New Cayenne, Delivered

We are thrilled to announce that the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid (model 9YA) has officially arrived at our home. This is not a test drive, nor a temporary loan from an acquaintance—it is genuinely “delivered” to our family.

Oh my, what a surprise… (*_*)

Until last month, this was completely unexpected, so honestly, I’m still amazed.

We had been considering an SUV suitable for the whole family, but with the mindset of “let’s take our time and not rush into buying,” we test drove the GLS, tried out the Cayenne Coupe, rode in my brother’s Alphard, and talked about maybe trying the X7 or Range Rover next… Meanwhile, I reached my due date and went back to my parents’ house with the kids for a while.

During that time, my husband kept test driving and was debating whether to go with the base Cayenne or not, when he got the chance to test drive the Cayenne E-Hybrid—and it exceeded all expectations. Later, when he came to visit our newborn son at my parents’ place, he shared:

I asked the dealer if I could try the Cayenne with coil springs(*), and they had a coil spring Cayenne E-Hybrid available, so I took it for a spin. It was amazing.
I hadn’t even considered the hybrid seriously before, but because it’s a motor, the start is super smooth, yet when you press the accelerator, it’s fast! Honestly, I didn’t expect Porsche’s hybrid to be this well done. Incredible!
We’ve had reports on the E-Hybrid in the blog’s Owners File, so I knew it was good in theory, but it was even better than I imagined. You really have to test drive a Porsche to understand it.
*Coil springs: Used here as the opposite of air suspension. A suspension system using traditional metal springs.

He excitedly shared all these impressions with me.

Although we considered fully custom ordering, it seemed wasteful this time, so we asked our dealer contact, Mr. H, to look for a good stock vehicle. He found a Cayenne E-Hybrid with air suspension and a nice spec.

Unfortunately, that one sold quickly, so we asked him to look again, and this time a coil spring Cayenne E-Hybrid was found.

My husband said, “I was initially considering coil springs, so that’s fine, but after seeing the air suspension stock, I got tempted… so I’m torn.” However, after test driving the coil spring Cayenne again and watching the base Cayenne episode on Car Graphic TV plus countless YouTube reviews worldwide, he concluded:

Coil springs seem totally fine. When I drove it, the coil spring setup gave a strong road contact feel, which might actually suit our taste better. This Cayenne is pretty much a barebones model with almost no special options, but it offers great value and satisfaction. Plus, fewer options mean less depreciation when reselling.

And just like that, the purchase was finalized.

We are truly grateful to Mr. H for letting us test drive so many times and for all the time he spent with us.

Initially, We Were Considering SUVs Other Than Cayenne

For readers who have been following this blog for a while, you might be thinking:

Wait, didn’t you say you were going with a non-Porsche SUV?

We thought so too. We had long assumed that this time, a non-Porsche SUV would join our family. That’s because we wanted an SUV that was the opposite of our sports cars like the GT3 and Boxster—a luxurious, comfortable ride for the whole family.

However, when we test drove the top candidate, the GLS, everything changed.

The GLS was, of course, an outstanding vehicle. We were impressed by its safety features, spacious interior, luxury, and comprehensive standard equipment—truly “Mercedes-Benz quality.” It’s no wonder their SUVs sell so well.

But from prior info, we had pictured the GLS as “an SUV with the ride quality of an S-Class sedan.” When we actually drove it, we felt:

It’s lighter and more agile than expected. But I prefer the Cayenne’s ride—though firmer, it has better stability, road contact, and a solid feel.

(Not better or worse, just personal preference.)

That said, Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Bentley Bentayga were beyond our budget, so after much consideration, we came back to: “Well, for driving feel, it’s got to be the Cayenne.”

While the Cayenne’s equipment is far less than the GLS, the current Cayenne rides smoother than our previous 971 Panamera and comfortably seats five.

Plus, the hybrid lets us run around town on electric power alone, while still delivering strong acceleration when needed. On highways, it offers that unmistakable Porsche stability, road grip, and acceleration, with plenty of cargo space—making it a versatile all-rounder. That’s how we ultimately settled on the Cayenne.

Despite saying “we’d definitely go with a non-Porsche this time,” well, the Porsche trap is deeper than we imagined. Even the Cayenne’s driving feel and handling are so addictive that once you experience it, it’s hard to escape! (laughs)