Porsche Cayenne 2020 pricing and spec confirmed: Plug-in high performance large SUV locked in

Porsche has given its third-generation Cayenne large SUV a new flagship, with the Turbo S E-Hybrid combining a V8 engine with an electric motor in both traditional wagon and sloped-back coupe body styles.

Due in Australia in December this year, the Turbo S E-Hybrid pair follows in the tyre tracks of the Panamera upper-large car’s similarly named flagship with its 404kW 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine and 100kW electric motor.

However, unlike the 850Nm Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, the Cayenne equivalents have a colossal combined maximum torque output of 900Nm from just above idle. System peak power of 500kW is shared between these models, though.

Harnessing an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission (the range-topping Panamera uses a dual-clutch unit) and an all-wheel-drive system, both Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid body styles sprint from standstill to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds while on the way their eye-watering top speed of 295km/h.

The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid wagon and coupe are not just about outright straight-line performance, either, with both offering an all-electric driving range of up to 40 kilometres, while their zero-tailpipe-emissions terminal velocity is 135km/h.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined cycle test and carbon dioxide emissions are yet to be confirmed by the German brand.

Nonetheless, this efficiency is partly enabled by the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid pair’s underfloor 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged from flat within 2.4 hours when using its standard onboard 7.2kW AC charger (with a 400V connection and 16A fuse).

Alternatively, a domestic power outlet (with a 230V connection and 10A fuse) can charge the battery from zero to 100 per cent in six hours.

All of this capability will come at a cost, though, with the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid wagon and coupe priced from $288,000 and $292,700 plus on-road costs respectively – $46,400 and $39,100 more than each body style’s current Turbo flagship charges.

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Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid 2018 pricing and spec confirmed

Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid buyers are compensated for the extra spend with a longer list of standard equipment, including carbon-ceramic brakes, speed-sensitive power steering, three-chamber air suspension, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive dampers, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll bars and a Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) rear differential lock.

Standard equipment otherwise includes LED headlights, rear privacy glass, keyless entry and start, four-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a camera-based autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, cruise control, a manual speed limiter, surround-view cameras and front and rear parking sensors.

The wagon will also come with ventilated front seats and a panoramic sunroof as standard, while its coupe sibling will roll on 22-inch RS Spyder Design alloy wheels at no extra cost.

The Turbo S E-Hybrid pair will also be among the first Cayenne examples to be subject to a 2020 model-year update that ushers in wireless Apple CarPlay support and USB-C ports.

Rear-axle steering is optional alongside Matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and Night Vision with a thermal imaging camera.

2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid list pricing: