This Is Porsche’s Fastest Cayenne Ever—and It’s Hybrid-Electric

• It might not be a 911 or Cayman, but the Porsche Cayenne still has some serious performance chops, especially in Turbo E-Hybrid form.

• Sporting a new 25.9-kWh battery pack, the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid boasts 729 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque.

• Starting at $148,550, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid exists in a lightly populated realm of ultra-high-performance SUVs, competing with the likes of BMW's XM.

As Porsche rolls out the 2024 model-year Cayenne, it is once again showing just how powerful its plug-in hybrids can be. No longer does the plain ol' Turbo model with its 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine suffice; 591 horsepower just simply will not do, Porsche engineers say.

Instead, prospective buyers will find 729 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque from the new 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. The 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine remains, but Porsche has added an electric motor generating an additional 174 hp.

That makes the newest Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid good for 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 183 mph at the top end.

But this late-model propulsion architecture does have some fresh parts for 2024. Mounted underneath the trunk area, the new Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid has a larger 25.9-kWh battery pack, increasing its capacity from the previous 17.9-kWh battery. With an 11-kW onboard charger, the charge time now drops under 2.5 hours, an improvement of half an hour.

Previous versions of the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid delivered 13 miles of all-electric range, and the increased battery size hints at the potential for more range. A spokesperson for Porsche confirmed that range figures are not yet available.

The large battery also adds lots of weight however, a feature Porsche had to actively work against to keep the Cayenne's sports car-like handling behavior.

In order to keep the chassis in check, new Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid models include an adaptive air suspension system that features new two-chamber, two-valve technology as standard. This allows for separate adjustability of both compression and rebound settings, a new feature for 2024. In turn, more precise adjustment is available in each drive mode.

Porsche says these suspension changes are primarily focused on comfort, though the reduction in dive and squat helps dynamic driving behavior, too. Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus is also standard on all Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid models now, but Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control as well as rear-axle steering remain available as options.

A few major design changes were made for 2024 as well. Cayenne Turbo models get a specific front fascia with larger air intakes, in addition to two dual exhaust tailpipes made of brushed aluminum and red brake calipers. Sporty.

HD-Matrix Design LED headlights and a more powerful 15-watt air-conditioned induction-charging pad are also new for 2024.

Inside the new Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, everything remains largely the same. A smattering of aluminum trim meets a Race-Tex headliner material while the GT Sport steering wheel and 18-way adjustable leather Sport seats remain standard.

All that engineering and luxury costs quite a bit, with the standard Turbo E-Hybrid going for $148,550 and the Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe coming in at $153,050.

Deliveries are slated for the spring of 2024, but order books are open now. That said, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is unlikely to sell out like some of Porsche's more coveted sports car models. Luckily, you'll have time to cross-shop models like BMW's XM and Audi's RSQ8.

Are performance SUVs like this Porsche replacing the previous generation of performance wagons and estate cars? Please share your thoughts below.