The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid will go on sale in the U.S. this November, with prices starting from $67,700, excluding destination charges. Rated by the EPA at 21 mpg in the city (11.2 lt/100 km) and 25 mpg on the highway (9.4 lt/100 km), the Cayenne S Hybrid will not be subject to a gas-guzzler tax, as is the case with all other 2011 Cayenne models.

To achieve such relatively low consumption figures, while nearly equaling in performance the 400 hp (298 kW) V8 Cayenne S, the hybrid variant of the firm's SUV makes use of a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 gasoline engine, capable of delivering 333 hp (or 248 kW), and a 47-horsepower (34 kW) electric motor. The latter is able to power the German SUV at low speeds and for short distances, so you can minimize fuel consumption in heavy traffic.

Interaction between the motors is governed by the Hybrid Manager, which uses a decoupling clutch to power the car by either the electric motor or the combustion engine alone, or by both drive units together.

The hybrid system's combined output is rated at 380 hp (279 kW) with a peak torque of 428 lb-ft (580 Nm) delivered at just 1,000 rpm.

Performance is equally good, as the Cayenne S Hybrid can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) from standstill in just 6.1 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h).

By Csaba Daradics

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