2015 Porsche Cayenne V6 TDI: the best driver’s SUV, bar none

In the large premium SUV segment, the Porsche Cayenne stands out as perhaps the most driver-focused SUV in the segment. With a tradition of building the finest sports and race cars, Porsche made sure that the Cayenne will feel just like a proper P-car: fast, responsive, alert but not feeling nervous, and with driving pleasure and performance at the forefront.

So how does one go about improving the already impressive Cayenne? Tweaks made in the second-generation Cayenne’s midlife cycle saw a raft of minor aesthetic and technical improvements.

New bi-xenon front headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED and rear tail lamps start things out, with a revised front and rear bumper design, mated with a set of new alloy wheel options from 18 inches all the way to 21 inches of  forged aluminum alloy wheels.

The interior gets slightly revised seats, plus the steering wheel straight out of the 918 Spyder (also seen in the Macan junior SUV) and a set of new trim options (plastic, leather combinations with aluminum and carbon-fiber accents are available).

It feels premium, expensive and luxurious, but in typical Porsche fashion, it doesn’t feel gaudy or too opulent. The Germans, after all, are the masters of restrained, somber yet functional furnishings.

Some might not be wowed instantly, but after three to five years of ownership, the interior won’t feel as tacky or  dated. Simplicity is key.

Underneath the skin, the Cayenne’s 3.0 V6 TDI engine gets upgraded to 262 horsepower and 580 Newton-meters of torque, with emphasis on low-end response.

The eight-speed ZF transmission is retuned to deliver smoother shifts at low RPM, which helps give a more comfortable overall drive and improved offroad ability where traction is low.

A top speed of 221 kilometers per hour, combined with a 0-100 kph sprint in just over seven seconds, means the Cayenne in seriously fast for its size and heft.

The Porsche Traction Management (PTM) has been tweaked to offer improved offroad ability, quickly distributing torque to the axle that has more traction.

In default mode, the PTM gives 60 percent of power to the rear wheels and 40 percent up front to deliver improved steering feel.

It can theoretically deliver 100-percent torque to the axle for more traction, which is useful in offroad/low-grip conditions.

The air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system has also been tweaked to deliver a more comfortable ride in Comfort mode, and a more exciting and responsive performance in Sport and Sport+ modes, bridging the gap closer between an SUV and a sports car.

Locally, other vehicles have self-leveling or height-adjustable dampers, but none offers an active air suspension system   for dynamic on- and offroad performance such as the Cayenne.

In its highest setting, you get over 550 millimeters of fording depth, and the leveling system gives you anywhere from 190 mm of ground clearance (around 7.5 inches) in Low mode for high-speed cruising, 210 mm of ground clearance (around 8.3 inches) in Normal mode, and a tall 264-mm ground clearance (around 10.4 inches) in Offroad 2 mode in the PASM. That’s a large 3 inches of play available from your suspension’s preset height.

The PTM recalibrates the ABS-EBD and traction/stability controls depending on which mode you’re in (Comfort, Sport and Sport+, plus Offroad modes 1 and 2) to deliver better traction, stability and, of course, speed over the road surface.

Lots of small upgrades but noticeable in total. Does that translate to a truly better drive?

SUVs are booming globally, particularly in China where the new rich want to show off their wealth, yet they have to make do with squalid roads and weather conditions.

It’s pretty much the same here, so a proper Cayenne test-drive would involve a good mix of high-speed highway driving, combined with a good dose of narrow, bumpy, uneven provincial B-roads, and lots and lots of adverse (read: heavy rain) weather conditions.

To put the Cayenne through its paces, a trip up to Tagaytay, Metro Manila’s nearest reprieve from the intense summer heat and the equally bonkers traffic, was plotted.

Unfortunately, the weather was quite uncooperative, and gave the Cayenne little opportunity to show off its skills.

Getting into the Cayenne, you’d half-think you’re stepping into a sports sedan rather than an SUV. Everything feels very carlike: the driving position, the way the instrument cluster and controls wrap around the driver, and the sense of intimacy of the interior.

The tall central transmission tunnel does take away some legroom for the rear occupants, but seating four adults inside is quite roomy. The handsome three-spoke steering wheel, with paddle shifters behind for the eight-speed transmission feels inviting, with controls that feel well-weighted and reassuring.

The Cayenne is meant to go fast. Adjust the 14-way front seats to your liking, set the steering wheel’s reach and rake to your preferences, start the engine (on the left of the steering column, of course, just like any proper Porsche), and the V6 erupts with an urgent but refined hum.

Moving off, the V6 diesel feels buttery smooth. Lowdown, it doesn’t feel as powerful as, say, BMW’s equally fabulous straight-six twin-power diesel. But at the top end, the Cayenne’s V6 seems more dramatic and more alive, whereas the BMW’s tapers off significantly.

Both have the same eight-speed ZF transmission, but the Cayenne’s interpretation of the eight-speeder sees it delivering more punchy upshifts and rev-matches better when downshifting. Overtaking a convoy of cars going up on a narrow two-lane road feels daunting, but the Cayenne’s massive reserves of torque, coupled with the chassis set in Sport mode, meant that my apprehension was ungrounded; the Cayenne overtook three to four cars, trucks and tricycles alike with ease and confidence repeatedly—like shooting fish in a barrel, but with a spear gun.

The steering feels good; it offers generous feel, though lighter than what a Porschephile might be used to. There’s a sense of stability and a keen sense of connectivity to the road, but it doesn’t feel nervous or too energetic that a sneeze might see you off the road instantly.

Comparing the Cayenne’s steering to other SUVs is unfair. Comparing it with a sports sedan, or even a sports car, might be a better assessment of how good it is.

On bumpy roads, the steering feels stable, with minimal kick-back and a very organic self-centering feel; you always know where the wheels are pointed to when you’re hammering the steering wheel.

On the highway, cruising right at the legal limit, the Cayenne displays impressive high-speed stability, and is very comfortable and refined despite its 0.036 drag coefficient.

You can easily slip in behind the wheel, drive 500 km in one day, and come out feeling relaxed. Long distance driving comfort has always been a German strength and the Cayenne definitely has this trait in spades.

The brakes, always a Porsche strength, are amazing, being more than capable of stopping this 2.2-ton speeding beast. It comes with 360-mm front rotors and four-piston calipers, and 330-mm rear rotors with two-piston calipers.

This particular test unit did feel like it could do with a brake fluid bleed, as it felt ever so slightly spongy and mushy, but absolute braking power was impressive nonetheless, with fade-free performance barreling down the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Highway.

So begs the question: Is the Cayenne the absolute best in its segment? Best can be defined, described or interpreted in many ways, so it is hard to say conclusively.

But objectively speaking, the Cayenne is the best-priced in its segment, with the most generous of standard equipment offered, and delivers the best driving feel and pleasure.

Aside from PASM and PTM, it comes with ABS-EBD brakes, nine airbags, 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/50R19 Goodyear high-performance highway terrain tires and Porsche Philippine’s Emergency Roadside Recovery Assistance, too.

On our trip, the fuel consumption averaged at 9.5 km per liter, which is mighty impressive given the Cayenne’s weight and our pace.

It’s not perfect, as Bluetooth telephony isn’t included and  has no  SatNav/GPS, unlike BMWs, Lexus and the new range of Audis, but if  driving pleasure and performance are what you want, mixed with a good dose of offroad ability, and of course everyday useability, it’s tough to find anything better than the Cayenne.

It also looks good when parked beside your exotic sports car.