YOU’RE probably looking at the opening spread and wondering who on earth actually takes premium SUVs off-road. It’s a fair question, but equally valid as asking who would buy an SUV only to drive it on tarmac… So it made sense to have Porsche’s all-new Cayenne S square-up to the BMW X5 xDrive50i and its new twin-turbo V8 under both scenarios. They’re both eyecatching, powerful and premium- specced, but which one is best when the going goes from smooth to rough?
DESIGN & PACKAGING
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 16/20
People have finally come to terms with the fact that Porsche has an SUV in its line-up, and in the case of the latest-generation Cayenne it’s a graceful and handsome one. The new car has shed much of the visual associations with its bulky Touareg cousin that afflicted past models and it’s safe to say that this one actually looks like a bona fide member of the Porsche family. The arching of the profile, a more elegant nose with a subtle bonnet power dome and brake light clusters that follow the form of the rear wheelarches seem to have shorn some visual weight from the Cayenne, giving it a lithe and athletic appearance. Another aspect that becomes apparent when taking in the nose is the good approach angle, 36 degrees, that its sleek design offers – a boon for those who wish to take their cars offroad. What’s really remarkable is that this compact-looking new vehicle is actually 40 mm longer and marginally taller and wider than before. You’d have been shot down with derision if you’d tried to liken the previous model to a 911, but the styling of the latest Cayenne sees a good deal of that DNA coming through. Admittedly, the optional 19-inch alloys are not the most prominent set of wheels you’d see on a vehicle of this ilk, but they suit its taut proportions.
The X5’s styling is the polar opposite of Porsche’s more subtle approach to SUV design. A recent facelift has helped the BMW to remain as visually imposing now as it did when it first emerged almost four years ago, especially when rolling on the optional 20-inch alloys that our test unit wore. Although its unladen ground clearance is marginally higher than that of the Porsche, the BMW looks like more of a road-goer than a rockhopper, especially when you consider that the sporty front bumper affords it a 28-degree arrival angle. Still, the BMW has presence in spades, with many onlookers remarking on its broad-shouldered visual bulk, straked flanks, corona-ring headlamps and a sizeable interpretation of the twin-kidney grille. The X5 looks every bit the macho premium SUV, but having been around for a long time there are many on the road – an aspect that may dilute its appeal.
COMFORT & FEATURES
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 16/20
The Porsche’s expanded dimensions make themselves apparent in a cabin that feels suitably spacious, especially with regard to the rear seats, which can be moved fore and aft by 160 mm. The boot serves up 384 dm³ of luggage space with the rear seats in their rearmost setting, expanding to 456 dm³ with the seats set forward. Fold the seats and 1 336 dm³ of load space is available, accessed by a good aperture aided by a high opening on the optional powered hatch. A defl ated space-saver spare wheel with compressor kit resides under the boot board. The quality of the Porsche’s cabin really impresses, being rock-solid in terms of build integrity and aesthetically pure in its design. The facia lifts a number of cues from the Panamera, especially the centre console housing the majority of the ancillary switchgear. At fi rst, the myriad of buttons on display may look bewildering but the layout is intuitive. And the cocooning, but not cloying, manner in which the front accommodation is packaged makes one feel as though one is in a sportscar as opposed to an SUV – a feeling reinforced by seats that are fi rm but very supportive. Neat little touches, such as the sat-nav/infotainment display housed in the right-hand dial housing, are typical of Porsche’s attention to detail.
The X5’s cabin has a light, spacious feel, augmented by a panoramic sunroof and our test unit’s light leather trim. While the rear seat doesn’t feature a sliding function like that of the Porsche, rear legroom is still ample. In terms of luggage space, the BMW offers 368 dm³ with the rear seats in place and total utility space of 1 392 dm³. The twopiece tailgate offers easy access to the load but the optional powered hatch rises to around 100 mm lower than that of the Porsche, which can make loading a stoop-or-catch-your-head affair – at least the BMW offers an infl ated space-saver spare wheel under the boot board. The X5’s facia is typically BMW, being clean and angular with many of the ancillary controls managed by an easily-operable iDrive system, but some testers did comment that BMW’s facia designs vary little from model to model. The build and trim quality are also typically BMW, both being of very good standard and the front seats are comfortable and offer enough adjustment to utilimake fi nding a good driving position a cinch.
Being at the upper end of their model ranges, both the contestants are well equipped but, as to be expected with cars of this type, the options list can be long – this will be explored more closely in the Value for Money section later in the test.
RIDE, HANDLING & BRAKING
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 16/20
There’s a tangible link between the new Cayenne’s lithe appearance and its handling characteristics. The test unit was underpinned by an optional air suspension module that includes Porsche Active Suspension Management – a continuously adaptive suspension system with three driver-selectable presets. Although the difference between the Comfort, Normal and Sport suspension settings was not immediately apparent, the Porsche feels fantastically composed under spirited driving with minimal body roll. Combine this with delightfully precise feel courtesy of the optional Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering, huge grip from the 265/50 R19 tyres and the Cayenne feels light and agile enough to give most premium performance saloons a run for their money. The trade-off, however, is that the Porsche’s adaptive damper system does occasionally get caught out by larger road irregularities. A stint off-road also saw most testers agree that the Porsche’s adjustable ride height, capable of being jacked up by 58 mm, and adjustable all-wheel drive system inspired more confi dence away from the black-top than the BMW’s front/rear torque-apportioning permanent all-wheel drive system and static 235 mm ground clearance.
Given those big rims shod with low-profi le rubber and shallower arrival and departure angles, one does tend to treat the X5 with kid gloves off-road and while few of us were initially confi dent of the BMW’s chances off the tarmac, we were pleasantly surprised by its ability to follow the Porsche around a medium-duty section of the offroad course without too much drama. By contrast, the BMW doesn’t feature an air suspension system and its ride is somewhat stiff off-road compared with the Porsche. For some time the X5 has established itself as a benchmark for SUV on-road handling characteristics, but after driving the Cayenne it seems that BMW’s big bruiser has been mildly eclipsed. While the ride quality is generally good, only being unsettled by patches of regular road corrugations, the standard electric power-steering feels numb compared with the Porsche’s more precise helm. Like the Porsche there is a good deal of grip, but the BMW feels heavy and more prone to body roll in extremis – along with the aforementioned steering, it’s a combination that doesn’t inspire quite as much confidence as the Porsche when pressing on.
When it comes to braking, the Porsche and BMW posted nearidentical average times of 2,92 and 2,94 seconds, respectively, in our 10-stop 100km/h-to-zero emergency braking test. These times earned both vehicles an “excellent” rating. Some testers commented that the BMW’s brakes were a little easier to modulate than those of the Porsche.
PERFORMANCE
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 18/20
The Cayenne S is powered by a normally-aspirated V8 engine displacing 4,8 litres mated with Porsche’s 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission. This unit develops 294 kW at 6 500 r/min and peak torque of 500 N.m between 3 500 and 5 300 r/min. The Cayenne’s engine responds crisply to throttle input and the gearshifts, whether controlled via steering wheel-mounted buttons or left to the transmission’s own devices, are swift and smooth. It’s a terrifi cally flexible powerplant that doesn’t baulk at speedy downshifts and delivers its power in the progressive, linear fashion you’d expect of a large-displacement V8.
The X5 counters with a new 4,4- litre twin-turbo V8 engine mated with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s slightly up on power with 300 kW on offer at a lower 5 500 r/min, but it’s the 600 N.m of torque served up at just 1 750 r/min that lends this powerplant an especially gutsy feel, which was evidenced in a 0-100 km/h time of 5,64 seconds as opposed to the 6,5 seconds we achieved with the Cayenne.
But there’s more to the performance than the figures suggest. Both vehicles feel suitably swift, but go about their business in different manners. The Porsche’s agile nature allows the driver to more confi dently use the power on offer higher up in the rev range, while the paddle shifters (an offering not fitted to from our X5 test unit) also afford an additional element of control. The BMW’s powerplant, which propels the big car forth with an eyebrow-raising turn of speed, along with the guttural snarl it emits under the admittedly brisk acceleration, does lend it a huge grin factor. But the aforementioned shortcomings in terms of overall body control and steering response do mar the experience slightly, leaving the BMW feeling less composed than the Porsche at speed. Under the slower pace of off-road driving there wasn’t much to separate the two engines – the BMW’s low-down torque meant crawling over rises wasn’t a harrowing experience but the Porsche’s throttle didn’t require too much balancing to effect smooth progress over rough ground either.
FUEL ECONOMY
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 15/20
The CAR fuel index for the Cayenne is 12,6 litres/100 km, whereas the X5’s fi gure is 15 litres/100 km. With our Cayenne S test unit’s no-cost optional 100-litre tank (85 litres is standard) this equates to a 793 km fuel range, while the X5 serves up an range of 566 km from its 85-litre tank.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Porsche Cayenne S 17/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 16/20
Our Cayenne test unit was equipped with optional extras that added just over R145 000 to its list price of R775 000 (including CO2 tax). This included metallic paint, 19-inch rims, an electric sunroof, air suspension with PASM, Porsche’s infotainment/ sat-nav system, Servotronic power steering and a powered tailgate. The X5’s base price is notably heftier (R821 706, also including CO2 tax) the test car was fi tted with extras totalling R116 200, adding such features as a head-up display, four-zone climate control, lane departure warning, high-beam assist and adaptive cruise control over and above the specced-up Cayenne’s features. In terms of maintenance plans, the Cayenne comes with a 3 years/90 000 km package versus the 5 years/100 000 km Motorplan on the X5. Although resale values are hard to calculate on vehicles this new, the Cayenne’s brand cachet and exclusivity could see it retain more of its value than the X5.
VERDICT
Porsche Cayenne S 18/20
BMW X5 xDrive50i 17/20
From the beginning of our assessment of these two vehicles, it became apparent that the result would be anything but clean-cut. There’s no denying the X5’s presence and sheer grunt, and the fact that it was quite accomplished when driven off-road was also a feather in its cap. Where the BMW begins to lose out is when driving dynamics are taken into account – the lack of steering feel and noticeable body roll hamper what is otherwise an impressive package. By contrast, it’s this area where the Porsche excels. All of the testers walked away from the Porsche with a new-found appreciation of what an SUV can do on the road. Like the BMW it’s an accomplished cruiser, but when tackling challenging stretches of road the Porsche’s accurate steering and nimble chassis elevate it to another level that allows one to really make use of the power and performance on offer. Factor-in an appealing new look, good off-road ability, a spacious cabin and superb build quality, and the Cayenne just manages to edge the BMW as the more accomplished allround offering.