Good news for the hybrid fans. Porsche will release the new Porsche Cayenne S hybrid in 2010. Despite being able to go 0-100 km/h in under 7 seconds, the company claims it will have the same fuel economy as a four-cylinder. Porsche says they will use a similar system on the new Porsche Panamera hybrid after the model is officially introduced.

Also good news is that Porsche says the hybrid powertrain barely affects the design of the Cayenne. They installed the system without compromising interior and luggage space.

Unfortunately, Porsche did not reveal the exact efficiency details for their car. However, they anticipate the car will be officially rated at using less than nine litres of fuel per 100 km, or about 26 mpg (US) combined.

The vehicle uses a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from Audi. The direct injection engine features 333 horsepower and a maximum of 324 ft-lb of torque. Its hybrid partner is a three-phase synchronous electric motor that dishes out 52 hp and 221 ft-lb of torque. The motor doubles as the alternator, and gets its juice from a 38 kW NiMH battery that weighs in at 154 lbs (70 kg).

Porsche claims that the “Cayenne S Hybrid is expected to emit some 20 percent less C02 than comparable combustion engine vehicles with similar power output.” This is due to the three hybrid settings utilized by the car: combustion engine and electric motor together, engine only, and electric motor only. The automatic transmission triggers engine ignition within 300 milliseconds of the driver’s tap on the accelerator. When the engine is running, it sends a recharge to the battery, as do the regenerative brakes when the vehicle is slowed down.

[Source: Porsche]