First look: Porsche applies GTS moniker to Cayenne

PORSCHE has unveiled a GTS version of its Cayenne SUV ahead of its Frankfurt show debut this week – and an Australian arrival late in February next year.

Based on the Cayenne S and standing as a step closer to the Cayenne Turbo, the GTS takes the big natural-breathing SUV’s on-road handling to new heights with a revised chassis and more power.

Riding 24mm lower to the ground, the GTS is fitted with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) electronic damping system and runs on 21-inch alloy wheels with 295/35 R21 tyres. Australian models will also have air suspension fitted standard.

On the engine front, the GTS uses an enhanced version of the direct-injection 4.8-litre V8 petrol that produces an extra 15kW of power – 298kW at 6500rpm. Maximum torque is unchanged at 500Nm at 3500rpm.

Overseas models will be available with a six-speed manual gearbox and shorter final drive ratio than the Cayenne S (4.1:1 as opposed to 3.55:1), however, Australian models will be fitted standard with the Tiptronic S six-speed automatic.

Average fuel consumption is 13.9L/100km when tested to EU standards, while acceleration from 0-100km/h will also improve – to an estimated 6.5 seconds with the auto (compared to a Porsche-claimed 6.1 seconds in the manual, which is 0.5 seconds quicker than the standard S).