Porsche Cayenne Coupe 2019 UK first drive

The new Porsche Cayenne Coupé is an answer for those who think Porsche’s latest SUV is just too SUV-shaped and too darn practical.

Porsche is not beating around the bush with this one - it hasn’t gone to the trouble of making a new model name or designation for its swoopier version of the Cayenne. Instead, it’s tacked the Coupé name onto it, so it’s clear where the new car stands.

Glib comments aside, there’s a clear market for a more style-oriented version of the Cayenne, given every one of its main rivals offers something in that supposedly niche segment. The BMW X5 becomes the BMW BMW X6, Mercedes offers a Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLE Coupé, and Audi styles the Audi Q7 into the Audi Q8. Land Rover also has a rival of sorts in high-end variants of the Range Rover Velar, too. 

Whether or not you feel a car that compromises the ‘utility’ element of its mantra on the altar of style speaks to you - this tester can’t say it does -  Porsche at least has its sports car bloodline to draw upon, both in design and engineering terms. 

So the objective here on our first UK drive of the Coupé is to see whether Porsche’s new range addition offers much in the way of substance beyond its looks - a tough task for the base model of the range.

Let’s briefly touch on aesthetics – that murky area of subjectivity. To my mind, it’s the front view where the squashed down, sloped off roofline has the most positive impact. In combination with a more steeply raked windscreen and slightly wider wings, it gives the Cayenne its first clear visual link with the Porsche 911, and a scaled-up Porsche Macan vibe. 

The rear? I’m not totally convinced - particularly when the not-at-all sleekly integrated fence panel of a tailgate-mounted rear spoiler erects itself at 65mph or so whether you want it to or not.  However, it’s more visually successful than BMW’s or Mercedes’ efforts.

Step inside and you’ll find the same slick, neat and impeccably finished interior as the standard Cayenne, bar a crucial detail: it’s a four-seater as standard. Two shapely chairs are separated by an armrest/storage/cupholder unit - but don’t worry, a three-seat bench is a no-cost option.

The bench itself has been mounted 30mm lower, too, to counter the 20mm roofline drop. That solves the senselessness of having a two-tonne SUV that your teenage kids have to tilt their heads to sit comfortably in. But there’s no engineering away the drop in official boot capacity of 16% - it’s still big, but notably less dog friendly.