The Porsche Cayenne GTS is a four-by-four SUV that will stun you with its sports car-like performance
YEARS AGO, I HAD MY FIRST encounter with her.
A sultry starlet stepped out of an even more attractive SUV, the Cayenne, and almost immediately I became a prominent member of her celebrated fan club. This is one of the most imposing Porsches and one that truly dominates the roads.
Though Porsche are considered primarily to be sports car makers, the Cayenne outsells all their other models, and that too by a large margin. The reason why its popularity has soared worldwide is under the sport utility vehicle skin, it actually is a stunning sports car in disguise. Unlike many towering SUVs with aerodynamics of a wall, the Cayenne
has been designed keeping its sporty character in mind, with its elongated bonnet and squat profile. Sharing the platform with the Volkswagen Touareg, the Cayenne stands at just 1,685 mm in height and the exterior has been given a smooth and curvaceous treatment, which helps it slice through the air. The characteristic of the Cayenne GTS is
the front section with its larger air intakes and a distinctive front apron. The line of LEDs as daytime running lights on the air intake add some bling, while Bi-Xenon headlights look menacing with their inner bezels finished in black
Other distinctions for the GTS are special side skirts and wider wheel-arches in body colour and the side view is enhanced by glossy black window frames. The most appealing aspect for me is the sporty twowinged spoiler at the rear end of the car, which not only looks stunning, but also increases the downforce on the rear axle. Finally, the high-gloss black strip on the tailgate, tinted LED tail lights and the two sets of black twin exhausts sum up the redand-
black contrast treatment.
The fusion of luxury and sportiness is also apparent in the Cayenne’s interior. Leather interior is standard, with Alcantara on the seats, centre console armrest, door panel as well as the roof and pillars. Dressed in the optional Alcantara was our test car’s SportDesign steering wheel that looked phenomenal and even came with shift paddles as standard, poised for manual gear changes. The sporty front seats come embroidered with ‘GTS’ lettering on the
headrests and are eight-way electrically adjustable. Even the sporty rear seats offer excellent comfort and good side support.
The dashboard is extremely well executed and you have various customisation options as long as you have a fat budget. The unique vertical air-con vents and switches are highlighted with chrome accents and there’s a chrome strip that adds a design element to the dashboard. Like all Porsches the centre console is a cluster of many fiddly buttons, with each one dedicated to a particular function. It does make for quick access to the numerous features, provided you get used to their location. Our test car also came with the optional Sport Chrono Package, so if you dig
the chronograph at the centre of the dashboard, well, you’ll have to pay extra to record your lap times or lateral and
longitudinal acceleration.
Porsche have incorporated everything in the Cayenne GTS that takes to please petrolheads. Powered by a brawny 4.8-litre V8 petrol engine, with re-mapped ECU and revised inlet valve timing, there’s an endless supply of strong surge. With hefty torque of 515 Nm at 3,500 revolutions per minute, accompanied by 425.82 PS of power, it’s 
staggering to drive, especially considering the 2,085 kg kerb weight and its SUV profile.The smooth V8 roars gently through quad exhausts and charges like a beast with the lightest tap on the accelerator. Shifting through the quick and efficient eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission, we got a very impressive 0-100 km/h time of 7.04 seconds, 
still in the third gear, and completed the kilometre run in just 26.66 seconds at 204.95 km/h, with three more gears to spare. It is the most powerful naturally aspirated Cayenne, with stunning performance abilities and a blistering topspeed of 261 km/h.
As we drove through the winding roads the GTS showed how remarkable its handling was. It’s an engineering marvel the way this SUV can be thrown around with such ease and precision. The credit for which goes to
the steel springs and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) that comes as standard and is tuned for a firm 
ride quality, which proved to be excellent during our spirited drives. With no trace of body-roll the GTS drives as dynamically, equal to wellbred performance cars. Point the nose of the Porsche at your intended driving line through
a turn and it darts across beautifully, giving you full control. The electronics on this 4×4 worked within milliseconds and ensured great traction through the corner, encouraging me to faster exist speed. The soft compound and sticky Michelin 275/45 R 20 tyres improve the car’s dynamics further as they grip the road.
Like all Porsches, the Cayenne GTS shrinks around you on the move, in a way most other gawky SUVs can’t even dream of. In spite of its size, driving in the city doesn’t feel like a burden, thanks to the neutral and light steering. Since the GTS is so quick off its feet, overtaking or gaining momentum after a speed-breaker is hardly a concern and the adjustable ground clearance is an added advantage. Cruising on city roads, the As we drove through the winding roads the GTS showed how remarkable its handling suspension can feel a bit stiff, which can be adjusted to become more accommodating simply by switching to the ‘Comfort’ mode. Being an SUV, there’s decent off-roading ability too, 
keeping a couple of things in mind. The price tag of Rs 1.09 crore (exshowroom, Mumbai) and the fact that the Cayenne GTS is more tuned for aggressive on-road performance. However, you can enhance off-road capabilities by means of a central rocker switch on the centre console. In addition to the pre-set off-roading modes, there’s hill descent assist that can be activated and another set of switches can increase ground clearance.
The fuel economy, as in most highperformance petrol cars, isn’t its highlight. We achieved an average of just 4.75 km/l at the end of our drive and stretched it to seven km/l on the highway. But it’s something aficionados would be willing to overlook.
The Porsche Cayenne GTS is leagues ahead of its rivals in dynamic terms, with its staggering performance. It also is packaged well with great space, a luxurious cabin and, most importantly, unparalleled brand appeal. The glamorous GTS is also more affordable than the Turbo, making it a more viable Porsche Cayenne.
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
