PORSCHE CAYENNE BETTER THAN EVER
The sports car of SUVs is about to get faster, edgier and more luxurious
“If we built an off-road vehicle according to our standards of quality, and it had a Porsche crest on the front, people would buy it.”
So said Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche in January 1989, when he was chairman of the iconic auto manufacturer that bears his family name. It was 13 years before the introduction of the Cayenne sport ute.
Although not a view universally shared, Ferry’s instincts were spot on. More than 770,000 of the Cayenne’s first two generations have been sold and, until the introduction of the smaller Macan several years ago, the mid-size five-seater was the bestselling vehicle in the brand’s portfolio.
The new, third-generation model will arrive next summer as a 2019 model, bringing with it a revised-yet-familiar look, tweaked powertrains (the same as those in the Panamera), new chassis features, new cabin features and a much higher level of connectivity.
Many of the changes are subtle or not readily visible, but what is retained is the core directive that defines the SUV, namely that the Cayenne “will always be the sports car in its segment.”
Certainly, the narrow roads that ring the ancient Greek island of Crete provided a suitable workout for the Porsche. Crete is mountainous, and its topography is defined by a high range crossing from west to east, formed by three different groups of mountains. This is a place that rewards crisp handling over mega power, especially in the chewed-up mountain stretches, where there are so many sharp turns that they make North Carolina’s notorious Tail of the Dragon look like a superhighway. If the blind corners aren’t bad enough, there’s also the propensity for the locals to take their half of the road out of the middle.
Fortunately, Porsche fitted its range of test vehicles with multiple options, the important ones being Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control electronic roll stabilization system, adaptive air suspension with level control and height adjustment and, available for the first time, rear-axle steering. At speeds up to 80 km/h, the rear axle steers in opposite directions to the front, to a maximum of three degrees, reducing the Cayenne’s turning circle to 11.5 metres from 12.1. At higher speeds, both axles steer in the same direction for enhanced driving stability, such as when making a high-speed lane change.
The first two models off the assembly line will be the base model and the S. The Turbo will follow several months later.
The base Cayenne’s 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 now puts out 340 horsepower and 331 poundfeet of torque. Given that the 2019 version, despite all the revisions, has dropped 65 kilograms (now weighing in at 1,985 kg), even this mildest of the three models is quick. The zero-to-100 km/h run is completed in 6.2 seconds, or 5.9 seconds with the Sport Chrono package.
The S is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-L V6. This engine, which has also been newly developed, delivers 440 h.p. — up 20 from its predecessor — and pushes out 406 lb-ft of torque. A twin-turbo 4.0-L V8 drives the Turbo, generating what was once considered monster power at 550 h.p. and 568 lb-ft of torque, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s earthquake-inducing 707 h.p. is now the gold standard for performance SUVs.
Naturally, the Cayenne comes with a mode button on the steering wheel that allows the selection of Normal, Sport and Sport-Plus driving modes, as well as an individually configurable mode. No matter the model of Cayenne being driven, I found Sport offered the best weight and feel for the steering and suspension, while taking the edge off the eight-speed transmission’s upshifts. All three versions mastered Crete’s mountain roads without breaking a sweat or turning a wheel wrong.
All-wheel drive is standard on every Cayenne, the system coming with programmed offroad modes that allow drivers to select the right setup according to their needs. While the default setting is the On-road program, the other four settings are Mud, Gravel, Sand and Rocks. The Gravel setting proved its worth when we clambered up a washed out, badly rutted road, through an olive grove.
Style-wise, it takes a keen eye to differentiate the 2019 model from its predecessor. The revisions are numerous, though, starting with the enlarged air intakes at the front, a clear indicator of the engines’ increased performance. Exterior length has been increased by 63 millimetres to 4,918 — the wheelbase remains unchanged — and the roof height has been reduced by nine millimetres compared with second-generation model.
The wheels are one inch larger in diameter, with larger rear wheels and tires than those up front. The new rear lights now have a three-dimensional design and include an end-to-end narrow strip of LEDs.
At the back of the Turbo’s roof is an adaptive air spoiler that can extend from 20 to 60 millimetres to improve aerodynamic efficiency or to act as an air brake, extending 80 millimetres when under hard deceleration from high speed. Those who actually use their SUV for family-type activities will be happy to know there’s an additional 100 L of cargo space, now a total 770 L.
The biggest change in the cabin is the new 12.3-inch, full-HD touch screen in the centre console, with a range of digital functions that can be operated by voice control. The standard Porsche Connect Plus allows access to the internet. This includes standard online navigation with real-time traffic information.
The console’s analogue controls focus on the SUV’s main functions. Other buttons are integrated into the touch surface, appearing with a swipe of the hand and giving acoustic and haptic feedback when operated.
Typical for Porsche, the driver has a central analogue tachometer to view, flanked by two seven-inch full-HD displays that show all other relevant driving data, plus additional information selected using the multi-function steering wheel. Night Vision Assist with a thermal-imaging camera is one of the available assistance systems, along with lane-change assist, lane-keeping assist with traffic-sign recogni- tion, traffic-jam assist, park assist with surround view, and InnoDrive, Porsche’s adaptive cruise control system.
Also, the new Porsche Communication Management system allows up to six profiles to be configured. As well as interior settings, a profile is used to store specifications for lights, driving programs and assistance systems.
While the market for mid-size luxury SUVs is hot and highly competitive, the Cayenne — which is at the upper strata of the segment in terms of price and horsepower — is far down the list in sales. The new, third-generation model will undoubtedly move Porsche up a few positions when word gets out that the sports car of SUVs is faster, edgier, more luxurious and allaround better than ever.
The 2019 Cayenne will be available next summer, starting at $75,500. The Cayenne S begins at $92,600 and the Turbo starts at $139,700.