Porsche-Cayenne-Facelift-2

Porsche is planning a five-door Cayenne coupe as a more sporting alternative to the regular Cayenne, reports Autocar UK. The future vehicle, set to rival the likes of the BMW X6, Mercedes MLC and Range Rover Sport, will be MLB-based and is tentatively scheduled for a 2018 introduction as part of the next-gen Cayenne range.

"We have been considering launching a more sporting derivative of the Cayenne for some time now," a senior official told Autocar UK. "The problem has been the production capacity at our Leipzig factory and the strong sales of the regular Cayenne."

The coupe's styling is said to be an evolution of the current-gen Cayenne's, while taking inspiration from the 918 Spyder. Tauter surfacing, a sleeker roofline, narrow glasshouse, sloping tail and an edgier look overall should differentiate it from the regular Cayenne, according to the publication, while the interior is to be shared with the next-gen Cayenne.

Engines are expected to comprise petrol, diesel, plug-in petrol-hybrid and diesel-hybrid units, Porsche insiders told the publications. Variants should range from the 3.0 litre V6 petrol, through GTS, Turbo, Diesel and finally the Turbo S with a twin-turbo V8 petrol developing more than 550 hp.

Autocar UK also reports that the planned Cayenne coupe is expected to be lower overall, while sitting closer to the ground, than the regular Cayenne. The chassis is also set to be honed at the Nurburgring.