Porsche Cayenne Coupe vs. BMW X6 vs. Mercedes GLE Coupe vs. Audi Q8: Here’s How They Stack Up

When Porsche first introduced the Cayenne back in 2002, the public had difficulty warming up to it while attempting to reconcile seeing a luxury performance car badge on a sports utility vehicle.

Perhaps the problem was that it was only not exciting enough from a visual perspective. In actuality, it even shared several lines and creases with the first-gen Volkswagen Touareg, and for some, that was a bitter pill to swallow. Has all that changed today?

We could argue that it has, at least as far as accepting the Cayenne as a true blue Porsche. In actuality, one reason why the Stuttgart-based automaker has managed to keep improving the 911 and having it be continuously among the best supercars on the planet, is the Cayenne and its financial success.

Better late than never

Some traditionalists will probably never really accept SUVs from brands such as Porsche or Lamborghini, but had the Cayenne initially been more like this brand new Coupe version, then maybe more purists could have jumped on board.

Regardless, the Cayenne Coupe is here and it will undoubtedly hand Porsche a increase in sales, while also giving BMW X6, Mercedes GLE Coupe and Audi Q8 buyers a reason or two to pause.

For starters, the Cayenne Coupe joins the Audi Q8 in being a more hatchback-like SUV Coupe, whereas the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe have their rear ends designed more like fastbacks. So in a sense, the Porsche and the Audi are a bit more conservative and less imposing, but at exactly the same time, that also makes them more tasteful – the BMW and the Merc can seem a little odd from certain angles.

Concerning overall dimensions, the Cayenne Coupe shares the same wheelbase length as the regular Cayenne in 2,895 mm (113.9 inches). This ’s the shortest wheelbase found in this group actually. The X6’s measures 2,933 mm (115.4 inches), the GLE Coupe’s measures 2,915 mm (114.7 inches) while the Q8’s is 2,995 mm (117.9 inches) long. Despite all of that, the Porsche is your second-longest SUV here, measuring 4,931 mm (194.1 inches) from bumper to bumper. Ahead of it is the Q8 in 4,986 mm (196.3 inches) in length, while the BMW and the Mercedes measure 4,909 mm (193.2 inches) and 4,891 mm (192.5 inches) respectively.

Latest and greatest inside

Both the Cayenne Coupe and the Audi Q8 have a enormous advantage over the X6 and GLE Coupe, as the latter two are much older and are both anticipating a generational shift that will ultimately bring them in line with their main rivals. So while we won’t argue for any of those four from an aesthetic standpoint in regards to the cabin, the fact that there are a great deal more modern convenience and safety features within the Porsche and the Audi cannot be ignored.

There’s also no comparing the infotainment systems and the screens. The GLE Coupe’s display resembles the world’s smallest tablet compared to what you get in the Porsche. Meanwhile, the Q8 stands out thanks to its three-screen design , which appears extremely modern, maybe futuristic.

Since we’re speaking interiors, care to guess which of the four has the largest back? That would be the GLE Coupe with 650 liters (22.9 cu.ft) of volume, whereas the Cayenne Coupe takes second place with 622 liters (21.9 cu.ft), followed by the Audi and the BMW, with 605 liters (21.3 cu.ft) and 580 liters (20.5 cu.ft) respectively.

What about price/performance?

Taking a Look at the entry-level versions for the U.S, they pile up the following manner:

Porsche Cayenne Coupe – $75,300 (3.0-liter V6, 335 HP, 332 lb-ft / 450 Nm, 0-60 in 5.6s)

BMW X6 xDrive35i – $65,850 (3.0-liter straight-six, 302 HP, 295 lb-ft / 400 Nm, 0-60 in 6.0s)

Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 Coupe – $71,350 (3.0-liter V6, 384 HP, 383 lb-ft / 519 Nm, 0-60 in 5.7s)

Audi Q8 55 TFSI – $67,400 (3.0-liter V6, 335 HP, 369 lb-ft / 500 Nm, 0-60 in 5.6s)

As you can see, straight line acceleration is very similar. With pricing, a more budget-focused buyer might lean towards the Audi, as it’s the second-cheapest to buy, yet has excellent performance and some of the most recent on-board tech.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe vs. BMW X6 M vs Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S

You didn’t think we forgot about the flagship models did you? Unfortunately Audi couldn’t participate in this debate, as the RS Q8 has yet to break cover officially.