By Murali K Menon/BBC TopGear India
580,000. That’s around the total number of Porsche Cayennes that have been sold since the porky SUV was launched in 2002. If you are not a fan of SUVs, and the Cayenne in particular, you will take some time to digest that fact. But, with the launch of the facelifted Cayenne, that number is bound to go up further.
The improvements are incremental, but they are significant and impact the way the vehicle looks and performs. A bunch of familiar engines have been upgraded and optimised for the car, and what you get is better performance, and lower fuel consumption.
The Cayenne S was the variant we drove recently in Spain. The S, which is at 2,085 kg, the lightest of the facelifted models, is equipped with a 3.6-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol, which is also found under the hood of the Macan. In keeping with our environmentally-conscious times, the bi-turbo motor replaces the previous V8, but power has been cranked up by 20bhp to take the final output to 420bhp, and torque takes a 50Nm jump to 550.
The 3.6-litre motor might not have the loud swagger of the V8, but acceleration is crisp. The Cayenne S does not sound as boomingly quick as the model it replaces, but it will rumble to 100kph from 0 in a very respectable 5.5 seconds. The feedback from the 918 Spyder-style steering wheel is precise, and the general impression you get is that the only SUV that is a better handler than this is the Macan.
Tech Spec
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol Power: 420bhp Torque: 550Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic S 0-100kph: 5.5 seconds Top speed: 279kph Price: Rs 1.4 crore (estimated)
Verdict: The best-handling big SUV gets even better with a facelift and minor but noticeable tweaks
580,000. That’s around the total number of Porsche Cayennes that have been sold since the porky SUV was launched in 2002. If you are not a fan of SUVs, and the Cayenne in particular, you will take some time to digest that fact. But, with the launch of the facelifted Cayenne, that number is bound to go up further.
The improvements are incremental, but they are significant and impact the way the vehicle looks and performs. A bunch of familiar engines have been upgraded and optimised for the car, and what you get is better performance, and lower fuel consumption.
The Cayenne S was the variant we drove recently in Spain. The S, which is at 2,085 kg, the lightest of the facelifted models, is equipped with a 3.6-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol, which is also found under the hood of the Macan. In keeping with our environmentally-conscious times, the bi-turbo motor replaces the previous V8, but power has been cranked up by 20bhp to take the final output to 420bhp, and torque takes a 50Nm jump to 550.
The 3.6-litre motor might not have the loud swagger of the V8, but acceleration is crisp. The Cayenne S does not sound as boomingly quick as the model it replaces, but it will rumble to 100kph from 0 in a very respectable 5.5 seconds. The feedback from the 918 Spyder-style steering wheel is precise, and the general impression you get is that the only SUV that is a better handler than this is the Macan.
Tech Spec
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol Power: 420bhp Torque: 550Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic S 0-100kph: 5.5 seconds Top speed: 279kph Price: Rs 1.4 crore (estimated)
Verdict: The best-handling big SUV gets even better with a facelift and minor but noticeable tweaks
Read More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
...moreRead More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
...more
