Porsche Cayenne Coupe review

All versions of the Porsche Cayenne Coupé are quick, starting with the entry-level turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that produces 335bhp and accelerates this hefty SUV from 0-62mph in 6.0sec. That said, it’s worth upgrading to the Cayenne S if it’s within budget. Its V6 may be slightly smaller (2.9 litres), but an extra turbo pushes it to 434bhp, so it pulls much harder and is a second quicker to 62mph (5.0sec).

The pick of the range is the Cayenne Coupé GTS, which straddles the fine line between sensible SUV and outrageous sports SUV. It uses a 454bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol that’s more than powerful enough to beat most rivals away from the traffic lights and the 0-62mph time is just 4.5sec. Fancy something even more mind-bending? You could try the 543bhp Turbo for size, but even that's not the fastest Cayenne Coupé. The quickest version is the 631bhp Turbo GT that’ll steam to 0-62mph in 3.3sec and moves quicker than a scalded cat on a hot tin roof.

Most Cayenne Coupés come with adaptive suspension as standard (Porsche calls this PASM if you're trying to decode the brochure). In its most compliant mode it's softer than you might expect, but that doesn’t prevent the car from thumping over potholes and expansion joints. We wouldn’t say that it's uncomfortable, but it lacks the plush pliancy other luxury SUVs provide – the Audi Q8 and Range Rover Velar, for example.

All the engines are smooth under normal use, including the creamy V6's found in the entry-level model, the E-Hybrid (when its petrol engine is running) and the S. The S is a little more sonorous while the GTS, Turbo and Turbo GT deliver a purposeful, smile-inducing V8 rumble. All the engines settle to near-silent in the background when you’re cruising.

Unsurprisingly, both the hybrids are borderline-silent in electric-only mode, but their brakes are disappointing. They stop you effectively, but the system that recoups energy for the battery as you slow down makes the pedal action feels inconsistent and horribly grabby, especially in slow-moving traffic. There is no such issue with the regular models, which offer a very progressive middle pedal that you can meter perfectly.

All models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that glides between ratios. The Turbo GT’s 'box has been tuned to deliver faster shifts in a more aggressive manner than the standard unit, so instead of simply gliding between gears, it gives you more of a thump in the back. We think it suits the Turbo GT’s more focused character. Wind noise is well contained, but the typically big tyres fitted to the Cayenne Coupé generate more road noise than its quietest rivals, such as the Audi Q8.