The new Cayenne Coupe shares a platform (code named “MLB”) with multiple other vehicles within the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG). This includes the larger Cayenne, the Audi Q5/Q7/Q8, the Bentley Bentayga, the VW Touareg and the Lamborghini Urus. Sharing a platform with other models to save costs used to be a tight-lipped inconvenient truth in the car industry with manufacturers going to great lengths to hide the fact that there were other “foreign” parts in their cars. In time it has become so completely normal that virtually every car company will use components from other brands unabashedly. And yet one can’t help but think this is to the detriment of new innovative ideas and designs coming through but, well, this is where the car industry is at right now. I digress…
There’s no better place to start a review of the new Cayenne Coupe than with the styling. As other SUV manufacturers launched models that were slightly sportier in appearance, thanks largely to a wider stance, lower roofline and a steeper rear window, Porsche felt left out. BMW have their X6 and Mercedes have their GLE Coupe with both soaking up sales from those wanting an SUV that was slightly less utilitarian looking. The Cayenne Coupe joins the party and has some impressive dance moves.
The lowered and swooping roofline of the Cayenne Coupe not only gives the desired sportier appearance but helps with handling, too. It weighs some 2.3 tonnes (slightly more than its bigger sibling, ironically) but handles roundabouts with sportscar-like precision – with the caveat that you tick the £1500 rear-wheel steering option. The 0-60mph times fall in line with what we expect from Porsche which, in a word, means it’s very fast irrespective of which engine you choose.
Moving inside, one of the first things you notice is that Porsche has made their newest SUV available with two bucket seats in the rear as standard. This may be a negative for families, but you can select to have the more traditional rear 3-seat bench configuration should you prefer (but doesn’t allow for the carbon fibre roof option). Does the raking roofline affect headroom for rear passengers? Porsche thought of this and lowered the rear seats by a couple of centimetres to ensure your hair will remain perfectly coiffed – unless you’re over 6ft tall at which point you risk staining your Porsche headliner with your chosen hair-hold product. Ew. Further back, boot capacity is at 600 litres with the seats up (1500 litres seats down), which is about 150 litres less than what you’ll get in the bigger Cayenne. The sloping roofline might make for awkward packing of larger, boxy, items but otherwise the boot space should be completely acceptable for families.
Further forward to the driver and front passenger area, you’ll hardly notice a difference between this version of the Cayenne and its bigger sibling. Both are equipped with the same 12-inch touch screen infotainment system and configurable digital gauges either side of the ubiquitous Porsche oversized analogue rev counter mounted right in the middle. Like any of today’s cars, you’ll benefit enormously if you spend a couple of hours familiarising yourself with all the tech features on offer.
Should you buy one? It’s so entirely subjective that it’s difficult to say yay or nay. The eye-catching styling of the new Cayenne Coupe comes at a price – both literally and figuratively. Very simply, the Coupe is more expensive, yet smaller, than its older sibling. Does this “compromised practicality” matter? Well, if you’re after an uber-stylish SUV and willing to sacrifice a bit of cabin and boot space, then surely this would have to be at the top of any shortlist…
Car Sleuth likes: Style, exceptional interior cabin comfort and materials
Car Sleuth dislikes: Price, wider stance makes for tricky parking, reduced rear visibility
Car Sleuth rating: 7/10
