Porsche Cayenne

Once a controversial addition to the Porsche range, the Cayenne SUV has now become an intrinsic part of it. In brief, the Cayenne is a big luxury SUV that drives and handles like a Porsche should. The Porsche Cayenne is available in India with V6 petrol, V6 petrol-electric hybrid and V8 twin-turbo powertrains, but there’s no diesel on offer.

Once a controversial addition to the Porsche range, the Cayenne SUV has now become an intrinsic part of it. In brief,...

Once a controversial addition to the Porsche range, the Cayenne SUV has now become an intrinsic part of it. In brief, the Cayenne is a big luxury SUV that drives and handles like a Porsche should. The Porsche Cayenne is available in India with V6 petrol, V6 petrol-electric hybrid and V8 twin-turbo powertrains, but there’s no diesel on offer.

The Porsche Cayenne is a handsome SUV but the choice of wheel design and size have a huge bearing on the look. There's much you can change about the Cayenne cabin's appearance too, for a big price of course, but the good thing is there's a fair bit of standard equipment on India-spec cars. The cabin looks cutting-edge and all-round comfort is good, but the rear seat is contoured for two, rather than three occupants.
The Porsche Cayenne range starts with the 340hp V6 turbo-petrol that feels strong but sounds brash when driven hard. The Cayenne E-Hybrid adds electric motor assistance to the aforementioned engine and, with a total of 462hp, feels noticeably stronger, especially at low speeds. But if performance is your primary requirement, the punchy 550hp Cayenne Turbo is the one to buy. It's incredibly fast and it's also the sportiest in its setup. The Cayenne is balanced and sure-footed in the corners and the precise steering is among the best on an SUV. However, all Cayennes ride a bit firm and even the Turbo, with its adjustable air suspension, is never supple. Sporty as the Cayenne is, it's also quite adept off-road. How many owners will make use of its ability is another matter.

The Porsche Cayenne is a handsome SUV but the choice of wheel design and size have a huge bearing on the look. There'...

The Porsche Cayenne is a handsome SUV but the choice of wheel design and size have a huge bearing on the look. There's much you can change about the Cayenne cabin's appearance too, for a big price of course, but the good thing is there's a fair bit of standard equipment on India-spec cars. The cabin looks cutting-edge and all-round comfort is good, but the rear seat is contoured for two, rather than three occupants.
The Porsche Cayenne range starts with the 340hp V6 turbo-petrol that feels strong but sounds brash when driven hard. The Cayenne E-Hybrid adds electric motor assistance to the aforementioned engine and, with a total of 462hp, feels noticeably stronger, especially at low speeds. But if performance is your primary requirement, the punchy 550hp Cayenne Turbo is the one to buy. It's incredibly fast and it's also the sportiest in its setup. The Cayenne is balanced and sure-footed in the corners and the precise steering is among the best on an SUV. However, all Cayennes ride a bit firm and even the Turbo, with its adjustable air suspension, is never supple. Sporty as the Cayenne is, it's also quite adept off-road. How many owners will make use of its ability is another matter.