2015 Porsche Cayenne S Review
Porsche’s best selling SUV says goodbye to its V8
Imthishan Giado
You may think of Porsche as an iconic sportscar company, but you’d be wrong. These days, it’s an SUV company that just happens to also make some iconic and much loved sportscars. And no car is more important to them than the Cayenne. It’s the backbone of the range, the car that sells from London to Moscow.
What’s new?
Deciding to not mess with its golden goose, Porsche’s luxo-truck is largely unchanged for 2015, with an updated front and rear fascia, while the interior gets the (very) nice steering wheel from the 918 Spyder. No bad thing – the second gen-Cayenne is a sharp looking car, practical, comfortable, spacious and very well built, with an exceptionally nice cabin (if you spend lots of money on options).
Downsizing blues
No, what’s really new is what’s under the bonnet. Gone is the old woofly 4.8-litre V8; in its place is a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 making both more power (420bhp) and torque (406lb ft) than the old engine (394bhp and 369lb ft, respectively.) Borrowed from the Macan, it’s mated to a slick eight-speed auto.
There is no substitute…for sound
More power, more torque, better fuel economy – what’s not to love? Turns out, it’s this V6. Yes, I know it’s faster and the eight-speed auto always keeps it in the thick of powerband, but losing the V8 burble has robbed the Cayenne of its brutish aural character. I didn’t like this engine in the Macan Turbo and I don’t like it in this application either – it’s certainly fast but never feels as effortless as two turbos might suggest.
Rivals like the Range Rover and the BMW X6 all sport V8s and they’re all more special to the ear, if not close on fuel economy. But is saving gas really why you spend AED323,500 on a Porsche Cayenne S? I submit, no it isn’t.
Verdict
So here’s your verdict – don’t bother with the S. Save up your pennies and get the Turbo if you really want a proper-sounding Cayenne. If you’re really penny-conscious, go all the way and get the 300bhp V6 base Cayenne. And if you’re somewhere in the middle – one of the Porsche’s rivals will be more than happy to take your money.
2015 Porsche Cayenne S Review – The Specs
Price: AED323,500 ($88,070)
Engine: 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6, 420bhp @ 6000rpm, 406lb ft @ 1350-4500rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, four wheel drive
Performance: 0-100kph 5.5 seconds, top speed 255kph, 8.1L/100km
Weight: 2160kg