We can still remember the backlash Porsche received when it introduced the first Cayenne in 2002. ‘How dare they!’ the purists wailed, and claimed the company they worship had just sold its soul to the devil.
But the outrage was quelled as soon as the sales figures came up. The Porsche Cayenne would be the best-selling model from the Stuttgart-based brand until the Macan arrived in 2014. It still continues to be a strong seller, and without the strong profits it generates, we wouldn’t see the epic 911 GT3s and Cayman GT4s we oh so desire.
That said, we’re genuinely curious about it. Is it just a Volkswagen Touareg/Audi Q7 in a sportier outfit? Having driven the Q7 already, we were keen to see if the Cayenne will offer a genuinely different driving and riding experience. To help us satisfy that curiosity, we got the Coupe version in its most basic trim.
Having spent a couple of days with it, let’s just say that it’s almost impossible to hate.
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Styling
Admittedly, there will still be debates about the Cayenne’s design, but we’ll say that it looks heaps better than the original model from 2002. Also, Porsche has made that rare achievement of making a coupe crossover look, well, not awkward. If anything, this is what the Cayenne should’ve looked like from the start, at least in our book. It suits the brand’s sporting ethos, after all.
The design language is unmistakably Porsche, but it doesn’t look forced or trying hard. It’s effortlessly cool, we say, and the facelift made it look even sleeker.
Interior
If you’re a fan of gloss black trims, then you’ll adore the cabin of the Cayenne. There’s an abundance of it on the dash, center stack, and even on the doors. It looks cool and all, but we recommend leaving a microfiber towel in the glovebox to keep it looking neat. And while we’re on the subject of nitpicking, the gear selector location will make a fool out of a lot of first timers.
Design-wise, we’re glad Porsche resisted the urge to go for the ‘iPad stuck to the dashboard’ look that afflicts way too many cars these days. Yes, the instrument cluster is a screen, but it’s done in a what that still resembles a classic panel with its curved display.
The infotainment screen is then neatly integrated into the dashboard fascia, while climate functions are on a separate panel and not buried in the infotainment’s submenus. To automakers who insist on eliminating buttons altogether, this is the best compromise.
It may be a ‘coupe’ but space is abundant in this fastback Cayenne. There’s loads of it at the front and a good amount at the back. Even with that sloping roofline, few rear passengers will complain about the decrease in headroom.
That said, cargo capacity takes a big hit. While the trunk floor is wide, it’ll be a struggle loading tall items at the back, a problem we encountered when we loaded a couple of boxes. Well, at least there’s the regular Cayenne for hauling duties, but we really do prefer the rakish roofline of this coupe. Tiis ganda, as they say.
We have to laud Porsche for making the Cayenne’s interior look and feel unique from its platform cousins. It could’ve easily just borrowed elements from Volkswagen and Audi, pocket the profits, and call it a day. We’re glad they chose the hard way.
Engine performance
When someone says ‘base model German car,’ we typically imagine it having an ‘adequate’ engine attached to it. It’s not totally underpowered, but we wouldn’t call it fast. But there’s regular base model and Porsche base model.
In the case of the Cayenne Coupe, it’s a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 348hp and 500Nm. Those are solid numbers, but the way it lays it down on the road is even more impressive. The extra turbo gives it near-immediate response, even in comfort mode. It’s almost as if the 2.5-ton SUV weighed half that when you boot the accelerator. V6 engines don’t usually sound great, but the boosted six in here lets off a bassy, thrumming note. We like.
Porsche claims a 0 to 100 time of 5.7 seconds, but it felt far stronger and faster than what the brochure suggested. As far as base models go, we wouldn’t call it slow at all. If anything, it should satisfy most folks shopping around the luxury SUV/crossover market. For those who want to go faster, there’s the even snappier e-Hybrid and twin-turbo V8 in the Cayenne Coupe S.
Fuel economy isn’t likely high on anyone’s priority when considering a Porsche, but we recorded efficiency figures nonetheless. It’s 4.0km/L in heavy/extreme traffic, 7.3km/L in moderate conditions, and 13.2km/L on the highway. Not a sipper, but actually not bad for the performance it offers.
Ride and handling
To be honest, we were expecting the Cayenne to be a calm and relaxing driving experience. Crossovers and SUVs this size aren’t meant to be sharp or overly dynamic as we expect them to deliver more comfort that sport. Compared to its peers (BMW X5, Audi Q7, etc), there is a sporting edge to the Porsche, but that’s to be expected.
What surprised us with the Cayenne was the ride. While both this and the Q7 have air suspension, the damping and tuning on the Porsche makes it feel like a totally different vehicle. The ride isn’t as plush as the Audi, but it’s still smooth and supple; certainly better than any truck-based SUV out there.
Obviously, it won’t handle like a 911 or a Cayman, but as far as 2.5-ton SUVs go, it’s easily one of the sharpest we’ve driven. We appreciate the feel and feedback we get from the steering, giving an even more involving driving experience. If we’re talking strictly about dynamics, the Cayenne stands above its rivals. We can only imagine just how good the sportier S and Turbo models would be.
Extra features
Porsche Cayenne models that come here are typically are on a per-order basis, so it’s difficult to pin down what standard features we really get. That said, our tester was pretty well loaded. For starters, it comes with the Sport Chrono pack that gives it enhanced suspension over the standard model, along with special calibration for the transmission and engine.
Of course, power features are abundant from the seats to the tailgate. There’s the aforementioned air suspension with adaptive capabilities, and joy of joys there’s ventilated seating. The Bose surround sound system is as good as it gets and should please most audiophiles. If it’s missing a vital feature, it’s the lack of adaptive cruise or any of that, but there is forward collision warning at the very least.
Verdict
As you probably know by now, Porsche Philippines doesn’t give exact pricing of its vehicles. But in the case of the Cayenne, you’re looking at a base price of about P9,000,000, and we’re not talking about the Coupe just yet. It’s not what anyone would call easily within reach, but you expected that already, right?
But for those who are lucky to have that kind of money to splash out on a luxury SUV, the Cayenne, regardless of body style or variant, is well worth it. It’s the very definition of you get what you pay for, and it’s certainly worth every hard-earned peso. Sure, it can’t venture too far out the beaten path, but it’s still capable enough for those who dare venture off-road with it. Dynamically, the Cayenne in a class of its own and we reckon it’s almost impossible to knock it off that perch.
The Cayenne is the rare breed of car that needs to be nitpicked to find any flaw. If anything, it’s annoyingly good even in its most basic form. For those want to know what’s the big deal about Porsches, the Cayenne is, oddly, a good place to start provided the funds are there. If the folks from Stuttgart can make a decidedly un-sporty vehicle type this good, just imagine what the rest of the range is like.
Specs: 2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupe
Price: P9,000,000 (est.)
Engine: 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6
Power: 348hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Layout: All-wheel-drive
Seating: 5
Score: 10/10
