera range with the LWB executive edition and the Sport Turismo shooting brake (which tellingly now accounts for one in two UK Pan-ams registered).
That plunging roofline makes for a rather more snug cockpit, and Porsche only fits two individual chairs as standard in the second row. However, they are lowered by 30mm over the regular Cayenne’s rear bench and Porsche claims headroom is little different as a result. Buyers can spec a normal three-abreast bench for no extra cost, should they prefer.
That more sharply angled roofline is equipped with a full-length panoramic fixed sunroof, bathing the four-seater cabin with light (a shade is standard-fit to prevent dazzle and UV overexposure for Jasper and Portia in their Recaro childseats). Alternatively, an exposed carbonfibre roof like on a 911 GT3 RS is available as an optional extra, all the better to lower the centre of gravity and trim 20kg from the kerbweight.
Equipped as standard with the glass sunroof, the lower, leaner Cayenne Coupe is in fact heavier than the normal Cayenne, owing to the extra stiffening required to stop the 2.16sq m opening make the bodyshell flex.
Other sporting options include the gangster-spec 22-inch alloy wheels, the trademark Porsche Sports Exhaust and niceties such as Sport Design styling features including rather cool-looking checked classic houndstooth fabric. Very retro.
Performance specs, emissions, economy and power outputs please…
The slinkier Porsche Cayenne Coupe is essentially identical to the latest SUV underneath that sloping roofline. All-wheel drive is standard fit and UK customers will have two different choices at launch in May 2019:
- Porsche Cayenne Coupe 3.0-litre V6 turbo, 335bhp, 332lb ft, 0-62mph in 6.0sec, 150mph top speed, 22.2-23.9mpg combined fuel economy, 212-215g/km CO2
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo, 543bhphp, 568lb ft, 0-62mph in 3.9sec, 177mph top speed, 20.2-20.8mpg combined fuel economy, 258-261g/km CO2
Yes, that’s right: there are few faster ways to transport your kids, dogs and luggage in Porsche splendour. Speaking of which, the coupe-fied Cayenne still has oodles of space – the boot can pack in 625 litres as standard, rising to 1540 litres if you flop the rear seats forwards for maximum load-lugging spec.
Note also the fixed roof spoiler on the CC’s rump; it works in parallel with an active pop-up wing at the base of the tailgate’s windscreen, which swings 135mm into a raised position at speeds of over 56mph (90kph).
Project manager Hermann Sturm confirmed to CAR that the full gamut of Cayenne engine options would eventually cascade down to the coupe – so expect an S, a Turbo S and plug-in hybrids to rolled out in the coming months. ‘This car was planned in from day one,’ he said at the world premiere.
When can I buy a Porsche Cayenne Coupe and how much will it cost?
The sportier Cayenne Coupe is on sale now and the first UK-registered, right-hand drive models will roll into UK dealerships in late May 2019, wearing the latest 19-reg number plates. It’s a very swift turnaround for Porsche. UK prices are as follows:
- Cayenne Coupe £62,129
- Cayenne Turbo Coupe £104,729
The sales and marketing chiefs predict that this bodystyle will make up around 25-30% of all Cayenne sales globally.
Standard equipment in the UK includes 20-inch alloy wheels, front and rear Park Assist, a reversing camera, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) for balancing ride comfort and pin-sharp handling in the twisties, and the Sport Chrono Package.
Do the maths: going lower and sportier costs a premium of at least £5000 over a regular Cayenne SUV – in time-honoured tradition, you are essentially paying more for less. Looks like Porsche hasn’t forgotten how to charge a chunky margin on its luxury goods…
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