PORSCHE CAYENNE E-HYBRID
It feels odd to tow in a vehicle without an engine humming away , but the hybrid Cayenne was responsive even in EV mode when we tested it with close to three tonnes of caravan hitched up . Of course , its electric motor has all of its 400Nm goodness available from zero revs .
The Cayenne ’ s 44km maximum electric-only range is not going to get you far when you ’ re towing a heavy van , ( you ’ ll get less than half that range in EV-only mode ) but the combination of tech available ( such as switching the engine off when coasting downhill and still having some electric motor
assist for take-offs , even when the EV battery is showing as depleted ) still sees an overall average of around 17L / 100km when towing a large van . That ’ s the kind of figure you ’ d expect in a big diesel tow tug .
The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid ( image from a previous test ).
It gets even better when you ’ re not towing ; ease down the highway and you ’ ll extract a fuel figure of less than 4L / 100km . The only downside : fuel range is around 400km out of a 75L petrol tank when towing .
The Cayenne pitches a little with a load on the towball but it ’ s a pretty good towing platform , with a generally comfortable ride .
The latest hybrid tow vehicle tech isn ’ t cheap . The Cayenne E-Hybrid starts at $ 141,200 ( plus on-road costs ).
PORSCHE CAYENNE E- HYBRID QUICK SPECS
Price : $ 141,200 ( plus on-road costs ) Engine : 3L V6 bi-turbo petrol / electric motor Output : 250kW / 450Nm ( V6 ); 100kW / 400Nm ( electric motor ) Transmission : Eight-speed automatic Towing capacity / TBM : 3500kg / 350kg Kerb weight : 2295kg GVM : 3030kg GCM : 6530kg
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