Porsche Cayenne 2008 review

Porsche has expanded its popular Cayenne lineup by introducing a new variant tagged the Cayenne GTS that sits between the Porsche Cayenne S and the hot Cayenne Turbo. Obviously the subject of a great deal of market research, the new GTS is likely to offer the best of both worlds for many drivers.

To start with it has most of the styling cues from the Cayenne Turbo particularly at the front where it carries the bigger air intakes, though, some of these are blocked off as no intercooled air is required. The GTS does miss out on the distinctive bonnet bulge of the Turbo. Dual chromed exhaust outlets distinguish the Cayenne GTS from the others in the range.

Big 21-inch alloy wheels are a standout feature of the GTS because the tall-wheel-skinny-tyre look is all the rage at the moment. You probably shouldn’t take this wheel/tyre package off the road, but as most SUVs are used as glamorous people movers that’s hardly a minus point. 

Similarly, the ride height on the suspension has been pulled down by 10 mm to give this Cayenne an even more positive stance on the road. Note that the suspension is air adjustable so if you do need more clearance it’s there at the flick of a switch.

Inside, the leather trim features Alcantara areas to provide improved comfort in conditions when full leather can be a pain. This is our favourite way of doing leather trim and we really liked the feel during our test drives. While on the subject of feel, the Recaro seats have sportier side bolsters, something that’s useful on a vehicle that’s more sports car than pure SUV.

The two front seats are from master seat designer Recaro and have 12-way adjustment so just about everyone will find something to suit their desires.

Interior space is good and it can cope with five occupants, however, the front transmission hump is wide and eats into the foot space. The back seat in the GTS is shaped in the form of two bucket seats, with an occasional seat between them.

A GTS logo adorns the stainless-steel kick plates at the front doors.

The Cayenne GTS uses the same Porsche 4.8-litre V8 engine as the S, but has been tuned to give it a bit more grunt than the standard S model. Peak power is now up to a very useful 405 horsepower from the 385 bhp on the non-turbo V8. Sports car people don’t talk kilowatts, but in Australian numbers the horsepower equates to 298 kW, up from 283 kW.)

A fascinating feature of the engine is that selecting the Sport mode from the centre-console switch modifies the exhaust system to give a lovely burble that V8 lovers will grin about when they experience it. We kept the exhaust part of the Sport system operating even when we didn’t use the other components.

The Sport mode also alters the settings on the automatic transmission and the suspension to further firm up the ride. Keen drivers will be most impressed by the way this big 2.5-tonne vehicle holds the road with grim determination, but will notice the Cayenne is reluctant to change direction in a hurry. The sports settings on the suspension do hold it pretty flat and this improves overall handing, as well aiding occupant comfort.

Cayenne’s electronic traction aids are among the most advanced ever seen, working well off-road as well as on. 

Petrol consumption of about 13 to 17 litres per hundred kilometres in normal driving isn’t as bad as we had anticipated, but this is certainly no economy car. Porsche's Cayenne GTS provides plenty of prestige and competence and the price tag of $153,500, while out of reach for many, is actually quite reasonable for a vehicle in this rarefied class