Some of you readers might distinctively remember the time Porsche introduced the first-generation Cayenne in the International markets. The idea of an ungainly SUV from a thoroughbred sports car maker had purists spit blood. And deservedly so, since the first Cayenne was the absolute anthesis of a Porsche, it was big, lumpy, tall, and an SUV. And let’s not even talk about its design.
But this ungainly SUV soon gained traction – for its practicality – and allowed the carmaker to invest more on its prime sportscar, the 911. The car you see above is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo in its latest-generation, which made its way in the Indian market almost 2 years back.
Sufficed to say, the current-spec of the Porsche Cayenne looks virtually identical to the model it replaces. However, it doesn’t look as bad. But, for someone spending well north of a crore for an SUV, the Cayenne isn’t all that special in the way it looks. Let’s have a look at the whole package down below.
Specifications
Think of the Cayenne as a bigger and stretched-out Macan, and well, that’s about it. While the Macan is the perfect size for an SUV, the Cayenne just looks big and bulky. But then again, it’s equally intimidating as its sheer girth. Regardless, as for the specifications, the Cayenne measures 4,926mm in length, 1,983mm in width, and 1,673mm in height. The wheelbase is a respectable 2,895mm and the ground clearance is ample, too, at 190mm. The Turbo variant tips the scale at 2,175kg. Moreover, the ungainly SUV has a fuel tank capacity and boot space capacity of 90-litres and 745-litres, respectively.
While the Porsche Cayenne is available with a 3.0-litre in standard and hybrid spec, we’ll be focussing on the 4.0-litre v8 engine that’s capable of producing 550bhp and 770Nm of torque. This is only available in the top-spec Turbo trim of the Cayenne. Moreover, it comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
As you would expect, this engine delivers almost impeccably. There’s virtually no turbo lag and the response from the V8 engine is just instant. Therefore, for an SUV that weighs over 2-tonnes, the Cayenne sprints the 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
Mileage
Sure, no one buys a Porsche if fuel efficiency is a concern. But, for those of you who may want to know, the Hybrid variant is the most fuel-efficient of the lot. Talking about the Turbo variant, expect it to deliver somewhere around 4-5km/l.
Features
Step inside the big SUV and the first thing to notice is the space, which is simply in abundance. The black and beige theme does make the cabin airier, but I would have preferred a black with red layout going with that Turbo badging.
It gets a panoramic sunroof too, apart from the usual features such as a multi-function steering wheel, a part-digital instrument cluster, massive touchscreen infotainment with all the necessary gizmos, four-zone climate control, 360-degree cameras, and much more. The steering wheel, in itself, houses the rotary knob to select the various driving modes, so you can easily switch them on the move. Outside, you get LED headlamps, LED taillamps, and massive 21-inch alloy wheels.
Colours
The Cayenne, as of early-2020, comes in tenshades, namely,Carrara White Metallic, Jet Black Metallic, Quartzite Grey Metallic, Moonlight Blue Metallic, Mahogany Metallic, Biscay Blue Metallic, White, Black, Lava Orange, and Crayon.
Brochure
All the details regarding the Porsche Cayenne, namely, the engine, specifications, variant wise equipment, colours, dimensions, interiors, and exterior details are extensively covered in the brochure.
Variants and Prices
As of early-2020, the Porsche Cayenneis available in three variants, all in the same petrol-automatic configuration. The prices start at Rs. 1.19 crores for the Base variant going all the way to Rs. 1.92 crores for the Turbo variant (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi). For the variant-wise on-road prices, visit us at autoX.
For more on thePorsche Cayenne, be sure to tune in to autoX. Also, read the latest car comparisons, only at autoX.
