Porsche aims to reignite sales of the Cayenne crossover with a sportier coupe variant that will square off against the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and the BMW X6.
The Cayenne Coupe is a competitive response to similar coupe-crossovers from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. BMW created the coupe-crossover segment with the X6.
"These models have proven to be particularly popular in emerging luxury markets like China and the Middle East," said AutoPacific analyst Ed Kim. "Porsche clearly hopes to gain volume by introducing a model in a growing segment."
The Cayenne Coupe's steeply sloping roof linethat falls away at the rear positions it as the sportiest-looking model in the segment, Michael Mauer, Porsche dsign boss said in a statement on Thursday.
The SUV has sharper lines with a redesigned rear section, adaptive rear spoiler, individual rear seats and either a panoramic fixed glass roof fitted as standard or an optional carbon fiber roof. The rear doors and quarter panels have been redesigned to broaden the shoulders of the vehicle. The license plate bracket is now part of the bumper and makes the vehicle look like it sits lower to the ground.
The Cayenne Coupe will launch with two high-performance engines.
The standard model has a 3.0-liter mono-turbo V-6 engine capable of generating 335 hp and sprinting from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds. Its top speed is 243 kph (151 mph).
The top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo Coupe is equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, capable of 541 hp. It accelerates from 0-10 kph (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 286 kph (178 mph).
Other engines including a plug-in hybrid are expected to be added later.
The Cayenne Coupe arrives European dealerships the end of May priced higher than the standard Cayenne. In Germany, the Cayenne Coupe will cost 83,711 euros and the Cayenne Turbo Coupe will cost 146,662 euros. The SUV is expected in U.S. showrooms this fall. It will start at $76,550, including $1,250 for shipping. The Cayenne Turbo Coupe will start at $131,350, including shipping.
