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road test

This is one SUV you will really want to drive yourself

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne.

It seems hard to believe there actually are some stretches of four-lane freeway along Crete's E-75 highway. Clearly they don't extend to the eastern portion of the island.

Here, the major east-west coastal corridor narrows to a two-laner that winds around the crags and canyons of the jagged coastline. Inland, the mountain roads are the same, only narrower – much narrower. No wonder most locals drive micro-compact cars about the size of a 9/10ths-scale Chevy Spark.

In this roadscape, Porsche's new two-ton midsize SUV – the 2019 Cayenne – seems monstrously too large; in terms of sharing the road, it is. Each blind curve raises the spectre of swapping paint or clashing door mirrors with whatever may be coming the other way.

Too bad Porsche couldn't close the roads to other traffic (and to goats) because, for all its size, the Cayenne is astonishingly quick-footed, even on the tightest, most tortuous pavement. This physics-defying agility is perhaps the most impressive facet of the Cayenne's aspiration to provide the greatest possible spread between comfort and sportiness – an SUV equally at home on the autobahn, in the city, along cottage trails and on winding back roads.

The central tachometer is flanked by seven-inch multi-configurable displays.

The Cayennes on display in Crete include all three variants announced so far – base, S and Turbo – but they're variously optioned with most, if not all, of the chassis-control technologies that maximize the Cayenne's master-of-all-trades persona. These include carryovers such as adjustable dampers, roll-stabilization and torque vectoring, plus new-for-2019 rear-wheel steering and multi-adjustable air springs.

Even the least-endowed of the variants – a base model with rear-steer, air springs and 21-inch wheels – carves curves like a car half its size. Nor does it feel like the runt of the litter in a straight line: On a test bed, the new 340-horsepower 3.0-litre single-turbo V-6 may be 100 horsepower and approximately 74 lb-ft of torque shy of the S's twin-turbo 2.9, but launching from a green light, the base engine's torque comes in sooner and harder. Its 5.9-second 0-100-km/h time is a significant 1.7 seconds shorter than its predecessor's. And it sounds glorious, spinning with a sizzling rip more like a classic straight-six than a "bent" one.

Still, the middle-model S is the sweet spot in the lineup, and not only because its claimed 4.9-second 0-100-km/h time (with the Sport Chrono package) is one second faster than the base and only one less than the Turbo. It's also a matter of balance – more power than the base Cayenne, yet less turbo lag than the Turbo. The Turbo also has more weight on its front wheels than the S, a difference you may feel if you enter a turn too fast.

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne models will be in Canadian showrooms next summer.

As a break from chasing hairpin curves, Porsche sends us up a steep, stone-strewn trail that is a non-issue. In the old model, we've tackled far tougher terrain – tougher, too, than any owner is ever likely to attempt.

Trickling through villages along the way, the Cayenne is content to be docile when needed. As for the freeway that we didn't experience in Crete, remember that the Cayenne hails from the land of the no-speed-limit autobahn. It's a given that in Ontario, home to surely the lowest freeway speed limits on the planet, the only challenge in the Cayenne will be to drive slowly enough.

The 2019 models will be in Canadian showrooms next summer.

The 12.3-inch centre display offers Apple CarPlay integration but not, curiously, Android Auto.

TECH SPECS

  • Base price: $75,500
  • Engines: Cayenne: 3.0-litre V-6 turbo; Cayenne S: 2.9-litre V-6 twin-turbo; Cayenne Turbo: 4.0-litre V-8 twin-turbo
  • Transmission/Drive: Eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
  • Fuel economy (litres/100 km): TBA
  • Alternatives: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX60, Jaguar F-Pace, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus RX350, Lincoln MKX, Lexus GX460, Mercedes GLE, Range Rover Sport, Volvo XC90

Looks

The body is entirely new yet looks more like a light refresh of the previous model; Porsche says the goal was to keep existing elements, but hone them further to be more precise and clearer. An SUV-first active rear spoiler is standard on the Turbo.

The driving position is more car-like than SUV; ignition remains to left of wheel.

Interior

The driver's "office" comfortably achieves the stated objective of sitting in it, not on top. But that doesn't compromise visibility: the A-posts are slim, the door mirrors low, and there's ample seat height adjustment. The 12.3-inch screen looks awesome, ditto the configurable gauge cluster – though with so many functions and display options, a steep learning curve is involved. And we're not convinced the panel of touch-sensitive switches on the centre tunnel represents progress. The rear bench is a little low, but comfort and space are fine.

Many console switches have been transferred to the touchscreen; those remaining are also mostly touch-sensitive.

Performance

Claimed 0-100-km/h times (with Sport Chrono) range from 5.9 seconds (base) through 4.9 (S) to 3.9 (Turbo). Around town, the differences feel less than the test-track numbers say, since the higher-output engines entail progressively more turbo lag. Launching from a stop, the Turbo doesn't really kick until 3,500 rpm (though when it does, the effect is highly, well, effective). Some buyers will pick the Turbo simply because it costs the most, but really, either V-6 – taking into account useable performance, sweet acoustics and 20-per-cent lower fuel consumption – should be more than enough Cayenne for most of us.

Technology

If you expect Porsche to make the last stand for human-in-charge driving, think again. The Cayenne, at least, is mandated to lead the pack in connected and assisted driving. The configurable 12.3-inch screen operates like a tablet, while built-in LTE promises continuous access to the internet (though, oddly, there's Apple CarPlay but no Android Auto). Planned driver-assist tech will include automated parking (even from outside the car), and InnoDrive, an extension of adaptive cruise control that automatically adjusts the car's speed for upcoming curves, gradients and speed limits.

Cargo room grows 15 per cent to 745 litres by European measurements.

Cargo

The old model was respectable and the new one has (by European measurements) 15 per cent more cargo volume. But usability is hampered by a lip at the rear and seat-backs that don't fold flat.

The Verdict

8.5

More than ever, the Cayenne is the Porsche of SUVs.


The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.

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