Following several spy shots and endless rumours, Porsche has finally unveiled the third generation of its sporty SUV, the Cayenne. This new model is armed with new powerful turbo engines, an eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, new chassis and advanced display and control unit on the inside. Here’s how the all-new Cayenne looks inside and out.
From a distance, it may look identical to the outgoing model but much has changed in terms of the design. The enlarged air intakes at the front are clear indicators of the increased performance. The new horizontal light edges mean that the Cayenne now appears wider.
Compared to its predecessor, the length of the SUV has been increased by 63mm whereas the roof height has been reduced by 9mm with no change in its wheelbase (2,895mm). Altogether, it gives the new Cayenne a sleeker look with better aerodynamics.
The boot space is now 770-litres which is an increase of 100-litres. The wheels are one inch larger in diameter, with wider tyres on the rear axle for the first time. The large Porsche logo spans the redesigned rear lights with a three-dimensional light design and an end-to-end narrow strip of LEDs.
Initially, the new Cayenne will be available with a six-cylinder, 3-litre turbo motor delivering 340bhp and 450Nm of torque. This means that even the standard model would accelerate from zero to 100kmph in 6.2 seconds (5.9 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package).
The second model to launch is the Cayenne S. It is driven by a 2.9-litre V6 engine with twin turbocharging. This newly developed engine delivers 440bhp and 550Nm which is 20bhp more than its predecessor.
Accordingly, the Cayenne S accelerates from zero to 100kmph in 5.2 seconds (with Sport Chrono Package: 4.9 seconds). The improved grunt is aided by the new 8-speed Tiptronic S gearbox with shorter response times and sportier ratios in the lower gears.
Inside, the highlighting feature comes in the form of the Porsche Advanced Cockpit which is integrated with the revised dashboard. At the heart of this new display and control unit from Porsche is the 12.3-inch touchscreen which was first seen in the new Panamera last year.
Porsche asserts that the new Cayenne is now available to order in Europe. The standard model is priced at EUR 74,828 (Rs 57.11 lakhs) while the more powerful S comes in at EUR 91,964 (Rs 70 lakhs). The car competes against similarly sized SUVs like the BMW X5 and the Range Rover Sport.