If there’s a theme that carries across plug-in hybrids of all kinds this year, it’s that batteries are getting bigger and electric-only driving range is getting longer.Â
With Porsche’s latest versions of the Cayenne E-Hybrid plug-in hybrids, you can bet on both of those improvements, as well as the pursuit of better performance along the way.Â
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid that the German automaker announced for the U.S. market on Monday will land right between the V-6 Cayenne E-Hybrid and the V-8 Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid versions in performance and price. Including the $1,650 destination fee, that amounts to $100,750 for the Cayenne S E-Hybrid in its SUV body style, or $105,650 in its curvier Coupe body style.Â
The Cayenne S E-Hybrid has a 348-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 plus a 174-hp electric motor system packaged with an 8-speed automatic transmission. That makes a system output of 512 hp and 553 lb-ft (up from the E-Hybrid’s 463 hp and 479 hp), enabling a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds (from 4.6 seconds), according to Porsche. Further, the quarter-mile time of 13.0 seconds is 0.1 second quicker than the twin-turbo V-8 non-hybrid Cayenne.Â
2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid
The S E-Hybrid, like the rest of the refreshed Cayenne PHEV lineup, does indeed get a larger battery pack this year—25.9 kwh, versus the former models’ 17.9-kwh pack. None of these models yet have an EPA electric range rating, but in a first drive review of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Green Car Reports estimated a real-world electric range between 20 and 30 miles. Expect a significant boost versus the previous models’ EPA-rated 15 miles—as well as, perhaps, somewhat better mileage than the previous-generation V-6 Cayenne E-Hybrid’s 21 mpg combined.Â
In addition to the bigger battery, the Cayenne E-Hybrid models all get an 11-kw onboard charger, which allows a full charge of the plug-in hybrid’s battery pack in about 2.5 hours. It does not, like the 2024 Mercedes GLE 450e, include DC fast-charging, but it’s likely to provide a more focused driving experience than the 2024 BMW XM.Â
Standard equipment on the S E-Hybrid includes an adaptive air suspension with two-chamber, two-valve tech allowing a wider range of performance or comfort, as well as eight-way power front seats, a steering-wheel mode switch, stainless steel pedal pads, and Apple CarPlay. Porsche says that via the My Porsche app it’s the first automaker to allow access to more car functions within CarPlay—perhaps such as the enhanced Apple Maps route planning in the Taycan.Â