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"Between 2007-2009, the Acura ZDX, the Honda Crosstour and the BMW X6 all hit the scene as SUVs/crossovers with sloping, fastback-style roofs, long before the Porsche Cayenne Coupe. It was Michelle Christensen that coined the ZDX a ""four-door luxury sports coupe,"" which Acura at the time said, ""blurs the distinction between coupe, sedan and sport utility vehicle."" We thought they were goofy-looking then, and still do. But it's hard to say they weren't ahead of their time."
"About a decade later, the Volkswagen Group brought out its own handful of these four-door vehicles called ""coupes,"" but they mostly had flat roofs, even if they were lower than their standard SUV counterparts. Audi, Porsche, Bentley and VW all managed to produce one, but it's the horizontal look, like the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Coupe and the GTS-spec version we had on our test drive, that jettisons the egg appearance and homes in on what makes a big car look good. This Cayenne Coupe and the Audi SQ8 are the best looking of the bunch, though the Bentley Bentayga and VW Atlas Cross are also handsome."
The Cayenne Coupe comes in a variety of flavors, topped by the 453-horsepower GTS. All are fast but the GTS makes you wonder why you'd ever need a Cayenne Turbo Coupe. Dynamically, it feels like a Porsche. The steering wheel felt connected directly to the tires, even though it's an electronic setup, and the brakes were race-car strong. There were a few ergonomic and technology elements that annoyed us, but the selection of upgrades on the GTS make it the sweet spot of the lineup. Besides those VW Group cars we mentioned, the Cayenne Coupe fights for sales against the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE-Coupe. The Porsche is dynamically superior to these competitors but it does require you to pay a premium.
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