This is a SUV first and a sports sedan second. At Porsche downsizing means: less is more. More power, more torque, but lower fuel consumption and lower yearly road tax fees. The Cayenne GTS engine is a perfect example of this. It has two fewer cylinders and around 1.2 litres less engine displacement than the previous V8 engine, yet it develops an extra 20hp and 85Nm of torque. Nonetheless, it consumes 0.9 litres less per 100 km than the previous model.
What sets the 6-cylinder engine in the GTS apart is not the sheer power in itself but the way in which it delivers it. It is directly responsive at throttle, providing the driver with velocity entertainment and an intense acoustic feedback. The GTS engine’s performance is apparent in the way the V6 rapidly revs up, right from the very moment the engine starts. When driving, it ensures an even faster build-up in torque and thus a noticeably quicker responsiveness. The revised engine management system also enables a brief, partial cylinder deactivation when changing gear, with the engine speed adjusting even faster to the gearbox change speed and with gear change times shortened even further. In ‘Sport’ mode, which can be selected by a simple button on the centre console, the engine control extracts every last ounce of performance potential from the 6-cylinder engine.
The Porsche Cayenne GTS’s sound experience is intensified courtesy of its twin-flow Sound Symposer system. The new system comprises two acoustic channels terminating in the A-pillars. When the driver activates the Sport button, the channels are opened, directing the sound of the intake pulses into the car body cavities, giving the driver audible pleasure.
And yet another feature sets a Porsche GTS engine apart: it’s Porsche Intelligent Performance. The auto start/stop function, featured as standard, illustrates that efficiency plays a big role even in such a sporty vehicle as the Porsche Cayenne GTS. Despite its greater power output and sportier setup, the Cayenne GTS’s overall fuel consumption is only 0.2-litres more than that of the Cayenne S.
Gear ratios is handled by the 8-speed Tiptronic S which comes as standard. While the automatic gearbox’s drive ratios remain unchanged against the Cayenne S, the gear changes are shorter and sportier. Shorter front and rear axle drive ratios exploit the engine’s free-revving characteristics to achieve superior acceleration performance.
Time to test drive the Porsche Cayenne GTS and feel the hidden sports car in a SUV body for yourself.
