PORSCHE Cayenne 2019

Body and cabin

The redesigned Porsche Cayenne still looks a lot like its predecessor and the family of Porsche cars in general. A sharp eye might note the more pronounced lines and the full-width LED taillights, à la 911 and Panamera. But the 6 to 7 cm extra length, 3cm added width and 2 to 3 cm lower height will probably go unnoticed, even though the changes accent the sporty look of this voluminous vehicle.

Until now, the company has refused to add a third row of seats to the Cayenne; many would say that five seats in a Porsche is more than enough. The decision plays in favour of the occupants, allowing excellent legroom without compromising cargo volume. It is hard to feel cramped in this SUV, unless you’re seated in the middle in the back.

The other four seats provide typical German comfort underscored by a firmness that guarantees excellent support. The optional sport front seats, especially, fit all body types; with 18-way adjustment, how could they miss? Note, however, that they add between $2,200 and $2,650 to the bill, except on the Turbo model. Porsche seems bent on maintaining its celebrated high prices.

But can the same be said for its honorable record in terms of ergonomics? The dash and centre console of former Caymans certainly had an abundance of buttons. However, in our opinion it was better than the touch-control takeover of the 2019 model. Now, you have to take your eyes of the road nearly every time you want to activate a system, apart from the wipers and turn signals. Furthermore, the touch screen’s menu structure defies convention, similar to most of the Cayenne’s rivals. While purified styling may work on an esthetic level, it adds little to safety.

Happily, the Cayenne becomes the first Porsche model to offer a head-up display. The automaker was hesitant to project information at the base of the windshield, as now found in a growing number of vehicles—and not just luxury brands. However, we think it is ideal to detract as little attention as possible from the road. In any case, drivers who do not like it can always turn it off.

Needless to say, the head-up display comes at a cost—$1,970 to be precise. As usual, the well-stocked options bar really allows you to order up your vehicle to fit your tastes… and wallet.

Safety

Unfortunately, Porsche also applies its “à la carte” approach to safety features. The sporty subsidiary of Volkswagen charges $4,160 for the adaptive cruise control/lane departure alert with automatic lane-keeping/blind spot monitoring trio. It certainly seems exaggerated considering that the same driving assistance systems are standard on a $28,805 Toyota RAV4…

The Porsche Cayenne innovates in terms of lighting for 2019, becoming one of the first vehicles sold in Canada with LED-matrix headlights. Each optical unit includes 84 light diodes that light up individually to deliver the brightest possible beam without dazzling other drivers. Canadian regulations have just been updated to allow the feature, which has existed for several years in Europe. The headlights are available as part of the Premium and Premium Plus packages or as a $2,460 stand-alone option.

No agency has yet evaluated the crashworthiness of the 2019 Cayenne, even in Europe. The former generation received a top safety rating (5/5) from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), which tests vehicles sold in Europe.

Mechanical overview

The Porsche Cayenne platform displays the same wheelbase as before, but Porsche has revised it top-to-bottom for 2019. The unibody structure is now composed of a mix of high-resistance steel for structural elements, and aluminum in less critical areas. All body parts are now made of aluminum. As a result, the S-version has shed 65 kg, despite the additional standard equipment.

The unique design of the front suspension eliminates the necessity of a sub-frame, which reduces weight and, according to Porsche, improves steering precision. The automaker also revised the rear multi-link suspension, notably to accommodate the new rear-axle steering system. The latter function can only be selected by opting for the variable-assist steering and the adaptive air-spring system (with Normal, Sport and Sport Plus modes).

This air suspension is also required to access the active front and rear anti-roll bars, designed to keep the body as flat as possible in turns. All this hardware adds another $8,750 to the cost of base and S models.

If that’s still not enough, you now can shell out another $3,990 to obtain tungsten-carbide-coated brake rotors. Clamped by 10-piston calipers in front and 4-piston in the rear, these brakes are supposed to provide quicker response and longer durability than the ordinary discs. Standard on the Turbo, they are offered as an alternative to the ceramic composite brakes that cost more than $10,000.

If Porsche has fine-tuned the chassis of its SUV to this extent, it is to conjugate optimal road comportment to ever-livelier engines. Each of the 2019 Cayenne engines is smaller, more energy efficient and more powerful than before. The turbocharged 3.0L V6 base engine outputs 335 horsepower rather than the 300 horsepower of the outgoing naturally aspirated 3.6L V6. A plug-in hybrid version will follow later in the year; the addition of an electric motor boosts power to 455 horsepower and should provide around 25-km of electric-only range.

In the case of the Porsche Cayenne S, the new twin-turbo 2.9L V6 makes 434 horsepower, 14 more than the previous turbocharged 3.6L engine. The Cayenne Turbo model now delivers 541 horsepower with a twin-turbo 4.0L V8, whereas the former 4.8L V8 topped out at 520 horsepower. Torque increases or stays the same in all cases. All these Audi-related engines debuted in the Porsche lineup in the Panamera.

Each of the engines transmits power to all four wheels via a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission, as opposed to the PDK dual-clutch gearbox used in Porsche’s sports cars. Still supplied by German specialist ZF, this year’s version comes with a shorter first gear, for optimal acceleration, and a longer eighth gear, for better fuel economy. In a similar vein, it comes with an automatic stop-start system that can switch off the engine while coasting to a stop rather than just at a complete stop.

The all-wheel-drive system is rear-wheel biased but always sends a portion of the power to the front. An optional torque vectoring system ($1,700) varies torque between the rear wheels to improve traction in tight turns.

Driving impressions

Our first drive of the redesigned Porsche Cayenne took place at the end of January 2019, for the most part on snow and ice covered roads in the Laurentians region. The conditions were not ideal for sporty driving but in no way prevented us from evaluating the stability and comfort of the vehicle, as well as the reaction of the all-wheel-drive system.

The Cayenne performed brilliantly. The Porsche badge is expensive, but it is not just show. Behind the wheel of a Cayenne S equipped with the air suspension, rear-axle steering and 21-in. wheels, we experienced a rare level of harmony between comfort, handling, safety and grip. Road sensation is faithfully transmitted by the steering, for confident driving in harsh winter conditions.

The all-wheel-drive system easily handles the power of the new twin-turbo 2.9L V6. Impossible to detect any trace of turbo lag, or to find fault with the transmission. This ZF gearbox is unquestionably one of the best on the market, no matter the model it equips—from the Cayenne to the BMW 3 Series and including the RAM 1500.

In terms of refinement and performance, the Cayenne S will exceed the expectations of a large majority of drivers. Those who want still more will definitely be thrilled by the Turbo model. On our return drive to Montreal, the Turbo seemed to be loafing along at the speed limit on the Laurentian Autoroute, reached in the blink of an eye thanks to the turbocharged V8’s overabundance of torque. And there to all intents and purposes ends the advantages of the Cayenne Turbo on public roads, especially since any and all of the other versions can be equipped with the same dynamic characteristics.

Unless your goal is exclusivity (and you’re willing to pay $50,000 or $60,000 more to obtain it), the Porsche Cayenne S delivers acceleration, braking and cornering with all the balance you could wish for in a luxury SUV—and more.