Porsche Cayenne Coupe Review 2024

The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is right for you if you want a practical SUV that looks great and goes even better. It's one of the true SUV heavyweights when it comes to outright performance, while it's also one of the best sporty SUVs when it comes to handling. 

It's worth looking for a Porsche Cayenne Coupe with plug-in hybrid power - not only will it prove to be more efficient (especially with regular charging), the electric motor also provides improved performance (not that any Cayenne Coupe will leave you wanting in that regard). The Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe is probably the sweet spot in the range, with a little more power than the regular Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe, but without the hefty price tag of the Turbo models.

The Porsche is similar to large coupe-style SUVs such as the Audi Q8, BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe, although you’ll have to go for a performance model of either to get a car that’s as sharp to drive as the Cayenne Coupe. You could also consider the Maserati Levante or Range Rover Sport, while the priciest Porsche Cayenne Coupes are up against cars like the Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX.

Almost all the plastics in the Porsche Cayenne Coupe feel expensive, and you can choose from a wealth of optional trim levels that range from sporty to luxurious. The cabin finish is first-class, too, with an impeccable attention to detail. Everything is covered in smooth, soft, high quality materials. The build quality is high too, which means you're unlikely to hear a worrisome squeak or creak from any of the interior fittings when you travel over a speed hump or navigate a bend in the road. 

All Porsche Cayenne Coupe models come with a 12.3-inch central infotainment screen, officially known as the Porsche Communication Management display. This is as impressive to use as you'd expect in an expensive Porsche SUV - the graphics are sharp, responses are quick and it comes with everything you could possibly wish for as standard: including internet access, a WiFi hotspot, navigation, DAB radio and even native Spotify/Apple Music apps.

The big news for 2024 is the option of a 10.9-inch digital display on the passenger side of the Cayenne Coupe's dashboard. This means your passenger can browse the infotainment offerings, stream video content or keep an eye on performance data. If this sounds a bit distracting for the driver then don't fear - a special filter ensures that the driver can't see this display. It actually works very well, too.

There's also a new 12.6-inch floating digital instrument cluster which looks suitably modern and adds a degree of customisation that wasn't available before.

The Porsche Cayenne Coupe measures 4930mm in length, 1983mm in width (2194mm including door mirrors) and 1678mm in height. That means its external dimensions are pretty much identical to the regular Cayenne, although the sloping roofline does hinder practicality. That's particularly noticeable in the boot area, where a petrol Cayenne Coupe can carry 554 litres of luggage (compared to the Cayenne's 698-litre capacity). You'll notice a bigger compromise on the Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid models. These have an official boot capacity of just 404 litres - which is significantly less than a regular Cayenne E-Hybrid's 545-litre boot.

The Cayenne Coupe's seats are positioned slightly lower than in the regular car. You'd have to try them both back-to-back to notice any real difference, although the big benefit is that the roofline doesn't eat into headroom. It certainly feels spacious enough - those in the front get just as much space as in a regular Cayenne, while the voluminous door bins and an array of cubbies mean you won't be short of places to store your odds and ends.

One significant difference between the standard Porsche Cayenne and the Cayenne Coupe is in the rear. As standard, the Coupe comes with two individual back seats - which is great news for comfort but not-so-great if you wish to squeeze three people side-by-side. You can swap the individual rear seats for a more conventional three-seat rear bench as a no-cost option when new; it's worth deciding which option suits you best and looking for a Cayenne Coupe with this feature on the used market.

You can't really get a slow Porsche Cayenne Coupe. Even the entry-level car comes with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 that produces 353PS (340PS on earlier models) - enough to take it to 62mph in 5.7 seconds.

The Porsche Cayenne S Coupe was updated quite significantly in 2024, with the old twin-turbo V6 replaced by a V8 petrol engine. That means it now produces 474PS, taking it from a standstill to 62mph a second quicker than the regular Cayenne Coupe.

A lot of Porsche Cayenne Coupe buyers go for one of the plug-in hybrid models. The Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe and Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe both combine a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with a 25.9kWh battery pack and an electric motor. The former packs 470PS, taking it to 62mph in 4.9 seconds (with the optional Sport Chrono pack) and on to a top speed of 158mph. The latter has a bit more power - 519PS, to be precise - taking it to 62mph in 4.7 seconds.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe, meanwhile, uses a 4.0-litre petrol engine along with an electric motor. This is ferociously fast, reaching 62mph in as little as 3.7 seconds.

The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is a car of multiple characters. When you want to reach your destination in peace, it's sublimely refined - with little in the way of road or engine noise making its way into the cabin. That's especially true when the Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid models are running off electricity; when this happens, the Cayenne Coupe is as quiet as a pure-electric vehicle.

When you're in the mood for a bit of drama, switching between drive modes and being a bit heavier with the accelerator will wake up the engine and allow a bit more of a rumble into the Cayenne Coupe. For maximum effect, look for a model with the optional sports exhaust system. This is quite muted as standard but can be triggered via a special exhaust button in the cockpit.

The Porsche Cayenne Coupe hasn’t been Euro NCAP crash-tested for safety but you can expect it to perform as well as the standard Cayenne which was awarded five-stars in 2017.

All models of Cayenne Coupe come with automatic emergency brakes as standard and you can specify a range of additional safety options that means the car can accelerate, brake and steer itself on the motorway to take the strain out of long motorway journeys. 

While the Porsche Cayenne Coupe is likely to have high running costs, the brand's build quality is pretty spot on. We'd expect fewer issues than you'd get with a Range Rover Sport, while a new Cayenne Coupe comes with a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty. Even the complicated Cayenne Coupe E-Hybrid models ought to be pretty dependable, with the hybrid system backed by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

As a brand, Porsche ranked an impressive fourth place in a recent ownership survey by HonestJohn.co.uk.

It's worth spending some time on insurance comparison websites before deciding on a new (or used) Porsche Cayenne Coupe. As a powerful (and expensive) SUV, it could cost quite a lot to insure - particularly if you're an inexperienced driver or live in a high-risk area. The Cayenne Coupe sits in insurance groups 45 to 50, making it one of the most expensive cars to insure.

You're going to be stung pretty hard in terms of tax for the Porsche Cayenne Coupe - but the same can be said for rivals, too. The first year's VED is based on emissions and lumped into the on-the-road price. Buy a secondhand one and you'll pay £570/year in tax, or £560/year for E-Hybrid models. That's made up of the £180/year (or £170/year) 'standard rate' plus an additional £390 a year in 'premium car tax' for vehicles with a list price of more than £40,000.

The good news is the premium car tax is dropped once the car reaches six years old, so you'll pay £170 or £180 a year in tax. There's no avoiding this - even the new electric Cayenne (set to arrive in 2026) will be charged the standard tax rate.

The Cayenne Coupe is organised by engines rather than trim levels. All models come with 20-inch alloy wheels, Park Assist at the front and rear including reversing camera, Porsche Active Suspension Management adjustable dampers, and the Sport Chrono Package that includes launch control and a stopwatch on the centre of the dashboard. 

From there you need to choose whether to go for the standard Cayenne Coupe, the E-Hybrid, the S, S E-Hybrid or Turbo E-Hybrid model. Adding equipment is simply a matter of going on the options list where you can select everything from larger wheels (up to 22-inches in size) to rear-wheel steering and powerful carbon-ceramic disc brakes.