Porsche Cayenne Turbo Tiptronic S
The Turbo may not be the most sensible Cayenne. However, it’s certainly the most entertaining
IT’S become widely accepted the almost immediate (and since sustained) sales success of the original Cayenne of 2003 allowed Porsche to continue investing heavily in the development of its sportscars, ultimately keeping the brand in rude financial health.
At least that’s how countless staunch fans of the Zuffenhausen-based firm have justified the controversial existence of an SUV with the hallowed Porsche badge affixed to its snout.
But it’s no longer controversial, is it? The majority of high-end automakers have since followed Porsche’s lead, offering their own takes on the high-performance crossover. These days, the automaker also sells the smaller Macan, which together with the Cayenne accounted for nearly 60% of Porsche sales in the first half of 2018.
The third generation of the all-wheel-drive Cayenne which has just arrived in South Africa is larger, lighter and more powerful than its forebear. The local lineup comprises the base Cayenne, the mid-tier S (a twin-turbo 2,9-litre V6 we drove in the January 2018 issue), the E-hybrid and this, the flagship Turbo.
The range-topper draws its substantial urge from the same twin-turbo 4,0-litre V8 employed by the Panamera Turbo (tested in July 2017), although in this latest application it’s linked to a Zf-sourced eight-speed torqueconverter rather than Porsche’s own dual-clutch transmission.
Although the Turbo’s soundtrack is a little more muted than that of its largercapacity predecessor, it delivers plenty of aural drama once the crimson needle swings violently towards the upper regions of a prominent, centrally positioned analogue tachometer, itself flanked by a pair of crystal-clear, seven-inch digital displays. Still, potter about at town speeds and the V8 is remarkably cultured, delivering a level of refinement to match the impressive build quality of a new cabin (complete with 12,3-inch touchscreen) that draws heavily on that of the latest Panamera.
While the low-sited V8’s peak power figure of 404 kw is certainly impressive, it’s the spread of its 770 N.m – on tap from just 1 960 r/min all the way through
to 4 500 r/min – that is most telling when the hefty Cayenne monsters itself out of a corner.
And monster it most certainly does. Throttle response is so brisk you’ll briefly forget a pair of turbochargers is nestled neatly inside the burly eight-cylinder’s Vee, while power delivery is both linear and alarmingly ferocious (Porsche claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4,1 seconds, or two-10ths quicker with the R19 800 Sport Chrono Package specified).
Even in the damp, the Cayenne Turbo grips with alacrity, its Pirelli P Zero tyres (285/40 ZR21 fore and 315/35 ZR21 aft) finding traction where there really shouldn’t be any. The Turbo’s uprated brakes, boasting steel discs laser-coated in a layer of tungsten-carbide, provide noticeably improved stopping power over those of the base Cayenne, and are ably supported by the air-brake function of this model’s clever adaptive rear spoiler.
Remarkably, the Turbo hustles through bends without exhibiting the sort of body lean we’ve come to expect from top-heavy SUVS. Like the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus with which it shares its MLB Evo platform (architecture also underpinning the Audi Q7 and Q8, plus the Volkswagen Touareg), the Cayenne Turbo can be optionally specified with a 48 V arrangement that powers an electric roll-stabilisation system (R59 240).
This combines with the standard three-chamber air suspension – which, although sometimes caught out by rutted tarmac at high speed, can also be adjusted to deliver a ride comfort not far off cosseting – to result in a 2,2-tonne barge that’s more agile than it has any right to be.
Like the first generation and the one after it, this third take on the Cayenne nameplate is more than merely an astute business decision. In fact, there’s little doubt the Cayenne remains the driver’s choice in this segment. That this latest iteration is also more spacious than before, plus more luxurious, simply furthers its already compelling case.
But do you really need the full-fat Turbo over the highly capable Cayenne S? Well, with the latter delivering a level of real-world pace only a whisker behind that of the flagship (albeit sans V8 acoustics), plus as a considerable R862 000 saving, it’s surely the smartest buy in the range.