2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
The last hurrah – 0-100kph in 4.1 second. But not as fresh as it once was
By Shahzad Sheikh
Just let this figure sink in – acceleration from complete rest to 100kph in 4.1 seconds (official figure). The Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S and the BMW X5M/X6M duo all do it in 4.2. And if you watch the video below you’ll find the 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S actually does it in even less than 4.1secs in the real world!
Click below to watch my video review
And this on a car that’s been around since 2011 and is, let’s be honest, starting to show its age in most other areas apart from its outright athleticism. Thing is, this generation Porsche Cayenne (which in my opinion was a better looking car than its predecessor, even if it lost a bit of masculinity) set the standard when it came to performance and handling. Rivals lagged behind. But they’ve all been updated since, and today are close if not equal to the Cayenne’s abilities.
Even the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT handles well, is far far cheaper and is fundamentally a newer car from the ground up. And when the Hellcat-powered Trackhawk version arrives, I fully expect it to be quicker than this 570bhp German marvel – and still way way cheaper.
And therein lies the rub. This car in base form costs AED692,900 ($189k) – and as tested with options was AED761,710 ($208k). That’s a staggering amount of money, especially when you consider that the AMG GLE 63 S Coupe is AED489k ($133k). Now you could opt for the non-S Cayenne Turbo which is still 520bhp and loses only four-tenths in the 0-100kph time – but then this being the Middle East, you want the Turbo S or nothing.
However once you’ve bought it, you’ll get in and sigh at the same-again Porsche instrument panels, the explosive profusion of buttons strewn down the waterfall centre console leaving you in bewilderment at first acquaintance and you’ll be gutted that you have to make do with a simple reversing camera, whilst some of your mates can get an amazing birdseye view all around their own car from the centre monitor – the interface and layout of which on this Cayenne feels very antiquated by modern standards.
Now don’t get me wrong, aside from the gob-smacking performance, it still handles so well you’ll forget that you’re in an SUV (the torque-vectoring voodoo still deserving a very special mention) and at the end of the day you’ll be plonking down a beautiful sculpted Porsche key fob every time you sit down with your peers – and that’s a crucial part of keeping your self-esteem fortified, isn’t it?
Verdict
This is undoubtedly a great car, an exceptional car. But it’s surely due for replacement, and the money asked just seems absurd in contemporary company.
So I’m afraid the only reason you would buy this is if you just desperately always wanted a Cayenne Turbo S and have a filthy ton of money in your bank account, or you never read Motoring Middle East or watch our video reviews, or you simply must have the quickest drag-strip production SUV of them all (in which case either wait for the Trackhawk or go tune the AMG or M-SUVs for a little extra go-juice – not that I would ever advocate such a thing!).
Alternatively – let some other plonker buy it new, take the depreciation hit, realise it feels old and trades it back in. Then you move in and pick up a Super-SUV. Although having said that, you’ll still be spending around AED600k.
2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – The Specs
Price: AED692,900 ($189k)
Engine: 4.8-litre V8 Turbo, 570bhp @ 6000rpm, 590lb ft @ 2500-4000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, Four-wheel drive
Performance: 0-100kph 4.1 seconds, Top Speed 284kph, 13.8L/100km
Weight: 2170kg