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Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Purists will tell you the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid is not a true Porsche. It is an affront to all that is sacred, the continued desecration of an icon by heathens. They will barely contain their piety as they catalog the heretic’s sins: It is big. It is heavy. And not only is it an SUV, it’s a freakin’ hybrid.

But the most un-Porsche of Porsches is very much a Porsche. Which is to say, it is remarkably fast, exquisitely engineered and a joy to drive. Whatever its sins, the Cayenne S Hybrid nicely balances performance and frugality in a sporty package that’s fun to drive.

It’s a remarkable accomplishment. Just about everyone is meeting tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations by slapping an electric motor into something. But too often high-end hybrids feel like half-hearted attempts to squeeze a few more miles from a gallon of gas and a lot more money from customers.

Not so with the gas-electric version of Porsche’s best-selling model. The all-wheel-drive Cayenne hybrid performs almost as admirably as its V8 sibling while getting an EPA-certified 20 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. I averaged 21.6 during a week of Bay Area commuting, putting the Cayenne hybrid within striking distance of the four-cylinder Honda CR-V.

But the Cayenne is oh so much more fun.

The parallel hybrid features a corker of an engine. It’s the same 3.0-liter supercharged V6 you’ll find in the brilliant Audi S4, with a 34-kilowatt motor bolted to it. All that hardware is good for 380 horsepower and an impressive 428 pound-feet of torque.

Most of that grunt is yours at 1,000 RPM, providing locomotive-like pull if you so much as glare at the accelerator. Stomp on it and 60 mph arrives in 6.1 seconds. That’s half a sec behind the 400-hp V8 Cayenne S. Keep it floored and you’ll see 150 mph. Impressive numbers for a car one keg of hefeweizen short of 5,000 pounds.

The Cayenne hybrid’s frugality is equally impressive. Federal fuel economy figures aside, my personal best was 25 mpg during a day of city and highway driving. I undoubtedly would have done better had I not wantonly relished the kick in the pants all that torque provides. Greater self-restraint probably would have yielded 27 mpg — but not nearly as much fun.

The Cayenne hybrid features a slick decoupling clutch that disengages the engine from the drivetrain so the electric motor isn’t fighting the mechanical drag. Cooler still, back off the throttle while cruising at up to 97 mph and the car coasts — Porsche calls it “sailing” — vastly boosting fuel economy. Hit the gas and the engine comes to life in a heartbeat. Stop-start tech shuts off the engine when you stop moving, further saving fuel.

It’s all mind-bogglingly complex but works smoothly, seamlessly and almost silently. You’d never know what’s happening under the hood if weren’t for a dashboard display telling you when you’re using gasoline, electricity or some combination of the two.

The Cayenne S Hybrid is faster and more nimble than anything this big should be.

You can tool around on electricity alone at up to 37 mph, but it requires a light touch to avoid waking the V6. If you just have to roll on electricity, pushing the “E Power” button rejiggers the throttle map to buy you more time on the juice. Still, the 1.7 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery has a range of just 1.5 miles, so you aren’t going far. Regenerative braking and the engine keep it charged.

Drive the Cayenne like a car and the gasoline engine provides most of the propulsion. Drive it like a Porsche, though, and the engine and motor work together, providing optimal acceleration. The “Sport Mode” button — Porsche loves buttons — stacks the deck in favor of maximum performance. The result is a hybrid that is — dare I say it — fun to drive.

The Cayenne S Hybrid is faster and more nimble than anything this big should be. Hustling 2.5 tons through twisting tarmac is always a workout, especially when the steering is a bit light and the suspension a bit soft, but Porsche’s sporting heritage is evident. The brakes are excellent, if you remember that anything this big needs lots of room to slow down. The eight-speed gearbox is always in the right gear, though shifts were a bit slow using the steering-wheel-mounted buttons.

That steering wheel, like everything else about the interior, is wonderful. Whoever designed the seats deserves a raise. The gorgeous center console looks like it was pulled from a jet and has almost as many buttons, and some are wee little things. Still, even the smallest switch has heft to it, and everything feels like it was milled from blocks of aluminum. Nothing about this car feels cheap.

That’s appropriate, because the Cayenne S Hybrid starts at $68,675 and goes stratospheric when you start adding options. Ours came in at $86,110 with, among other things, leather, 19-inch wheels, 14-way adjustable seats, adjustable suspension and a trailer hitch. Yes, a trailer hitch. That was a purist you heard screaming.

Let him scream. The Cayenne S Hybrid is a hybrid worthy of the name Porsche.

WIRED It’s the Prius of Porsches — at least until the Panamera S Hybrid arrives. More comfortable than your favorite jeans. Sailing feature lets you pulse-and-glide, Porsche-style.

TIRED Anything this big should come with a backup camera. Navigating the navi/infotainment system takes patience and practice. Pricey.