In April, Porsche will present the extensively revised Cayenne. Of course, again with a V8 under the hood – even in the S, which is close to the basic model. ntv.de had the opportunity to do the first laps behind the wheel of selected pre-series development vehicles.
After a long journey into the dreary darkness of northern Finland, there is finally a ray of hope: almost immediately after landing in Rovaniemi, the group of journalists is escorted to the test vehicles. The SUVs, all painted black and still lightly camouflaged, sparkle in the floodlights of the large car park near the airport. Test manager Ralf Bosch invites you to get into the spacious rear, then he starts the engine.
Suddenly I catch myself and have to smile. I hear a subtle eight-cylinder babble. I had inspected the car before boarding, but found no evidence of an extroverted top model. That’s exactly right, explains Bosch. It is simply the Cayenne S, he explains. Who would have thought that Porsche would turn the tables again? That in the age of advancing electromobility or at least electrification, a model located further down the road would get a V8 again, which was even downsized to a V6 before the facelift?
So that there are no misunderstandings: the base will continue to have a six-cylinder, the S is one step above it, but is far from high-end. I’ll still be able to drive later, but I’m supposed to spend the next 100 kilometers on the comfortable, tight back seat.
And while I’m enjoying the gentle after-swing resulting from the new two-chamber air suspension, engineer Bosch explains how his team extensively modified the eight-cylinder. So complex that the internal designation of the machine “EA625” quickly became “EA625evo”. Of course, it is to be expected that models from other Volkswagen brands will also be able to enjoy this four-litre capacity, so it should not be exclusive to the Cayenne, at least not in the long term. The revised version now injects the fuel-air mixture with 350 instead of 250 bar and the twin has become a monoscroll turbocharger. A whopping 475 instead of 440 hp will fuel the Cayenne S in the future, so you should get there.
The modified Cayenne has not yet been revealed. And when the engineers park the development vehicles in the parking lot and exit them, their first reflex is to fold down the interior camouflage cloth flaps over the instruments and console. But now, while driving, the driver must be able to look at the speedometer and see the screen. So I spin in the direction of the center console and discover the chic “curved” display aka the instrument cluster. The Cayenne has now arrived in the now. The architects also treated the center console to a bit of retouching. And passengers who quickly get bored can now tinker around on their own touchscreen.
Several hours should pass between the pleasure of being chauffeured in the rear of the revised Cayenne and being able to take the steering wheel into your own hands. Because the engineers don’t let their guests take the wheel until the next day. And under no circumstances should they drive alone, because the cars are not yet standard.
At best, however, it will be interesting with the hybrid, where one might still sense a need for coordination. That’s why it’s off to the plug-in hybrid the next morning – now I’m the driver and I’m allowed to ask my companion on the right questions. Overall vehicle project manager Christoph Oerleke has of course been briefed, after all he is on the road with journalists and can only elicit a few pieces of information. But I can drive out the result so far.
The performance of the twin engine version climbs from 462 to 470 hp. However, it is not the 8 additional hp that are decisive, but the considerable enlargement of the battery. The battery now has a capacity of almost 26 kWh, making it almost twice as large as before and charging with 11 instead of a maximum of 7.2 kW as before. Future Cayenne PHEV drivers can therefore look forward to being able to drive electrically for much longer. In addition, the electric engine power increases from 136 to 177 hp, which should mean more sovereignty in electric mode. Here in the snow, where traction is scarce, the tires of much weaker cars are already reaching their static friction limit.
Do you really want to drive so much electrically? The creamy turbo V6, after all also part of the drive train, has at least what it takes to make you happy with its sonorous, velvety tone. But in the end you have a choice. In any case, I pay meticulous attention to whether the operating strategy makes a coherent impression or whether the drive transitions between the electric motor and the combustion engine are smooth. To really be sure that the combustion engine is running, the traditionally central rev counter should be kept in view.
It is not possible to gas or flow on the public road anyway, because the wintry road surfaces of northern Finland do not allow for fast laps – traction tends towards zero. So the program later guides you in the direction of the closed ice rink in order to be able to complete various driving dynamics exercises on a slippery track. After all, practicing a bit of drifting or getting a feel for how an SUV weighing more than two tons brakes and steers on slippery terrain is not wrong.
Why are the technicians testing at all in cold countries when it is only a facelift model? There are many new components under the sheet metal, the test of which in the computer simulation would not provide reliable results. It can also be such a banality to see how the hybrid starts up after a freezing cold night and how quickly the passenger cell then heats up. At least during the test drives there were no failures or incidents. The finish of the materials also makes a solid impression, as far as you can see under the camouflaged cloth.
It won’t be long before the production versions will be ready to be put through their paces. Until then, Cayenne fans can look forward to being given an eight-cylinder again, even with the “S” variant. And while the base model will be a pure six-cylinder petrol engine, Porsche has already hinted at placing high-performance plug-in hybrids at the top of the food chain. With eight pots under the hood, of course.
