The Porsche Cayenne sports utility vehicle (SUV) was first introduced by the German high performance sports carmaker back in 2002.
Sime Darby Auto Performance Sdn Bhd (SDAP) and Porsche A.G hosted the Porsche World Roadshow 2018 recently, and we had a chance to spend some time with the yet-to-be-launched third generation.
Off-Road
Participants were grouped into two in each Cayenne Turbo. As we reached the off-road course, we were asked to activate the Hill Control system and switch the programmed off-road modes to Rock.
With the standard low-profile road tyres, we started off with the first obstacle, which required us to cross a huge bump at 45 degree angle. This exercise was to test the four-wheel drive differential, and how it transfer its power when the wheels are not touching the ground. The Cayenne overcame the obstacle with ease.
We then proceeded to the side ramp test, where we drove the SUV through a side ramp around 40 to a maximum of 45 degree angle.
Again, the Cayenne conquered it effortlessly.
After the side ramp, we tested the Cayenne’s Hill Control systems with the steep hill descents and ascents obstacles. The system assisted the SUV to go downhill at 3kph without the need of the driver’s effort on engaging the brakes.
The ascent left us which just a view of the sky, but the Cayenne has an extremely useful front camera, which helped us to see what was ahead, especially when we reached the top of the hill. A clear live view of what was in front of the Cayenne was displayed on the 12-inch full-HD touchscreen.
The cabin is very quiet and the air suspension absorbs most rough conditions, giving a smooth ride. None of the rocks or stones was felt, given that it was running on a large-sized, standard low-profile road tyres.
After all the off-road exercises, we then headed back to the track.
How it performs on track
We had the chance to test the Cayenne Turbo on the racetrack during the Handling 2 exercise. The Cayenne Turbo features an 8-Speed Tiptronic S automatic gearbox, unlike the Panamera Sport Turismo. The gearshift was not as quick as the PDK, but it was very smooth.
On the straight road heading towards turn one, the Cayenne Turbo can easily exceed 240kph, that’s impressive given the fact that it weighs about 2 tonnes. The luxury SUV sits securely on corners, with a little body lean through the corners and plenty of grip.
The Cayenne Turbo can keep up with the Panamera Sport Turismo and the Macan GTS on the racetrack. However, bear in mind that the idea of the roadshow is for Porsche enthusiasts and potential car buyers to fully experience the Porsche, instead of racing.
The capabilities of the Porsche Cayenne are impressive. It is certainly a good way to spend a million ringgit.