2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid interior review

It's easy to dismissPorscheinteriors with disdain.At times, the standard cabin feels like an afterthought compared to performance.Nevermind, I told myself, just think ofPorscheas a sports car maker, not a luxury brand.You're paying big for a super-powered car or SUV.And, of course, you can get a luxurious interior in aPorsche, but you're going to have to pay pretty dearly for every bit of it.What do you expect from a company that regularly removes sound insulation from cars and uses nylon door pulls to make its cars lighter and more flexible?

When this 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid pulls into my driveway, I'm expecting either a fairly modest interior, or opting for a high-quality interior with an equally high sticker price.To my surprise, I got something in the middle with a lot of luxuries without the price tag reaching stratospheric heights.TheCayenneE-Mix starts at $83,150 with a $1,350 destination fee included.The final list price for my tester was $101,650.That's actually reasonable by Porsche standards.

Some added options are practical, like rear-axle steering ($1,620) and adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management ($2,170).Others address exterior styling issues, such as Moonlight Blue Metallic ($800), 20-inch Cayenne Design wheels ($1,720), and removing acid green accents ($0).Part or all of the remaining surcharges are for the interior.

Black/Mojave Beige leather upholstery for $4,180 replaces the standard black interior with richer two-tone leather that covers more interior surfaces.It's an expensive upgrade, to be sure, but it goes a long way in turning this sport hybrid into a proper luxury car. The ventilated front seats also cost $850.Smartphone compartment with wireless charging is an additional $690.The Premium package ($6,470) adds more interior perks like ambient lighting, a Bose surround sound system, a panoramic sunroof, 14-way power front seats with memory and heated front seats.Also included in the premium package are more features such as auto-dimming rearview mirrors, lane change assist (a fancy term for a blind spot warning system), Comfort Entry (opening the power trunk door with a kick action), Power Steering Plus (speed sensitive) power steering), and LED headlights with automatic range and cornering adjustment.Porsche added a free smoking pack to make it feel extra European.This contains a list of options for this particular Cayenne.