EVEN performance car makers have to pay attention to their environmental credentials these days.

And it's not just a case of paying lip service either. Tough emissions targets have meant everyone upping their ‘green' game.

For some time now people have been able to get a diesel Porsche (a concept that might have been a dirty word a decade or so ago) and now there's a hybrid too.

As far as emissions go the Cayenne hybrid and diesel models are on a par and though the hybrid can't quite match the diesel for economy it does have that familiar pure Porsche petrol power feel, and as a result seems slightly more in tune with what most people have probably come to expect from the brand.

It's powered by a 3.0-litre V6 supercharged engine sourced from Audi, which works in tandem with an electric motor.

The electric motor can either provide a boost to the petrol engine when it's being worked hard or power the vehicle unassisted at lower speeds (up to 37mph). This means that around town you can be running purely on electric power, if you're easy on the accelerator, quite a strange sensation at first due to an almost eerie silence.

The stop-start technology, which cuts the engine when the car is at a standstill, also takes just a little getting used to but it is an impressively efficient system that you soon acclimatise to.

The latest Cayenne styling represents a significant step up from the original version - Porsche's first foray into SUV territory.

When it was launched there was no shortage of Cayenne critics, mostly for looks that were dubbed ‘ugly' and unappealing.

Whatever the case, it didn't stop the Cayenne selling like hot cakes but Porsche have clearly taken those opinions on board and come up with a profile that is far more appealing.

Not only that but it is for want of a better phrase - far more ‘Porsche-like'.

The first thing you notice is its curvaceous and stylishly-sculpted front end that has clearly been inspired by the classic looks and styling of the 911.

A sporty SUV profile is completed by lines that flow up from the bonnet and finish in a nicely rounded rear end.

The improved exterior is certainly a success but the changes on the inside arguably represent even more of a transformation.

The Porsche Panacea's cockpit styling is perhaps the ultimate combination of style and sophistication and the concept has been recreated in a slightly different form in the Cayenne. It makes the previous model's switchgear, dash and centre console look positively old-fashioned in comparison and it's also wonderfully intuitive and easy to use.

Performance-wise this hybrid is certainly no halfway house, offering the kind of acceleration that might not be blistering but is more than impressive for a car of this size.

The latest Cayenne has also shed the pounds (185kg to be precise) and in the Hybrid, as with all models, the difference is marked making it far more agile in every respect - noticeably swift in a straight line and better around the bends too.

Of course if driven hard the impressive economy figures that exist on paper won't be so good - in reality I was managing high twenties overall most of the time.

Another benefit in the current Cayenne is more space. The original suffered from a distinct lack of it, particularly in the rear seats but an extended wheelbase makes a big difference and you can also move the back seats forward and back to adjust the amount of boot space.

The eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox operates smoothly and to aid off-roading has a range of ratios that dispenses with the need for a separate low-ratio gearbox.