HOW do you make one of the best sport utility vehicles (SUV) on market, the Porsche Cayenne, better? You dive headlong into the SUV coupé craze, adding some serious style to the already signature looks of the Cayenne.

The Porsche Cayenne S Coupé was designed from the ground up to have a curvy bodyline that mimicked the brand’s iconic sports car, the 911. Porsche calls this the 911 flyline. Having the rear roofline taper aggressively into the active rear trunk spoiler gives the Cayenne Coupé even more visual connection to Porsche’s original icon.

The Cayenne’s standard has always been that blend between luxury and performance. In coupé form it loses none of those things. Since it was developed to be a coupé from the start, interior space isn’t impacted in anyway. All occupants, front and rear, travel cosseted in the finest materials and the latest technology. Keyless entry means quick and easy access through the soft close doors into a flawless interior. It’s old-school indulgence meets high-tech inside the Cayenne Coupé. Every conceivable surface is covered in lush leather. The seats boast the Porsche crest embossed into them as does the centre armrest. The dashboard and centre console look as if they’d fallen out of an episode of the Star Trek: Discovery, with massive screens and flat buttons lit under glass. The few switches around feature that Germanic tactility. There’s no opening sunroof, instead a full panoramic glass with a sliding shade. Once open the quality and the space of the cabin takes on even more life. At night the multitude of options for the ambient lighting accentuates it all.

Convenience is the other luxury and the technology in the Cayenne S Coupé makes life easy. The powered front seats are near infinitely adjustable, from sports car low and race car hugging to off-road high and pillow soft, with the press of a few buttons. Add in their heating function and the seats are a very comfortable place to be for long distances. The main functions can be set to automatic, but in typical Porsche manner they go the extra mile. For example, the LED headlights not only automatically dip for forward lighting, but have the ability to blank out sections of themselves, keeping target areas bright while not blinding traffic. Details that separate the Porsche from the pack continues with the four zone climate control which doesn’t just have different temperature zones, but allows the passengers to have separate fan speeds.

The large 12.3-inch infotainment system, backed by an almost as large digital instrument panel, runs everything. It’s fast and can be customised to the driver’s whims. Connectivity is not a problem as is the sound quality from whichever of the two audio systems the vehicle may be optioned with. When not in operation occupants are left with the near church-like silence of the interior. Practicality is plentiful with large storage solutions everywhere. Shopaholics will welcome the ability of the rear of the vehicle to dip on its air suspension lowering the trunk loading floor.

That air suspension is part of why the Cayenne S Coupé is unbothered by whatever is thrown at it. It’s supple when needed, never passing on physical disruption to the cabin. Switch into the sportier modes, via the steering mounted selector, and it adjusts to keep the ride quality beyond reproach. Things firm up without becoming unbearable. The Cayenne just hunkers down, sometimes quite literally automatically lowering itself for aggressive driving, and does its Porsche-ness, easily devouring miles at speed. The beauty of the Cayenne is that it retains a level of driver involvement other sporty SUVs can’t match. The steering is direct, as is the throttle when asked to deliver the 440bhp from the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6. The eight-speed transmission is just as willing to participate in either manual or auto mode. All-wheel drive also helps to maximise on-road grip. In combination with the air suspension the Cayenne can raise its ride height and lock its centre differential for those off-road moments.

These elements set the Porsche Cayenne above the rest, that perfect balance between everyday luxury cruiser and blood pumping performance vehicle, now topped off in a new sexier coupé package.