Ahead of the official debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, Porsche has revealed the 2015 Cayenne SUV sporting some major changes on the outside as well as the inside and comes with two all-new engine options under the hood. While the changes may not seem radical at first glance, a bit of observation will give you plenty of insight on the new design of the 2015 Cayenne. On the outset the design language is still the same, but the vehicle gets sharper exterior styling that enhances the sporty appearance of the premium SUV.
Changes on the 2015 Porsche Cayenne include a redesigned grille, bumper, new headlights and a more curved hood. The diesel, S and S E-Hybrid models sport Bi-Xenon headlights with 4-point LED daytime running lights, while the flagship Cayenne Turbo gets LED headlamps coupled with Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS). Overall, the mild changes add a whole new dimension to the appearance of the luxury SUV.
At the rear, changes include the new sharper and leaner tail lights coupled with a revised tailgate, rear bumper and exhaust pipes. On the inside, the 2015 Cayenne sports a new sport multi-function steering wheel with shift paddles and is heavily inspired from the 918 Spyder, while the rear seating system gets major upgrades including optional ventilation.
Under the hood, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne SUV sports the new plug-in hybrid engine from the Panamera. The S E-Hybrid is a new variant that has been added to the SUVs line-up and is also the first plug-in hybrid to be offered in the premium SUV segment. The variant uses a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine paired to a 95 PS electric motor, producing a combined power output of 416 PS of power at 5300 RPM and 589 Nm of peak torque between 1250-4000 RPM. 0-100 km/hr comes up in just 5.4 seconds, while the top speed is a fun 243 km/hr. On electric power alone, the SUV can still do 126 km/hr with ease.
The other engine to debut on the 2015 Porsche Cayenne S is the 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 producing 420 PS and 550 Nm of torque that replaces the 4.8-litre naturally aspirated unit producing 400 PS and 500 Nm. Powering the Cayenne S, the engine is paired to an 8-speed TipTronic S transmission and does 0-100 km/hr in 5.2 seconds (5.1 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono pack) and is 0.8 seconds faster than the outgoing V8 powered variant. The 2015 Cayenne S is capable of hitting a top speed of 257 km/hr, courtesy of the updated powertrain.
The diesel engine remains the same with the 3.0-litre V6 motor producing 240 PS and does 0-100 km/hr in 7.2 seconds, while the 4.8-litre V8 motor on the Cayenne Turbo produces 520 PS and does 0-100 km/hr in just 4.2 seconds. Apart from the new engines, the 2015 Cayenne also gets an improved auto start-stop function plus system and optimised thermal management. Active air flaps for improved aerodynamics and fuel consumption have been added for the first time to the SUV.
The 2015 Porsche Cayenne will go on sale by the end of the year in markets like the US and Europe and has been priced at $61,700 (Rs. 37.09 lakhs) for the base diesel variant, $74,100 (Rs. 44.54 lakhs) for the Cayenne S; $76,400 (Rs. 49.52 lakhs) for the S E-Hybrid and $1,13,600 (Rs. 68.29 lakhs) for the Cayenne Turbo. Porsche is most likely to bring the 2015 Cayenne in India by early 2015 and will continue to use the expensive CBU route. Expect the updated Cayenne to see a major price hike, thereby making it more expensive than the recently launched Macan.
