A sharper design, boosted efficiency and extensive set of standard features: Those are the key characteristics of the new Porsche Cayenne. As a sports car among sport utility vehicles (SUVs), besides offering five seats and extensive high-end features, it primarily offers a lot of room for a lot of driving fun. With high performance and typical Porsche design DNA.
The new generation of the Cayenne will launch on the market in five versions: Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne Diesel, Cayenne S Diesel and in a world premiere the Cayenne S E-Hybrid), which is the first plug-in hybrid in the premium SUV segment. This model, together with the Panamera S E-Hybrid and the 918 Spyder, make Porsche the world’s only carmaker to offer three plug-in hybrid models. All Cayenne engine versions show improved performance figures as well as better fuel economy than comparable previous versions. A new engine is the 3.6-litre V6 biturbo of the Cayenne S that was fully developed by Porsche.
The Cayenne is a unique success story at Porsche. The company introduced the first generation in 2002. This vehicle made the idea of a sports car in the SUV segment a reality and it set standards right from the start. Sales have exceeded all expectations: Over 276,000 first generation vehicles were produced (2002 to 2010), and around 303,000 units of the second generation, which was introduced in 2010, have already been produced so far. So the Cayenne is not only boosting profitable growth at Porsche, it is also creating a solid economic foundation for investments in future generations of sports cars.
Sharpened exterior design
In its latest version, Porsche designers have given the Cayenne an even sharper design with precise lines and purposefully placed light refracting edges. Entirely new are the design of the front body, the front wings and the bonnet. Also new are the air-blades: These air fins on the right and left of the vehicle’s front end efficiently guide cooling air to the intercoolers and also make a strong visual statement.
At first glance, the new Cayenne can be clearly made out as a Porsche by its bi-xenon headlights, which are standard in the base and S models, with “hovering” four-point LED daytime running lights that are typical of Porsche. The high performance standard of the top model, the Cayenne Turbo, is emphasised by standard LED headlights with the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS).
The rear section of the new Cayenne was also thoroughly updated: the layout of the rear lights creates a three-dimensional effect; the brake lights like the LED daytime running lights in front – are designed in four elements. The license plate recess, boot handle and lights are now integrated more elegantly into the boot lid. Designers also re-designed the car’s horizontal lines, giving the vehicle an even fuller stance on the road. The newly designed exhaust tailpipes are now integrated in the lower rear section. An automatically activating boot lid is a standard feature.
In the interior, designers devoted much of their effort to the driver’s space the driver now gets a new multifunction sport steering wheel with shift paddles as standard; its look and functions are based on the steering wheel of the 918 Spyder. They also made the rear seating system even more comfortable, and seat ventilation can now be ordered as an option for the rear seats.
Better efficiency
Power and torque were boosted while improving fuel economy, enabled by numerous individual modifications to the entire drivetrain: for Porsche these are not incompatible or contradictory goals. For instance, all new Cayenne models consume significantly less fuel, because of a coasting function, the further advanced “auto stop-start function plus” and optimised thermal management. Active cooling air flaps are now being used for the first time in the Cayenne models. They are located behind the middle air inlet and are controlled by engine management. They are opened or closed according to the specific driving situation and cooling needs; this way they adjust the air volume that is available for cooling. When they are closed they improve aerodynamics, which reduces air drag and thereby improves fuel economy.
The Cayenne S E-Hybrid is the first plug-in hybrid in the premium SUV segment. The technical progress made here is immense compared to the previous Cayenne S Hybrid. The new model has a lithium-ion traction battery with an energy capacity of 10.8 kWh, which enables an all-electric driving range of 18 to 36 km, depending on the style of driving and route topography. The power of the electric motor was more than doubled: from 47 hp to 95 hp. The combined fuel consumption is now 3.4 l/100 km (79 g/km CO2). The three-litre V6 supercharged engine 333 hp and the electric motor (95 hp) produce a combined system power of 416 hp at 5,500 rpm and a total system torque of 590 Newton metres from 1,250 to 4,000 rpm. This enables driving performance on the level of a sports car: zero to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 243 km/h. The top speed in all-electric driving is 125 km/h. The traction battery can be charged from the electric power grid or while driving. Relevant vehicle data can be called up from a smart phone using the standard Porsche Car Connect feature.
The hybrid tradition at Porsche extends back to the year 1899 and to the Lohner Porsche the world’s first vehicle to have a battery-powered electric drive as well as a combustion engine, which was designed and built by Ferdinand Porsche. In the current model line-up, the Panamera S E-Hybrid is setting standards worldwide as the first plug-in vehicle of the premium class. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid is now transferring this forward-looking technology to the premium SUV segment. Extraordinarily powerful hybrid technology has also already been implemented in a sports car, in a super sports car no less the 918 Spyder. This car serves as an example of technology transfer from motorsport to production cars: the most advanced form of hybrid drive technology is currently implemented in the 919 Hybrid, and it is also being studied for production vehicles.
The new 3.6-litre V6 biturbo engine of the Cayenne S, which was developed entirely at Porsche, is another example of how downsizing with reduced engine displacement and fewer cylinders does not compromise core values: the engine’s NEDC fuel consumption is between 9.8 and 9.5 l/100 km (229-223 g/km CO2), which is one litre less than with the previous V8 engine. The biturbo V6 develops a maximum power of 420 hp at 6,000 rpm – a gain of 20 hp. The car’s torque of 550 Newton metres is available from 1,350 to 4,500 rpm (gain of 50 Newton metres). The previous power density of 83 hp per litre engine displacement was increased to 117 hp (gain of around 40 percent). With its standard eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, the Cayenne S accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds (5.4 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package) – 0.4 seconds faster than the previous Cayenne S. The vehicle’s top speed is now 259 km/h (gain of one km/h).
The Cayenne Turbo is characterised by a high level of performance readiness, uninterrupted forward thrust and an ability to handle any driving situation. 4.8-litre engine displacement, eight-cylinders and biturbo boost result in engine power of 520 hp at 6,000 rpm, its torque is 750 Newton metres from 2,250 to 4,000 rpm. This lets the Cayenne Turbo accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds (4.4 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package). Its top speed is 279 km/h. Fuel consumption is 11.5 to 11.2 l/100 km (267-261 g/km CO2).
The diesel versions of the Cayenne combine sportiness with even better fuel efficiency. For example, the three-litre V6 engine in the Cayenne Diesel produces 262 hp (193 kW) at 4,000 rpm and has a fuel consumption of 6.8 to 6.6 l/100 km (179-173 g/km CO2). Thanks to its SCR system, the car already conforms to the EU6 emissions standard. In interplay with its torque of 580 Newton metres, from 1,750 to 2,500 rpm, the car can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds (7.2 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package), and its top speed is 221 km/h. The 4.2-litre V8 engine of the Cayenne S Diesel produces 385 hp at 3,750 rpm and a torque of 850 Newton metres from 2,000 to 2,750 rpm. From a standstill, it reaches 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds (5.3 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package). Its top speed is 252 km/h, and its NEDC fuel consumption is 8.0 l/100 km (209 g/km CO2).
Chassis tuning of the new Cayenne was optimised for even greater comfort, naturally without compromising its dynamic pace. This makes the spread between comfort and sportiness even greater than before – and it validates the Cayenne claim to being the sports car in the SUV segment.
The new Cayenne models will launch on the market starting October 11, 2014
