Porsche Cayenne 2018 Pricing And Spec Confirmed

The high-riding wagon will initially be offered with a line-up of turbocharged petrol engines, however diesel and hybrid variants are expected to follow further down the line.

Kicking off the range is the $116,300 (plus on-road costs) Cayenne, which is a $6200 increase over the model it replaces, offset by a number of improvements.

The 220kW/400Nm 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6 in the out-going model has been replaced by a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 that increases outputs to 250kW/450Nm while sipping 9.2 litres of fuel per 100km and emitting 205-209 grams of CO2 per km.

Sprinting from 0-100km/h takes 6.2 seconds – down to 5.9s with the Sport Chrono package fitted – while top speed stands at 245km/h.

Next up is the twin-turbo 2.9-litre Cayenne S, which, at $155,100, has seen a hefty increase of $10,600.

It replaces its old 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 with the new unit that increases outputs to 324kW/550Nm, a jump of 15kW, which helps a 0-100km/h time of 5.2s (4.9s with Sport Chrono) and top speed of 265km/h.

Fuel economy for the Cayenne S stands at 9.4L/100km, while CO2 emissions are rated at 213g/km.

Topping the range at launch will be the Cayenne Turbo, which packs a mighty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 capable of 404kW/770Nm, up 22kW/20Nm on the old 4.8-litre twin-turbo bent eight.

Zero to 100km/h takes just 4.1s (3.9s with Sport Chrono) on to a top speed of 286km/h while sipping 11.9L/100km and emitting 272g/km of CO2.

Asking price for the new Cayenne Turbo has risen by $1900 to $239,400, pitting it against the likes of the Range Rover SportSVR ($233,211), and slightly more than the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S ($193,211) and BMW X5M ($189,010).

All variants are teamed to an eight-speed 'Tiptronic S' automatic transmission with a shorter first gear and longer eighth gear, for brisker acceleration and more economical cruising, respectively.

The new Cayenne has grown in length by 63mm and sits 9mm lower on the road, while the all-new steel-and-aluminium chassis has contributed to weight reductions of up to 65kg – 135kg if you just count the chassis.

Cargo space for the five-seater has increased by up to 100L, while thermally and noise insulated laminated glass and new adaptive sports seats – standard on Turbo and optional on others – are said to increase interior comfort.

A 12.3-inch touchscreen display is included on the new Cayenne, with smartphone compatibility, real-time traffic data and tablet-like operation.

Turbo variants come with a 710W, 14-speaker Bose sound system, while a 1455W, 21-speaker Burmester system is optionally available.

A number of new technologies now feature, including the tungsten-coated brake discs that allow for longer brake service intervals and reduced brake pad wear – standard on the Turbo.

Rear-axle steering will be available as an option for the first time, while the Turbo will become the first vehicle in its class to feature an adaptive roof spoiler that alters downforce and aerodynamics to suit driving conditions.

Other new features include the optional adaptive three-chamber air suspension, '4D' chassis control which integrates all separate chassis systems into one, updated roll stabilisation software and the 'Porsche Traction Management' system.

New active safety features include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane keep assist, lane change assist, pedestrian protection, and night vision assist which uses a thermal imaging camera to detect people and animals up to 300m away.

Porsche sold 1111 examples of the Cayenne in 2017, down 17.2 per cent on 2016 and trailing rivals such as the BMW X5 (3582), Range Rover Sport (2983), Audi Q7 (2664) and Mercedes-Benz GLE (2257).

This article originally appeared on CarsGuide.