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ArticleJournalPORSCHE CAYENNE GTS | REVIEW

PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS | REVIEW

When Porsche introduced the Cayenne to the world in 2002, the world was appalled at this bold move. Despite the criticism, the Cayenne has become one of the brand’s best-selling vehicles and can be heavily credited for launching for the now highly popular launching the Performance SUV segment that includes models from BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover Range Rover, and even Bentley just to name a few. With all this fierce competition, the Cayenne, which is nearing the end of its second generation life cycle, will be reborn in its third generation life by the end of this year. To celebrate this end of an area, I got to spend some time with what many claim is the best Cayenne of them all, the GTS.

With the variants that make up the Cayenne model range, the GTS slots in between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo. For anyone who is familiar with Porsche models, any model with the GTS brand is often known to be the overall all-star vehicle with the perfect balance of comfort and performance. The Cayenne GTS is no exception to this claim. Using the same 3.6L twin-turbo engine found in the Cayenne S that produces 420hp and 406 lb.-ft of torque, the engineers at Porsche upped those numbers in the GTS to 440hp and 443 lb.-ft of torque. Oh, and did I mention it has launch control? Attached to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the result is a 0-100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds and when equipped with the optional Sport Chrono pack, which was equipped in my tester, it can reach 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds! In comparison, the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo will reach this speed in 5.5 seconds and 4.5 seconds respectively. 


In its normal driving settings, I was thoroughly impressed and surprised at how quiet it was which at times made me forget that I was driving a GTS. Of course, the moment I clicked the Sport or Sport + buttons, I was once again reminded that yes, this is the GTS. With quicker shifts, changes in the suspension and some pleasing exhaust sounds that included deep grunts, crackles and pops, I was thoroughly satisfied with a great big smile on my face. Like many other vehicles in its segment, one is able to adjust the ride height of the vehicle at the click of a button that comes in handy when wanting to adapt to particular road terrains and conditions.

Of course, since its nearing the end of its life cycle, the interior was not that of Porsche’s newer models such as the gorgeous Panamera, but it was still pleasant none the less with Alcantara found throughout extremely comfortable and supportive seats and plenty of room for the whole family. It also had all the modern-day conveniences that one would need on a daily basis such as heated steering wheel, heated and cooled seats, navigation, and Bose sound system just to name a few, that can all be accessed by clicking one of the many buttons throughout its center console. I know many people get overwhelmed with the number of buttons that are often found in Porsche’s but I particularly don’t have a problem with it; I actually find it quite amusing and fascinating and each day I spent with the car, I found a new button that only enhanced my experience with the GTS even more.


With exceptional performance and over comfortableness, the Cayenne GTS proves to be an ideal daily driver with plenty of value that is reflected in its base price of $110,100. While a new generation is just around the corner, all the models of the current Cayenne range have managed to age gracefully amongst the competition without losing the soul that Porsche’s are known for. Thank you, Porsche, for constantly challenging the status quo and I cannot wait to see what you have in store for the next generation of Cayenne!


Vehicle provided by Porsche Prestige
Learn more online via Porsche and Porsche Prestige

Photography by Anthony Melotti

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