Cayenne E-Hybrid, Delivered

I recently wrote an article about how the Cayenne E-Hybrid arrived at our home, and today I want to share my first impressions from driving it on delivery day.

I plan to share my husband’s first impressions in a separate article soon.

First Impressions of the Cayenne E-Hybrid

Regarding the current Cayenne model, I have had the chance to test drive the Cayenne, Cayenne S, and Cayenne S Coupe before, but the strongest impression for me remains from the very first time I drove the standard Cayenne.

I was deeply impressed by how smooth and comfortable the ride and driving experience were. I thought, “Is this really an SUV? And to think the ride quality surpasses even the Panamera—it’s unbelievable!”

This time, I got to drive the Cayenne E-Hybrid on delivery day. Since I had been staying at my parents’ home for childbirth and hadn’t driven for about a month and a half, I was really looking forward to driving a Porsche again after such a long break.

To sum up my first impression of the Cayenne E-Hybrid, I was just as thrilled as when I first drove my Porsche (the 970 Panamera) in my life. Of course, part of that was because it had been a month and a half since I last drove a Porsche, but I think the biggest factor was how impressed I was with the “hybrid” aspect.

The initial acceleration when pressing the gas pedal was incredibly smooth. It moved forward effortlessly and quietly. I had imagined,

“Hybrids are heavier because of the motor, so maybe they feel sluggish off the line. I’ve heard they mostly run on the motor in city driving, but maybe they lack power?”

but this experience completely changed my perception: “This is Porsche’s hybrid! Amazing!”

Our Note e-POWER NISMO S also starts off smoothly and pleasantly, but the Cayenne felt like a more refined, higher-quality version of the Note’s electric motor drive. (Though our Note NISMO has a firmer suspension.)

Another surprise was how quiet it was. Even when starting the engine, I thought, “Wait, did the engine just start?” It was so softly and gently started that it was hard to believe. Porsche engines usually have a loud and powerful start-up sound, so compared to that, this was almost un-Porsche-like in its quietness.

This means I don’t have to worry about disturbing the neighbors whether I drive early in the morning or late at night (laughs).

Also, the cabin was very quiet and comfortable while driving, making conversation easy. Even on the highway, the quietness remained unchanged.

What also amazed me was the complete absence of shift shock while driving. You might think, “Isn’t that an exaggeration?” but I really couldn’t tell when the gear shifted. My husband said, “The Cayenne’s automatic transmission is Tiptronic, which pairs well with the hybrid system,” and I felt it was completely different from the Panamera’s PDK.

The Panamera’s AT is smart too, but sometimes I felt a slight shift shock when it went into second gear, and the engine sound clearly indicated gear changes. But with the Cayenne hybrid, the sound is so quiet that you don’t notice at all—it’s incredibly smooth.

If the hybrid system is this excellent, I wonder how incredible the Taycan, Porsche’s first electric car, must be. It must be something else entirely.

My husband and I talked about this as we took the car for a short highway drive.

On the highway, lane changes felt very smooth. But this wasn’t something unique to the Cayenne; whether it’s an air-cooled Porsche, a Panamera, or a GT3, the hallmark Porsche handling with no lag and perfect driver-car unity was clearly present in the Cayenne as well.

Moreover, the higher driving position in the Cayenne made lane changes feel even smoother than in a low-slung sports car.

I can’t wait to take it to Fuji Speedway or on a long trip… I’m really looking forward to the day when my son is a little older and we can go on family drives together.

Also, the Cayenne is more maneuverable than I expected. I wondered how it would be to park such a large vehicle in our home garage compared to the Panamera, but I managed to park it perfectly on the first try. (Even though I’m not that good at parking.)

When I turned the wheel and gently pressed the accelerator, the car responded with a sharper turn than I expected. And this was without the optional rear-axle steering.

Our sales rep, Mr. H, had said, “This Cayenne is surprisingly nimble,” and he was absolutely right.

Of course, narrow parking lots or city coin parking spaces can be physically impossible to fit into, but otherwise, there’s no need to be overly worried.

A few days later, I drove the Cayenne a bit for kindergarten drop-off and pick-up, and for the short distance from home to kindergarten (just over 2 kilometers round trip), the car ran entirely on electric motor power. The hill in front of our house is quite steep, and when I drove the Panamera, fuel efficiency would drop to the low 4 km/l range on that climb, but the Cayenne E-Hybrid easily climbed it using only the motor.

Later, I checked the fuel efficiency and saw an unbelievable figure of 100 km/l (laughs).

More Cayenne Reviews Coming Soon

Since the car is still brand new and I haven’t driven it in many different situations yet, this article covers only my first impressions, but it’s amazing that a nearly option-free car can be this good—the Cayenne E-Hybrid really is impressive.

Going forward, I plan to share more about charging (apparently the charger unit itself hasn’t arrived yet), fuel efficiency, integration with the Porsche app, and my husband’s first impressions in due course.