Porsche has been on a launch spree in India and in October the company brought us the 911 GT3 and then followed by the 911 GT3 RS in February 2018. We brought you exclusive news that the 911 GT2 RS coming to India in June this year and we remember telling you that the Cayenne will come to India this year and even told you that it'll come here in June, but there seems to be a change in plan. In an interaction with the Pavan Shetty, Director, Porsche India, he told us about the timelines for the launch of the all-new Cayenne. "Yes, the Cayenne is coming to India this year. Cars should be here closer to the end of Q3, beginning of Q4."
Also Read: Porsche Cayenne Review
He also confirmed the line-up for India and said that the Cayenne will come with the V6 motor and there's the Turbo V8 too that'll make its way here. But there's another variant that will be joining the line-up and that's the hybrid. "I am really excited that for the first time we'll have the Cayenne Hybrid come to India. So everything that a customer wants to choose from, s/he'll have a lot of options to choose from.
Pavan also confirmed that bookings for the car are underway and there has already been a great response to the car. Pavan said, "The bookings for all the variants are open and the first set of cars have already been booked."
Compared to its predecessor, the new Cayenne integrates major technological and mechanical developments which enhance its performance. This starts with the chassis and progresses to a separated link design for the front axle, a multilink rear axle, and - for the first time with the Cayenne will be available in tyre sizes ranging from 19 to 21 inches. Rear-axle steering is available as an option which helps to improve the car's agility.
The Porsche Cayenne is a very capable off-roader
The Cayenne adopts new design elements that hint at how this generation builds upon its predecessors. New horizontal light edges create a wider, more athletic appearance as do enlarged air intakes in the front fascia. LEDs are a main feature of the new Cayenne and are standard on all models. It also has an option to upgrade from the standard headlights to either the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PLDS) or LED Matrix Beam headlights, which also include PDLS.
At the heart of the new Porsche Cayenne sits a 3.0-litre single-turbo V6 making 335 bhp and 450 Nm of torque, while the Cayenne S uses a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 433 bhp and 550 Nm of torque. A newly-developed eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission is standard across the Cayenne line.
Four modes - Mud, Gravel, Sand, or Rocks are also available in both the variants. The drive mode, chassis settings, and differential locks can be selected to adapt to the relevant scenario.
The cabin of the Cayenne is similar to the one on the Panamera
There are changes to the inside too. There's a new display and control concept from Porsche and it's a 12.3-inch full-HD touchscreen, launched last year with the new Panamera. Other buttons are integrated into the smartphone-like, glass-look touch surface, which gives acoustic and haptic feedback when operated. In typical Porsche style, the driver has a central analogue tachometer to view. This is flanked by two 7-inch full-HD displays showing relevant driving data that can be selected and changed using the multi-function steering wheel. Lane Change Assist, Lane Keep Assist including traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist, ParkAssist including Surround View, and Porsche InnoDrive including adaptive cruise control are also available.
