Think of the electric motor in the facelifted 2015 Porsche Cayenne S
E-Hybrid as the cream filling in an Oreo cookie. Under the hood of this plug-in
hybrid crossover is a 333-horsepower, supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with a 95-hp
synchronous electric motor sandwiched between it and an eight-speed Tiptronic
automatic transmission. The clutched powertrain allows pure combustion, pure
electric or a combination of both to drive all four wheels through Porsche's
permanent all-wheel-drive system.
Differentiating itself from the Panamera S E-Hybrid sedan, which shares the same basic powertrain and stores energy in a 9.4-kWh battery, the Cayenne crossover is fit with a more robust 10.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers an estimated pure-electric driving range of up to 22 miles at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour.
To be one of the very first US media members to sample Porsche's latest fuel-efficient crossover, the automaker flew us to Frankfurt, Germany, to test the five-passenger Cayenne S E-Hybrid on its home turf.
Driving Notes:
Differentiating itself from the Panamera S E-Hybrid sedan, which shares the same basic powertrain and stores energy in a 9.4-kWh battery, the Cayenne crossover is fit with a more robust 10.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers an estimated pure-electric driving range of up to 22 miles at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour.
To be one of the very first US media members to sample Porsche's latest fuel-efficient crossover, the automaker flew us to Frankfurt, Germany, to test the five-passenger Cayenne S E-Hybrid on its home turf.
Driving Notes:
In default mode, the hybrid system requires no operator
input. Assuming the battery pack has sufficient charge, this Porsche will start
and drive on electric power until it has exhausted nearly all of its battery
pack's stored energy (state of charge is visible on the infotainment display),
at which point, the combustion engine will start and provide propulsion.
However, in the interest of fuel economy, it will not recharge the battery
above a minimal level.
Crucially, Porsche has fitted two console-mounted buttons
that are unique to the Cayenne E-Hybrid. That's because, as engineers point out,
there will be times when drivers want to preserve EV mode for city driving (as
in London's city center, to avoid congestion charges) and/or recharge their
batteries on the open road. The top button, or 'E-Power', forces the powertrain
into pure EV mode (assuming there is energy in the battery, of course) for
emissions-free driving. The bottom button, or 'E-Charge', starts the combustion
engine and engages the electric motor in a generator role to restore
approximately 80 percent of the battery's charge in about 30 minutes. The
downside to the latter is a 20-percent reduction in fuel economy as the engine
is being used for propulsion and charging.
The Cayenne S E-Hybrid may be on an efficiency mission, but
there are no compromises in terms of performance. Full throttle engages both
the engine and e-motor, with their combined output launching the nearly
5,200-pound crossover to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds and on to a top speed of
151 mph (pure EV mode is several ticks slower in acceleration benchmarks). It's
surprisingly quick, with the competent eight-speed automatic working with the
driveline's rear-biased all-wheel drive to expertly lay the power down.
We found ourselves constantly toggling between E-Power and
E-Charge, staring intently at theinstrument panel's Energy Flow gauge as we drove
through both city and open countryside seeking different levels of performance
and efficiency. Electric mode is expectedly hushed, with the motor's whine
barely audible in the cabin (more pronounced is the tire noise from the
performance-oriented rubber). The combustion engine introduces vibration and a
V6 rumble from the other side of the firewall when it switches on, making it
obvious as to which mode the powertrain is operating in.
The battery pack, located in the rear of the vehicle beneath the cargo floor, can be recharged with a Porsche Universal Charger. Charge time using a standard
110-volt/10-amp household outlet is approximately 11 hours, 240-volts/16 amps
is approximately 2.7 hours and 240-volts/30 amps is approximately 1.3 hours.
EPA fuel economy estimates have not yet been released.
Dynamically, the E-Hybrid's steering, braking and handling
are nearly identical to other Cayennes, despite the additional heft from the
sophisticated drive system (the Hybrid weighs a whopping 613 pounds more than
the Cayenne S). The crossover may be on a fuel-efficient mission, but its
driving dynamics are all Porsche - the driver will enjoy the experience. We
confidently tossed the crossover into corners for grins and drove at
triple-digits speeds simply because we legally could (of course, neither
practice is good for economy). The only oddity, from the operator's perspective,
is the drive-by-wire accelerator pedal that alters its resistance (and
kick-down point) based on the hybrid mode – it takes some getting used to.
Porsche offers versions of its midsize crossover to suit
every upper-crust need, from the entry-level naturally aspirated V6-powered
Cayenne to the muscular twin-turbocharged V8-powered Cayenne Turbo. The Cayenne
S E-Hybrid sits mid-pack in terms of pricing and standard equipment, targeting
efficiency-minded buyers who spend most of their time driving time in urban
environments, where hybrids shine. Strictly in terms of range and fuel economy,
however, those who commute large distances are better served by the Cayenne
Diesel.
We really like the updated 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid,
but not simply because of its newly extended electric range and improved
efficiency. More important, we are impressed by how well engineers have been
able to seamlessly integrate such a complex hybrid system within the midsize
crossover, yet take very little away from its enthusiast-tuned driving
dynamics.
Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Michael Harley / AOL /
Porsche AG
Autoblog
by Michael Harley
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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