We’ve started a whole new evaluation process for your long-term vehicles right here at Motor Trend, whereby individual editors will effectively “own” the vehicles for everyone or most likely we now have them inside the fleet. The reasoning is to enhance the quality of our long-term reports, to acquire beyond so what can often boil as a result of a few impressions, and obtain on the nitty-gritty of what it really is want to experience the auto under test.
“Owning” our new Porsche Cayenne long-termer might not exactly feel like taking one for that team, but bear when camping. I really could have ordered the Turbo. After all, a 500-horsepower SUV that’ll nail 0-60 from the low 4s and contains a claimed top speed of 172 mph sounds wickedly entertaining. But, no, from the interests of journalistic endeavor, I ordered the S Hybrid.
Why? It’s technically intriguing. The powertrain is made up of a 333-horse, supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission that has a compact 47-horse electric motor. Total system output is 380 horses and 427 pound-feet, in comparison with the 400 horses and 369 pound-feet delivered from the 4.8-liter V-8 inside the regular Cayenne S. It is equally philosophically interesting. While today’s diesels can deliver impressive performance as well as a diesel is provided in Euro-spec Cayennes (and from now on the Panamera), Porsche engineers will not be entirely convinced oil-burners are befitting for the brand. Thus, making this Zuffenhausen’s alternative: a performance-oriented hybrid. And that i desire to uncover whether the hardware delivers about the promise.
It didn’t take many clicks on the options configurator for you the S Hybrid’s sticker soaring in the $68,675 base price to $93,285. The 20-inch Cayenne SportDesign II wheels added $2730, XM radio $750, as well as a trailer hitch $650. The Premium Package Plus cost $11,650, but it really includes the oxygen suspension with PASM, the 26. 4-gallon extended gas tank, and 14-way power seats with memory-among other goodies-that I figure can make the S Hybrid a killer road-trip vehicle.
Okay, now with that color. It’s name is Sand Yellow, costs $3140 extra, and we ordered it as the photo/video guys wanted something to decorate the long-term fleet’s color scheme. Not my first choice, I’ll admit, but, hey, I’ll take one with the team.