Porsche Cayenne 2023 review: Turbo GT

Cost-of-entry for the Cayenne Turbo GT is $352,700, before on-road costs. And a trio of heavy-hitting alternatives line up at that price point. Specifically, the Aston Martin DBX ($356,512), Bentley Bentayga V8 ($378.600), and Range Rover P530 SV SWB ($358,337).

All offer breathtaking performance, top-shelf luxury as well as the convenience and safety features expected in this part of the market. So, no surprise, Porsche’s flagship SUV delivers when it comes to standard equipment.

On top of the included safety and performance tech, covered specifically a little later, the Turbo GT includes, four-zone climate control, eight-way electrically-adjustable sports front seats (with memory settings), heated seats front and rear, plus a 12.3-inch multimedia screen running the ‘Porsche Connect’ system (including voice control) managing wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, the 10-speaker 150W audio system (with digital radio), online navigation, and more.

Cost-of-entry for the Cayenne Turbo GT is $352,700, before on-road costs.

Then there are the 22-inch alloy rims, tinted LED headlights, DRLs and tail-lights, heated and auto-folding exterior mirrors, interior ambient lighting, keyless entry and start, a customisable head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and twin 7.0-inch configurable instrument displays.

Interior trim is a story all on its own, with a sea of Alcantara wrapping around the sports steering wheel, gearshift, front centre console grab handles, roof lining, window pillars, and sunvisors, as well as mixing with top-shelf leather on the seats. 

And there’s a carbon interior package, including the door sill caps; not forgetting on the outside, the carbon roof, mirror trims and diffuser. You’ll also have the choice of two solid and four metallic paint finishes.

Interior trim is a story all on its own.

There is a range of no-cost options, and I’m struggling to see why you wouldn’t choose all of them. 

For zero extra dollars you can include a heated steering wheel, swap in adaptive front sports seats (18-way electric with memory), choose brushed aluminium interior highlights (also offered in black), and plug in 14-speaker, 710W BOSE ‘Surround Sound System’ audio. What’s not to love there?

Mind you, extra-cost option prices can add up rapidly. Our test example was finished in a ‘Special’ (and beautiful) ‘Arctic Grey’ colour for $5000, also featuring ‘Active Parking Support’ ($1890), red brake calipers ($1720), Alcantara roof grab handles ($1630), the ‘Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus’ ($990), and Porsche logo LED door courtesy lights ($600), for an as-tested price of $364,530, before on-road costs.

There is a range of no-cost options, and I’m struggling to see why you wouldn’t choose all of them. (image: James Cleary)

Believe it or not, the current, third-generation Porsche Cayenne has been in market for five years, although the coupe body style, as applied to this Turbo GT, arrived two years later, in 2019.

In typical Porsche fashion, the steady release of new variants has kept the model fresh, with the Turbo GT being the most recent addition to the line-up.

No massive design departures on the outside here, although car spotters will pick out a slightly deeper front spoiler, the mega 22-inch rims, black wheel arch extensions, a fixed spoiler at the top of the tailgate window (with carbon side plates), and a protruding Gurney-type flap lower down.

In typical Porsche fashion, the steady release of new variants has kept the model fresh. (image: James Cleary)

That small aero piece sits on the trailing edge of a large adaptive spoiler that deploys in spectacular fashion, extending 135mm at speeds above 90km/h. Move in close and you’ll also get an eyeful of the stunning carbon-fibre roof, the Turbo GT being the only Cayenne model to include it.

Cast your eyes further down, and you’ll note the two fat exhaust tips grouped menacingly together, poking out from the centre of a carbon diffuser.

Inside, the look and feel is pure sports luxury, with a mix of leather, Alcantara (with contrast stitching), high-gloss carbon-fibre and ambient lighting setting the tone.

Cast your eyes further down, and you’ll note the two fat exhaust tips grouped menacingly together.

The interior works as well ergonomically as it does aesthetically. Porsche’s signature five dial instrument cluster under a low arch binnacle is presented with a hi-tech twist in the shape of two 7.0-inch configurable TFT displays flanking the central analogue tachometer. They’re able to switch from conventional gauges, to nav maps, car function readouts, and more.

The two-seat only rear set-up allows for more sculpting and bolstering of each position, with the bonus that despite this, the backrests still fold flat when more boot space is required.

First thing to note in terms of practicality is that unlike its five-seat Cayenne siblings, the Turbo GT is strictly a four-seater, with the two rear positions carefully bolstered for better location under G-force loads.

So, at just under 5.0 metres long, and a fraction less than 2.0 metres wide, this Cayenne’s accommodation is generous for the quartet inside. 

There’s plenty of breathing space up front and loads of storage including a decent glove box, trays underneath the front seats and a compartment between them (with padded lid for armrest duties), two cupholders and a coin tray in the centre console and large bins in the doors with room for full-size bottles.

Unlike its five-seat Cayenne siblings, the Turbo GT is strictly a four-seater. (image: James Cleary)

Move to the rear, and at 183cm, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my position, I enjoyed ample leg, head and shoulder room.

Thanks to the standard four-zone climate-control system back seaters are able to individually adjust temperature and air flow through vents at the back of the front console and others in the B-pillars. The rears eats also recline.

There are three cupholders (two large, one small) in the fold-down centre armrest, an oddments tray where a centre seat cushion would otherwise be, hard shell map pockets on the back of the front seats and healthy bins in the doors.

Connectivity and power options run to two USB-C ports in the front and another pair in the rear, as well as 12-volt outlets in the front, rear, and boot.

Those in the rear can enjoy the standard four-zone climate-control system and reclining seats. (image: James Cleary)

Speaking of which, with the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat upright available cargo space is a sizeable 549 litres (VDA), expanding to 1464 litres (measured to the roof) with it folded down.

There are tie-down hooks, a separate section for small items (retained by an elasticised mesh band) and an auto tailgate is a useful touch.

A 20-inch collapsible spare wheel sits under the boot floor. But beware, if you fancy hooking up the van, boat or horse float, the Turbo GT is a no-tow zone. Other Cayennes, including the GTS and Turbo, have a braked trailer capacity of 3.5 tonnes.

Lurking under the Turbo GT’s bonnet is a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo petrol V8 driving all four wheels through an eight-speed ‘Tiptronic S’ automatic transmission and Porsche’s ‘Active AWD’ system, using an electronically variable, map-controlled multi-plate clutch to distribute drive between the front and rear axles.

This engine, also used in various states of tune across other performance-focused Cayenne models and top-shelf versions of the Panamera, is an all-alloy unit, using two twin-scroll turbos, variable intake valve timing and charge-air (induction) cooling to produce 471kW at 6000rpm, and 850Nm from 2300-4500rpm. That’s big power, translating to 640 ponies in the old money.

Lurking under the Turbo GT’s bonnet is a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo petrol V8.

Despite inclusion of an alloy bonnet, doors, front wings, side sections, and tailgate as well as a carbon roof and titanium exhaust (!), the Cayenne Turbo GT tips the scales at just on 2.3 tonnes. Hardly a lightweight, and its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine pumps out heavyweight numbers; a power and weight equation that could lead to sobering fuel station visits.

Porsche’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is a thirsty 12.6L/100km, the tailpipes emitting 288g/km of CO2 in the process. And despite the standard auto start-stop system (with coasting function), we averaged 14.2L/100km over a week of city, suburban and freeway running. 

And I was being pretty gentle with it. Sink the slipper into this beast regularly and you’ll be up to an average in the high-teens and beyond in the blink of an eye.

Mind you, it’s par for the course when you start playing in the upper-luxury performance SUV sandpit, with competitors from Aston, Bentley, and Range Rover all in the same fuel consumption range.  

Preferred fuel is 98RON premium unleaded (although 95RON is acceptable at a pinch), and using Porsche’s quoted number the Cayenne’s 90-litre tank provides a range of just over 700km, which shrinks to around 630km with our real-world number applied.

With great power comes great responsibility, and Porsche has loaded its Cayenne flagship with an impressive array of active and passive safety tech.

Crash avoidance features include ‘ParkAssist’ (front and rear) with reversing camera and surround view, lane-keeping assist (with traffic sign recognition), lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, remote park assist, active parking assistance, ‘Night Vision Assist’, tyre pressure monitoring, and 'Warn and Brake Assist' (Porsche-speak for AEB); a four-stage, camera-based system with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

The Porsche Cayenne hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. (image: James Cleary)

If, despite all of that, a crash is unavoidable there are no less than 10 airbags on-board (driver and front passenger front, side and knee, plus rear side and full-length curtains), an active bonnet to minimise pedestrian impact injuries, and ‘Multi-collision brake’ which aims to stop the car from contacting other vehicles or obstacles after an initial collision.

There are top-tether points and ISOFIX anchors on both rear seat positions for secure fitment of child seats/baby capsules.    

The Porsche Cayenne hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

Porsche is off the premium market pace by only offering three-year/unlimited km warranty cover, while the likes of Audi, Jaguar, Merc and others long ago moved to a five-year term.

That said, the paintwork is also covered for three years, with 12 year protection in the case of rust rearing its ugly head. 

Porsche is off the premium market pace by only offering three-year/unlimited km warranty cover.

And ‘Porsche Roadside Assist’ provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months/15,000km. No capped price servicing is available, with final costs determined at the dealer level (in line with variable labour rates by state/territory).

Okay, let’s get it out of the way. The Cayenne Turbo GT is blisteringly fast in a straight line. Porsche claims 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds, and a maximum velocity of 300km/h.

And it feels every bit that quick, the 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 delivering its mega 850Nm of peak torque from just 2300rpm through to 4500rpm. There’s just so much mid-range thrust, and the acoustic accompaniment is suitably gruff and guttural.

Need to push on a bit to grab a slot in the next lane or overtake? A gentle flex of the right ankle and the job’s done, the eight-speed auto instantly responding and making sure you’re slotted into that broad band of ferocious peak pulling power. And the wheel-mounted paddle shifters are there if you want to be more involved.

But what about point-to-point? Well, Porsche’s laid it on thick with a suspension system designed to make a full-size SUV handle like an exotic supercar. This is the same basic platform that underpins the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, and VW Touareg, but Porsche has tuned it in its own special way. 

The Cayenne Turbo GT is blisteringly fast in a straight line.

The Turbo GT is fitted standard with adaptive air suspension (with a levelling system and height adjustment), as well as ‘Porsche Active Suspension Management’ (PASM) on damping duty. The result is a magical mixture of dynamic composure and ride comfort.  

Despite immense 22-inch rims, bumps, ripples and ruts make their presence felt, but never to an uncomfortable degree. Yet the car remains stable and super sharp in enthusiastic cornering.

Fat Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber (285/35 fr - 315/30 rr) grips like a Donald Trump handshake… it will not let go. And rear-steering adds sharp turn-in to the main electro-mechanical system’s excellent road feel.

It may weigh in at close to 2.3 tonnes, but thanks in part to torque vectoring and dynamic chassis control systems the Cayenne Turbo GT is nimble and huge fun to drive. 

Fat Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber grips like a Donald Trump handshake. (image: James Cleary)

Not that we dialled into ‘Sport Plus’ mode (ratcheting the engine, transmission and chassis up to ‘maximum attack’ settings) and headed to the circuit, but there’s no doubt this car would be a track day special.

And even under that kind of pressure the professional grade brakes won’t be troubled. The ‘Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake’ (PCCB) set-up is standard, featuring huge ventilated rotors (440mm fr - 410mm rr) clamped by 10-piston aluminium monobloc fixed calipers at the front, and four-piston units at the rear.

They work beautifully from cold, with a progressive pedal and (no surprise) monster stopping power. 

In the day-to-day grind, it’s relaxing to drive, easy to park (thank you reversing camera and ‘Surround View’) and ergonomically hard to fault.