It was only a few years ago that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV made its debut in the performance utility vehicle market. But in 2020 a newer version is making its way to the showroom floor. This time it’s a clone, of sorts, to the original Cayenne Turbo SUV. However, it’s a Coupe version instead that’s coming off the assembly line.

Since they’re so much alike, you’d expect everything to run exactly the same as well. It looks like that’s not the case here. One MotorTrend author drove both the original and the new coupe and has something surprising to say about it.

The driving dynamics of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe

One of MotorTrend’s writers recently shared his views on what it was like to drive the Turbo Coupe vs driving the original Turbo SUV. The conclusion he came to was that the Turbo Coupe’s driving dynamics differed greatly from the original despite being similarly built.  

He took part in one of MotorTrend’s previous Super SUV shootouts where they pit several performance sports utility vehicles against each other. The Cayenne Turbo felt sluggish and slow compared to some of the other contenders. He even wrote that it seemed like it had “been dipped in rubber cement.”

The 2020 Cayenne Turbo Coupe, however, is more like a dream driving down the road. He likens it to the old 2012 Nissan Juke-R. Porsche’s Turbo Coupe offers more bounce in its step, so to speak, and leans into corners better than most of its rivals. 

But, he admits one thing about his experience with the original Cayenne Turbo SUV. He went from test-driving it to getting behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Urus, which took first place that year. It’s possible the Urus spoiled him. 

One other difference you’ll notice is that the Coupe is a bit higher in price for the base package. It runs at $131,450. There are plenty of options to add on to the vehicle but expect them to cost a pretty penny. 

Differences between the coupe version and the original Cayenne Turbo

Porsche built the two SUV versions almost exactly the same way. It’s hard to find much that actually sets these two apart. There are a couple of subtle differences, though, to tell them apart.

Styling is the most obvious difference between the two. Overall, the styling lines are pretty much similar, but the Coupe has a slightly lower roofline that dips down at the back to end with a rear spoiler meeting the edge of the rear wheel well. This gives it the fastback appearance. The rear base is also seven inches wider than the original version. You’re not likely to notice it, but it’s there. You can also find chrome-tipped exhaust ends with the coupe as well. 

Overview of the 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

They cut both the Coupe and the original Turbo from the same mechanical cast. Each vehicle has an optional 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine powering it up. Each one puts out 541 hp and has 567-lb-ft of torque. You’ll also find the same eight-speed automatic transmission on each one as well. 

The Coupe is a front-engine, five-passenger SUV that comes with an AWD powertrain. Curb weight is approximately 5,050 lbs, which is pretty close to the original Turbo SUV and comes in at 5,100 lbs.

A 0-to-60 mph run gets the Coupe an acceleration time of 3.2 seconds. It also has an EPA estimate of 17 mpg on the highway, which is pretty average for a V8 engine. 

A few standard features you’ll find with this version of the Cayenne Turbo are tungsten-coated brake rotors, and 21-inch wheels and tires. While those are great, you can still opt for carbon-ceramic ones, as reported by Car and Driver. You only need to pay about $5,500 more. 

The Cayenne Turbo and the Cayenne Turbo Coupe are essentially the same vehicle and are recommended by others. But it seems that the Coupe is a better driver in the long run, despite having a lot of the same features as the original SUV.