Porsche Cayenne Plug-In Hybrid Coming in 2014

For Model Year 2014, the Porsche Cayenne will get styling modifications, technical updates, and an optional plug-in hybrid setup called e-Hybrid.

In 2014, when the current Porsche Cayenne gets its mid-cycle freshening, the company will begin selling a plug-in hybrid version. According to Motor Trend, the plug-in Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid will feature an electric motor that cranks out approximately 100 horsepower, which will be capable of propelling the SUV to highway speeds without assistance from the vehicle's V6 engine. The position of the electric motor—between the engine and transmission—means that the Cayenne e-Hybrid will operate as a 4WD vehicle even when it's in electric-only mode.

The plug-in Cayenne's Porsche-like qualities won't kick in while in all-electric mode. Its 420-horsepower capability will come online only when the gas engine engages during hybrid mode. Porsche is not yet discussing all-electric range, but the use of a 10 kilowatt-hour battery pack suggests that it could be more than 20 miles. For point of reference, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid's 4.4-kWh pack provides about 11 miles of EV-range, while the Ford C-Max Energi's 7.6-kWh battery pack provides around 20 miles.

Following the launch of the Cayenne e-Hybrid, Porsche will debut a rear-wheel-drive Panamera e-Hybrid. The plug-in sedan is expected to arrive in 2015 and will feature a system that's nearly identical to the setup found on the Cayenne e-Hybrid.

Porsche has not yet announced pricing. The no-plug Porsche Cayenne Hybrid begins just below $70,000. It has not been a big seller, on track in 2012 to hit about 1,200 units—down about 25 percent compared to last year. Since reaching the market two years ago, Porsche has sold nearly 3,000 units of the vehicle, which has combined EPA fuel rating of 21 miles per gallon. The company has also sold approximately 500 units of the Panamera Hybrid sedan, since its introduction in 2011.