Yahoo Autos 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS First Drive: Another tasty slice of Porsche SUV
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s no company that knows how to precisely slice a product line more than Porsche. Just look at the myriad variations of the 911. And that kind of clinical categorization carries over to the 2025 Cayenne GTS. In price, it fits pretty perfectly between the Cayenne S and the Turbo E-Hybrid. Performance-wise, it falls much closer to the S. Whether it’s the right Cayenne for you really comes down to how well you know what you want and what your budget is. If this one fits your needs, it’s a damn good one. If not, well, Porsche has other extremely good versions for you.
So what makes the GTS worthy of its own trim, and not just option packages for the S? It has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 found in the S. That includes all of the various changes made for this generation of Cayenne, such as monoscroll turbos instead of twin-scroll in a move to help the engine run cleaner, but also variable valve timing and lift, upgraded fuel injection and electric wastegates to help make up for potentially slower spooling turbos. Porsche even found it could drop cylinder deactivation on this new engine. But distinguishing the GTS version from the S is an extra 25 horsepower (493) and 44 pound-feet of torque (486). It also makes 40 more horsepower and 30 more pound-feet of torque than the previous GTS.
On top of the power, the GTS also includes a number of the S’s optional performance upgrades as standard. They include Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus and air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management. The suspension lowers the GTS by 0.39 inches compared to more affordable Cayennes, at least those without this upgraded suspension. For extra performance, customers can add rear-wheel steering, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and carbon ceramic brakes. Of course, those are available on the S, too. The Coupe version also has a unique Lightweight Sport Package on offer with less noise insulation, a carbon fiber roof and different, center-exit exhaust, all of which reduce curb weight by 55 pounds. Though with the regular SUV coming in at 4,956 pounds, and the Coupe at 5,027 pounds (yes, it’s heavier somehow), it’s not exactly a light machine.
Not available on the S are the front pivot bearings taken from the Cayenne Turbo GT, which give the GTS a bit more negative camber at the front. It also gets the Turbo GT’s water-cooling system for the transfer case.
Visually, the Cayenne GTS basically just adds a few optional extras as standard. It gets the SportDesign exterior package and 21-inch RS Spyder wheels. Inside, it does get standard eight-way adjustable sport seats that aren’t offered on the S (though the 14-way ones can be optioned on the lower model).
