2025 Porsche Cayenne

There's really not a version of the Porsche Cayenne we wouldn't call sporty, but some models are more performance-minded than others. Porsche updated the Cayenne significantly in 2024, with revised styling, new tech and a slightly better layout for the interior. Notably missing was the GTS model, historically one of the best-driving versions of the Cayenne (or just about any Porsche model for that matter). For 2025, the Cayenne GTS is back, and after spending some time behind the wheel of the updated model, we couldn't be happier.

Save for a few short model years in the mid-2010s, the Cayenne GTS has offered V8 power. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 in the 2025 Cayenne GTS makes 493 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque, a bump of 40 hp and 29 lb-ft over the previous GTS. There have been a handful of changes to the engine, notably a switch from twin-scroll to mono-scroll turbochargers and the use of electric wastegates. Porsche says this was done in part for better efficiency, an increasingly strict goal for all gas engines these days. The V8 is paired with an eight-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive is standard.

While so much of Porsche's focus with the Cayenne GTS is on performance, the company's engineers put plenty of thought into ride quality and overall comfort. The air suspension and adaptive dampers work just as well at tuning out bumps and imperfections in the pavement as they do at keeping body roll in check. It doesn't float over bumps like some other luxury SUVs, but at no point would we call the ride harsh or backbreaking.

The Cayenne lineup as a whole was updated for 2024 with features like a new digital instrument cluster, a redesigned center console with more storage, and easier access to the controls for the media or climate system. The GTS is available as both a Cayenne SUV and a Cayenne Coupe. The two are largely the same, with the Coupe's sleek roofline cutting into cargo and rear seat headroom, though passengers in the rear should still be plenty comfortable.

There are a handful of performance luxury SUVs that compete against the Cayenne. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, Audi RS Q8 and BMW X5 M Competition all have similar base prices to the Porsche. It's notable that those are the top-of-the-line trims for the Mercedes, BMW and Audi, and all three make a bit more power and are a bit quicker to 60 mph, though none is quite as good as the Cayenne when it comes to handling and overall road feel.

Porsche's GTS models have always represented a sweet spot in the lineup, offering excellent on-road performance without the exceedingly high price tag commanded by Turbo models. The new Cayenne GTS is quicker, more engaging and more comfortable than ever. You can get more performance for the money in another automaker's showroom, but none will engage you quite like the Porsche.