Cayenne Hybrid Could Get 30% Better Mileage

Porsche announced today that its engineering target for the upcoming Cayenne Hybrid is a 30% reduction in fuel consumption. Spokesman Bernd Harling confirmed those figures are relative to the V-6 Cayenne, which gets 16 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That means a Cayenne Hybrid could get as much as 21 mpg combined, which is somewhat competitive with 4WD luxury SUVs like the forthcoming Cadillac Escalade Hybrid (estimated 20 mpg combined) and Lexus RX 400h (25 mpg combined).

There is still no word as to when the Cayenne Hybrid will arrive or how much it will cost. Porsche says it will employ a full hybrid system capable of running on gasoline, electric power or a combination of the two; that means city mileage should see a major bump, with comparatively smaller gains on the highway. We’re a bit dubious as to whether a hybrid fits the brand’s sporting image, but Porsche USA president Peter Schwarzenbauer told reporters the hybrid will “retain the typical Porsche performance characteristics.”