Hybrid Cayenne S is Red Hot!

We first told you about plans for a 2009 Porsche Cayenne hybrid nearly two years ago, and not much has been said or written about it since. That is until now, with the Los Angeles Auto Show in full swing and more than 50 hybrid and alternative vehicles on display this week (see the list below), red green Cayenne talk is once again heating up. LA is the largest car market in the United States and the perfect location to show off a more eco-friendly Porsche.

Porsche first came out with the Cayenne SUV in 2002 and in 2003 they brought it to the U.S. market. In addition to a base model with a V6 engine, the Cayenne comes in several other models (S, GTS, Turbo, Turbo S, and soon to be Diesel). Now, the long awaited debut of a hybrid Cayenne is nearly over with an expected release date sometime in 2010. You might recall from our earlier coverage that parent company Porsche SE originally intended to place their gas/electric drivetrain in a Volkswagen Touareg hybrid or an Audi Q5 hybrid, both of which share platforms with the Cayenne. Now it appears we will get to enjoy all three.

The Cayenne hybrid will start with a 333 hp, 3.0 litre twin-supercharged V6 engine alongside a 52 horse electric motor, a 288 volt nickel metal hydride battery, all directed by an 8 speed automatic transmission. This is a full hybrid, meaning it will be able to go a short distance under electric power only (don’t expect to make it across town, but easily to the mailbox and back). For a 2 1/2 ton SUV, the hybridized Cayenne is reported to scream fro 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, topping out at nearly 150 miles per hour. While that sounds like a vehicle that would be lucky to scare 15 mpg, were supposed to see overall highway and city driving averages closer to 27 miles per gallon!

With the price of a Cayenne S starting at over $60,000, we are guessing the hybrid Cayenne will start at over $70,000.

Reviews and Test Drives

Review from Motor Trend
From Porsche.com