evo Verdict
From the wrong-headed model doubters feared would sink Porsche’s credibility to provider of the company’s fastest flowing revenue stream and the performance SUV standard the world has to beat, the Cayenne has come a long, long way in 13 years.
Smarter, cleaner and more mind-warpingly capable than ever, the refreshed nine-model line-up includes the first premium SUV to be available as a plug-in hybrid, a brace of diesels and the addition to the petrol engine line-up of a twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 from the sportiest Macan.
The latest additions – the mighty Turbo S and more sharply driver-focused GTS – endow the hulking 4x4 with even more ballistic performance and bewilderingly agile handling on a twisty country road while the uprated standard kit, tech and connectivity compete with the best on the market.
There are better looking SUVs. Some have seven seats. Many are cheaper and offer more standard kit. But there isn’t one that can beat the Cayenne as an all-round proposition or driving experience.
The Diesel S is a fabulous thing period, the Turbo and Turbo S faster than you ever thought you’d need (until you drive them) and the GTS sharper and more fun than it has any right to be. The car that some said would bury its maker has ended up burying its critics which can only be good news for those who need what must, for now, be the ultimate SUV.
evo Tip
The V6 engine in the Cayenne S sounds rather frenetic and harsh when worked hard. With a little more power and the services of the standard-fit sports exhaust on GTS, however, it’s the sonic beans, encouraging you to exploit every one of its 434 horses. No, it doesn’t sound like a V8 but it is addictively growly at full chat and burbles sonorously at a canter.
Performance and 0-60 time > The entire 2015 Cayenne range delivers impressive performance for a car of its size. From the entry level diesel, right up to the 562bhp Turbo S, you'd struggle to say it wasn't a quick car.
Engine and gearbox > Smooth 8-speed gearbox delivers refinement when you want it and response when you fancy pushing the Cayenne harder.
Ride and handling > The Cayenne might be an SUV, but it can still deliver a dynamic driving experience. Lap times back up that claim, with the GTS in particular being a driving highlight.
MPG and running costs > e-hybrid makes the Cayenne the most economical SUV on the market. The Turbo is less impressive, but still manages decent running costs. Residuals are impressive.
Prices, specs and rivals > The Cayenne starts at just under £50k for a diesel, but can be optioned well above the £100k mark for those who fancy a Turbo S. Rivals include the Range Rover and BMW X6.
Interior and tech > Porsche's nav and entertainment system isn't the best. Interior fit and finish is as you'd expect for a car in this price bracket.
Design > Acid green brake calipers on the e-hybrid are a nice touch. A controversial car in the looks department no doubt.
Performance and 0-60 times
A good place to start, and nicely evo-centric, is the 4.8-litre V8 Turbo. More powerful but less thirsty than the outgoing model, its stats are seductive: 513bhp and 533 lb ft, 0-62mph in 4.2sec and 173mph flat out. At 2185kg, the Turbo is marginally lighter than before, but for something still weighing north of two tonnes, the claims almost defy reason, making it more accelerative than many of the company’s sportscars. Even the plug-in hybrid, which can travel 22 miles on battery power alone, will crack 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds when its 3.0-litre supercharged motor joins in. The diesels are just as forceful, especially the S which brings an improbable 382bhp and 627lb ft to the party and brushes aside the 0-62mph dash in a mere 5.4sec.
It’s hard to imagine ever wanting more performance than the plain (non-S) petrol Turbo serves up. Initial impressions are visited by an almost palpable sense of unreality. With the superbly smooth and fast 8-speed auto transmission in Drive, the way it acquires speed on the lightest of throttle openings is vaguely unsettling. Effortless doesn’t really do the feeling justice. But it’s what happens when you find a suitably open stretch of tarmac and bury your right foot that astounds because you discover that, far from being a low- and mid-range turbo-gorged heft-fest, this Cayenne’s inner hot rod actually resides in the upper half of its rev band. And that’s seriously addictive. Quickly you find yourself switching to steering wheel paddles, immersing yourself in the V8 soundtrack and arriving at bends travelling far faster than you imagine even a Cayenne with the latest chassis mods could handle. But you’d be wrong.
The most potent Cayenne of all, the Turbo S, can muster a barely believable 562bhp and backs it up with 590lb ft of torque from just 2500rpm. That’s 20bhp and 37lb ft more than its heavier predecessor and means that 0-62mph becomes a memory after just 4.1sec. In a drag race, Porsche new Cayman GT4 would come second. So if the surreal nature of the regular Turbo’s performance doesn’t quite hit the spot, that of the Turbo S is guaranteed trippy. Hardly surprising, then, that it smashed Land Rover’s Nürburgring SUV lap record by more than 14 seconds towards the end of last year.
The new GTS has a more economical twin-turbo V6. Not that it’s strapped for poke. Power and torque are actually up by 20bhp and 63lb ft, making 434bhp and 442lb ft in total, good for 0-62mph in 5.2sec, half a second quicker than the old GTS could manage. In fact, there’s no such thing as a ‘not quick’ Cayenne in the 2015 range. Even the entry-level diesel, powered by a 258bhp 3.0-litre V6, has a top speed of 137mph and does 0-62mph in 7.3sec while the E-Hybrid is good for 151mph and 0-62mph in 5.9sec. It’ll even do 77mph in all-electric mode.
Engine and gearbox
There’s a choice of two diesels: the entry-level 258bhp 3.0-litre V6 and, arguably the most effortlessly muscular powerplant in the whole range, the 380bhp 4.2-litre V8, which delivers its huge 627lb ft of torque from 2000 to 2750rpm.
Slightly less potent but capable of silkier surge, the E-Hybrid uses a lithium-ion traction battery with an energy capacity of 10.9 kWh which permits a maximum electric-only range of 22 miles. Compared to the previous (non-plug in) Cayenne Hybrid, the output of the electric motor has more than doubled from 46 to 94bhp which, added to the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, gives a system total of 410bhp.
The purely petrol motors start with the 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 which, in the Cayenne S, develops 414bhp and, in the GTS, cranks out 436bhp. But it’s the 4.2-litre V8 Turbo that hits the largest numbers delivering an extremely generous 513bhp, or a somewhat unhinged 562bhp if you go for the range-topping S. All models have superbly smooth and fast 8-speed Tiptronic auto transmissions with steering wheel paddle shifters. There is no manual gearbox option.
In the focused GTS, the biggest technical change is that this is the first Cayenne GTS not to be fitted with a normally aspirated V8 engine, that engine having been dropped when the Cayenne range was updated in 2014. It means this GTS looses the distinctive V8 roar that has entertained so many since the GTS was first introduced in 2007.
'The engine, similarly, feels less than cutting edge because there’s a discernible degree of turbo lag. It needs to be spinning at 3500rpm before the thrust really begins in earnest, after which point the Cayenne Turbo is flung down the road in an alarming fashion. A bigger problem than that degree of lag, though, is the curiously blunt throttle response. Pin the right-hand pedal out of a corner and the hesitation before the big 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 answers your call is frustrating.' Dan Prosser, road test editor (evo 212).
Ride and handling
The Cayenne’s handling is scarily, almost inexplicably good – especially with the higher-powered models. Porsche’s PDCC active chassis control does a phenomenal job of keeping so much high C of G mass in check, with minimal body roll even at very high speed. Torque vectoring plays its part, too, allowing improbable feats of 4wd adhesion and cornering speed. And it isn’t a case simply of monstering bends into submission with a generous acreage of planted rubber. There’s real involvement and finesse, too, with good weight and feel from the hydraulically power assisted steering and a surprising degree of adjustability, especially if you turn the stability and traction electronics off. In short, it’s something of a point-to-point weapon yet the ride is almost as supple and cosseting as a Range Rover’s.
All GTS models get PASM adaptive dampers as standard, with air suspension available as an option. This lowers the car by 20mm, but go with the steel springs and the GTS sits 24mm closer to the ground than a regular Cayenne S and here, not surprisingly, ride comfort does suffer to a degree.
If you really intend to go off road, though, stick with the adaptive air suspension which can raise the ride height for traversing rougher sections. Although you’d be ill-advised to take on anything that involved deep wading, the hill descent control and locking differentials allow the Cayenne to tackle most harsh terrain without breaking sweat.
'On the move, there’s also a sense of agedness in the way the car deals with sunken drain covers and potholes. The driver is always acutely aware of the suspension working hard as a wheel crashes into the depression, then of the entire structure shuddering markedly and the steering column fidgeting with the intrusion. There simply isn’t the geological solidity that you might expect of such a brutish, modern Porsche.
'Everything else, though, is more than rosy. This was the first SUV to really transcend its off-roader underpinnings and sheer mass to respond like a much smaller, lighter performance car, and it still impresses to this day. In cornering the front axle finds incredible purchase and the body barely rolls at all, which immediately defies the tall ride height and high centre of gravity.
'Over the kind of crests and undulations that litter our rural roads and cause most SUVs to wallow and float, the Cayenne Turbo simply feels completely locked down. The way in which the Porsche controls its mass has always been this car’s signature trick, and it was one that went unmatched, until now.' Dan Prosser, road test editor (evo 212).
MPG and running costs
Although economy and emissions have taken steps in the right direction, if they remain significant factors in the purchasing mix, there are still important decisions to be made. The only no brainer here is the E-Hybrid which is by far the most economical and cleanest Cayenne with the ability to run up to 22 miles on electricity alone and official combined fuel economy stats of 83.1mpg and 79 g/km of CO2. The real world figures won’t be anything like as good but should still make the Cayenne comfortably the most frugal performance SUV you can buy.
Next best for economy and efficiency is the V6 diesel, which posts a very respectable 42.8mpg combined. Even the massively fast V8 Turbo isn’t too tragic at 24.6mpg, but it does chuck out 270g/km of CO2, and that’s 100g/km more than the Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Strong projected residual values of 57.2 per cent over three years are a plus for private buyers.
Prices, specs and rivals
Prices start at just under £50,000 for the Cayenne Diesel which makes it comfortably the most affordable model in the range but also puts it in the crosshairs of rivals from the likes of Land Rover, Mercedes and BMW – the usual suspects, Range Rover Sport, M-Class, X5 – that appear to offer more on paper. But the argument loses more than a little momentum with the vastly more muscular V8 S Diesel, at just over £61,000. All right, quite a step up, and no Cayenne comes particularly well equipped as standard. But the S Diesel’s combination of super-effortless urge and relative parsimony at the pumps immediately puts it in a class of one.
>Read: BMW X6M review
The identically-priced Cayenne S E-Hybrid offers a lot of technology for the money and the promise of hitherto undreamed of lightweight running costs but it is the bulkiest of the Cayennes and dynamics suffer to a degree. Also chiming in at just over £60k is the petrol-engined twin-turbo V6 Cayenne S which, on the face of it, looks like a steal at £12k less than the only slightly faster GTS but there’s a lot more to the GTS than a few extra horsepower. Subjectively, it’s by far the sharper and more involving machine.
>Read: Porsche Cayenne GTS review
The petrol V8 Turbo flagship models are much less price sensitive, their popularity among the financially blessed as emblems of status almost commanding prices beyond the reach of most. At around £93k and £118k respectively, the Turbo and Turbo S duly oblige.
Standard kit across the Cayenne range includes Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive, Bi-xenon headlights with four-element LED daytime running lights, multi-function sports steering wheel with paddle-shifters, ParkAssist front and rear, cruise control, automatic climate control, powered tailgate, Sport button, Start/Stop technology with coasting function and a three year warranty. The Turbo adds LED headlights with Porsche Dynamic Lighting System, 19-inch alloy wheels, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with self-levelling air suspension, Porsche Communication Management with satellite navigation and BOSE Surround Sound audio. No satnav, though.
>Read: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S review
It is standard on the top of the range Turbo S, though - along with 21-inch alloys and leather sports seats. But a reversing camera, heated windscreen and lane-departure warning are all options. A sports exhaust will set you back nearly £2,000 while the wonderful Burmester stereo costs a little over £2,400. If you’re spending the thick end of £120k, it’s hardly the end of the world.
Interior and tech
Inside, there’s a new multi-function steering wheel modelled on that of the 918 Spyder and the rear seats have been redesigned to be more comfortable and offer a better view forwards for those in the back. The vault-like solidity of the cabin and the fit and quality of the materials are more impressive than ever but a stark contrast to the overtly plush and luxurious ambience of a Range Rover Sport.
In truth, it’s quite a lot like a Panamera with an elevated driving position, sporting architecture very similar to that car’s with a wraparound facia and button-festooned raised centre console.
The thick C-pillars don’t do rearward visibility any favours but, with a 670-litre boot, the Porsche bests BMW’s rival X5 for seats-in-place luggage space and, like the Range Rover, the rear bench slides to free up a little more legroom if the boot isn’t crammed. Stowage space for oddments is very generous though the cabin ambience itself is quite snug and intimate.
Design
It’s arguable if the Cayenne needed another facelift. A vehicle that has stubbornly resisted Porsche’s attempts to nail a truly comfortable-in-its-own-skin look since its introduction 13 years ago, the latest design tweaks are more about differentiation, aero and cooling than a final stylistic resolution - the next Cayenne will start with a cleaner sheet - but, as ever, it’s an impressive and imposing beast that’s both slightly neater and more male gender-adjusted than before. Despite some shared elements, it doesn’t look half as good as its smaller brother, the Macan.
You can tell the plug-in S E-Hybrid model from other 2015 Cayennes by its acid green brake callipers (a lurid hue borrowed from the 918 Spyder) and the green background to its badges. The GTS shares much of its front end with the Cayenne Turbo but adds a Sport Design package comprising thicker side sills and flared arches. Unique 20-inch black alloy wheels are another GTS signifier, as are the badges on the front doors.
The GTS gets the most distinctive interior, too, with ‘GTS’ embossed Alcantara and leather sports seats and very nicely executed stitching on the dashboard. The whole thing can be ordered with an appropriately loud ‘go faster’ paintjob as well.