New 2018 Porsche Cayenne revealed

Third-gen Cayenne SUV is lighter and more powerful than its predecessor. Takes on the Mercedes GLE, BMW X5 and Land Rover Discovery.

Published On Aug 30, 2017 01:12:00 AM

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Porsche has taken the wraps off the new Cayenne SUV. The third generation Cayenne has been thoroughly revamped and re-engineered despite only receiving a mild exterior design revamp. Porsche will bring the new Cayenne to India in June 2018.

The Cayenne is the second largest selling Porsche model globally, but it is the best selling model for Porsche in India. The new SUV has a lighter and more contemporary platform, an aluminium body structure, a 48V electrical system and a redesigned interior with added connectivity options.

“The new Cayenne is a Porsche by all means and with no compromises,” said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, speaking at the Cayenne’s launch. “Never before has it borrowed so much from the 911.”

The third-generation Cayenne will make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. It will initially have a two-variant line-up, the Cayenne and Cayenne S. Both run newly developed V6 petrol engines in combination with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive that has five driving modes to suit the terrain: On-Road, Mud, Gravel, Sand and Rocks.

The Cayenne runs the new turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 from the Panamera. With 340hp and 450Nm, it delivers 40hp and 50Nm more than the previous Cayenne’s naturally aspirated 3598cc V6. The new model covers 0-100kph in 6.2sec (5.9sec with an optional Sport Chrono Package) and has a 244kph top speed. That’s 1.4sec quicker and 15kph more than the old model.

The Cayenne S receives a new more powerful 2.9-litre turbo V6. With 440hp and 550Nm, it packs 20hp more and the same torque as the naturally aspirated 3604cc V6 engine it replaces. Porsche claims 0-100kph in 5.2sec (4.9sec with the Sport Chrono Package) and a top speed of 265kph, improvements of 0.3sec and 6.4kph over the outgoing Cayenne S.

Further models are due to reach showrooms by the end of next year. They include a pair of plug-in hybrids running the same petrol-electric driveline combinations introduced to the 448hp Panamera E-Hybrid and 656hp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. There will also be a range-topping Cayenne Turbo sporting a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with more than 532hp.

Because of regulatory problems in its home market, Porsche is yet to confirm any diesel engines for its latest Cayenne. But with existing diesels models accounting for a large percentage of sales in many key markets, successors to the outgoing Cayenne Diesel and Diesel S are expected — with the Diesel S running a 410hp turbo 4.0-litre V8 that’s also used in the Panamera.

Porsche’s new SUV is based around the latest MLB architecture of sister firm Audi. The MLB platform underpins the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga and is set to be adopted by the upcoming new Volkswagen Touareg and Lamborghini Urus.

The new Cayenne is claimed to have shed up to 65kg  in its most basic form, at 1985kg, despite what Porsche describes as significantly extended standard equipment.

The Cayenne has also grown, albeit only slightly. At 4918mm, it is 63mm longer than the outgoing model. Width is also up by 44mm, at 1983mm, although height has been reduced by 9mm to 1694mm. Despite the increase in length, the wheelbase is still 2895mm.

Although the exterior represents a clear evolution of the outgoing model, the interior of the new Cayenne has been revamped. A newly styled dashboard features a combination of analogue and digital instruments as well  as a centre console with the same touch-sensitive controls and 12.3in touchscreen as the Panamera. Luggage space has risen by 100 litres over the old Cayenne, at 770 litres.

Porsche is already talking up the dynamic properties of its new model. Together with the reduction in weight, the Cayenne adopts an aluminium- intensive chassis with double- wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. It comes with a Porsche 4D Chassis Control system and, on the Cayenne  S, Porsche Active Suspension Management with variable- rate dampers.

In a further development, the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which provides roll stabilisation by acting on the roll bars to counteract body lean in corners, dispenses with hydraulic control for a new electrically operated system that’s claimed to provide faster response times. The SUV also receives optional rear-wheel steering.

As with all Porsches, there is an optional Sport Chrono Package with four modes: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus and an individually configurable setting. A Sport Response function sets the mapping for the engine and transmission to their most performance-orientated settings.

The new Cayenne will globally face a long list of luxury rivals, including the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Jaguar F-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Range Rover Sport.