I submit to you, exhibit A: Porsche’s new eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission. With so many gears, the V8 is always in its juicy power band while accelerating or, practically idling while cruising, at any speed.
Exhibit B is its automatic start/stop function. This rather simple way of stopping wasteful idling is also available in the Panamera. Truthfully though, only twice in a week's time did this system turn on, or off... The moment you are aggressive or drive in Sport or position the shifter in manual mode, the start/stop function will not engage. My guess is that the owner of a Cayenne will experience it more often given that he will have all the time in the world to exploit the truck's limits and abilities.
The Cayenne comes with a small army of enhancements brought forth for more fuel savings which I've lifted from Porsche's press release: An efficient thermal management of the engine and transmission cooling circuits, on-board electrical network recuperation and variable deceleration fuel cut-off.
Exhibit next is the Cayenne's newfound lightweight and svelte body. Materials and a new AWD system have gone on a diet to put Kirstie Alley to serious shame; a significant 400 lbs have been lost from the truck's kerb weight.
Before I continue on to tell you how much better the Cayenne's drive is now that it's lost so much weight, allow me to add that, for those still wanting a Porsche SUV but also looking to feel even less guilt can opt for the first-ever Cayenne Hybrid. This super-green SUV's gas-electric powertrain develops 380 hp and an astounding 428 lb-ft of torque. Fuel consumption is further improved by 15% and what's more, CO2 emissions drop to 193 g/km from the Cayenne S' 245 g/km. I certainly am anxious to see how it will turn out on the road.
Speaking of the road, the Cayenne is still very much a Porsche, as much as any SUV could ever hope to be. The newfound enlightened girth does wonders to overall performance, handling dynamics and agility. This 2,100-kg truck handles as if on rails.
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| The moment you are aggressive or drive in Sport or position the shifter in manual mode, the start/stop function will not engage. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Exhibit B is its automatic start/stop function. This rather simple way of stopping wasteful idling is also available in the Panamera. Truthfully though, only twice in a week's time did this system turn on, or off... The moment you are aggressive or drive in Sport or position the shifter in manual mode, the start/stop function will not engage. My guess is that the owner of a Cayenne will experience it more often given that he will have all the time in the world to exploit the truck's limits and abilities.
The Cayenne comes with a small army of enhancements brought forth for more fuel savings which I've lifted from Porsche's press release: An efficient thermal management of the engine and transmission cooling circuits, on-board electrical network recuperation and variable deceleration fuel cut-off.
Exhibit next is the Cayenne's newfound lightweight and svelte body. Materials and a new AWD system have gone on a diet to put Kirstie Alley to serious shame; a significant 400 lbs have been lost from the truck's kerb weight.
Before I continue on to tell you how much better the Cayenne's drive is now that it's lost so much weight, allow me to add that, for those still wanting a Porsche SUV but also looking to feel even less guilt can opt for the first-ever Cayenne Hybrid. This super-green SUV's gas-electric powertrain develops 380 hp and an astounding 428 lb-ft of torque. Fuel consumption is further improved by 15% and what's more, CO2 emissions drop to 193 g/km from the Cayenne S' 245 g/km. I certainly am anxious to see how it will turn out on the road.
Speaking of the road, the Cayenne is still very much a Porsche, as much as any SUV could ever hope to be. The newfound enlightened girth does wonders to overall performance, handling dynamics and agility. This 2,100-kg truck handles as if on rails.
 |
| The newfound enlightened girth does wonders to overall performance, handling dynamics and agility. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |