Porsche Cayenne facelift (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara

First Official Pictures

04 December 2006 09:00

Facelifted Porsche Cayenne: the lowdown

Porsche has overhauled the Cayenne, with a neater face, punchier yet more frugal engines and chassis tweaks. This is the nose of the Cayenne Turbo, whose peak power jumps 50bhp. The 996-style runny egg lamps are gone, for more piercing bird's eye units. The outgoing car's messy split air intake is combined into one piece, and light bars introduced in the secondary vents. It's certainly a lot neater, if not necessarily that much prettier. All the engines go direct injection, to boost power and save fuel. Porsche claims the units are between 8 and 15 percent more economical. But the anti-4x4 brigade will hardly be mollified by the Turbo's 20mpg, especially when acceleration is even more sociopathic. Deliveries of the new model start on 24 February 2007 – and you'll be paying a few grand more for the upgraded models. If you're waiting for a diesel or petrol-electric hybrid Cayenne, the wait continues...

Cosmetic tweaks at the rear include a diffuser and roof spoiler. But the key changes are under the bonnet. Revised breathing, a larger displacement and direct injection boost the twin turbocharged V8's peak power from 450 to 500bhp. With 4.8 litres – an extra 300cc – peak torque jumps from 457 to 516lb ft. The result is a charge from standstill to 62mph in 5.1sec, half a second quicker than its predecessor. And you can bludgeon a 171mph top speed from the Turbo, thanks to slipperier aerodynamics. The new Turbo costs £74,650, up £3780.

By Phil McNamara