The automotive world has long debated whether SUVs can truly deliver sports car-level thrills while maintaining everyday usability. The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS definitively answers this question with a resounding yes, combining a thunderous 493-horsepower V8 engine with remarkable versatility that has made it Porsche’s global bestseller. This isn’t just another luxury SUV—it’s a masterclass in engineering excellence that proves why Porsche continues to set the benchmark for performance-oriented family vehicles.
Power That Commands Respect: The Heart of the Beast
Twin-Turbo V8 Excellence
Under the hood lies a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that delivers 493 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque, representing a 40-horsepower increase over the previous generation. This isn’t just about raw numbers—it’s about how that power translates into real-world performance that will leave you questioning the laws of physics.
The acceleration figures speak volumes: 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, with some tests recording even quicker times. But what truly sets the GTS apart is how it delivers this performance. Full-throttle upshifts deliver a glorious crack, followed by an even deeper, more menacing growl as the revs surge ever higher. This isn’t merely transportation—it’s automotive theater at its finest.
Engineering Innovations That Matter
Porsche has incorporated several key improvements for 2025, including a single-scroll turbo, high-pressure fuel-injection system, two-stage variable valve lift, and electric wastegates. These enhancements don’t just boost power—they improve efficiency and responsiveness, ensuring the GTS feels alive from the moment you touch the accelerator.
The engine has been tuned in part for better efficiency, addressing increasingly strict emissions goals while maintaining the soul-stirring character that makes every drive memorable.
Chassis Mastery: When Physics Becomes Art
Suspension Technology That Defies Expectations
The 2025 Cayenne GTS sits 10 millimeters lower than standard Cayennes and features revised adaptive air suspension with new dampers, along with unique tuning specifically calibrated for the GTS variant. This isn’t just about aesthetics—the lower stance contributes to improved handling dynamics that blur the line between SUV and sports car.
Optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll bars minimize lateral sway while preventing single-wheel bumps from upsetting the entire vehicle. The result is a ride quality that manages to be both sharper and smoother, regardless of road conditions.
Precision Steering and Advanced Dynamics
The GTS benefits from steering components borrowed from the Cayenne Turbo GT, including pivot bearings at the front axle that increase negative camber for more direct steering feel. This results in an extra half-degree of negative camber up front, contributing to the SUV’s remarkable cornering capabilities.
In Sport Plus mode with optional active roll bars, the GTS corners absolutely flat with no perceptible body roll whatsoever. It’s an almost supernatural experience that challenges everything you thought you knew about SUV dynamics.
The Sweet Spot Strategy: Positioning Perfection
Value Proposition That Makes Sense
Think of the Cayenne GTS as a Cayenne S with a handful of performance options included as standard equipment for less money than it would cost to order them separately. Starting at $126,895 for the SUV and $131,495 for the Coupe, the GTS represents exceptional value in the luxury performance SUV segment.
The GTS bridges the gap between the $103,595 Cayenne S and the significantly more expensive Turbo variants, delivering performance that’s tantalizingly close to Porsche’s top-tier models. This strategic positioning makes the GTS accessible to a broader range of enthusiasts while maintaining exclusivity.
Standard Equipment That Impresses
Standard features include adaptive air suspension, 21-inch wheels, sport seats, torque vectoring for the all-wheel-drive system, and a sport exhaust. Unlike previous generations, the rorty exhaust is now standard equipment, contributing to the price increase but ensuring every GTS owner experiences the full auditory experience.
Interior Excellence: Where Luxury Meets Functionality
Driver-Focused Cockpit Design
The interior features a slightly smaller GT Sport steering wheel wrapped in Porsche Race-Tex, made from recycled plastic, as standard equipment. This attention to both performance and sustainability demonstrates Porsche’s commitment to responsible luxury.
Advanced technology includes a 12.3-inch center infotainment screen and optional 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen that allows access to navigation, entertainment functions, streaming services, and real-time vehicle data. The integration is seamless, ensuring technology enhances rather than complicates the driving experience.
Space and Versatility
The two-row SUV provides ample space for cargo and passengers, enveloping all five occupants in a combination of Race-Tex material and leather. This proves you don’t have to sacrifice practicality for performance—the GTS delivers both in equal measure.
Real-World Performance: Beyond the Numbers
Daily Driving Excellence
Extended testing over 500+ miles revealed supreme comfort on highways and in urban environments, with Normal driving mode absorbing speed bumps and steep driveways effortlessly. The GTS isn’t just fast—it’s remarkably livable.
The eight-speed automatic transmission features relocated shift controls on the steering column and revised programming for quicker shifts in Sport and Sport+ modes. This ensures the transmission always feels perfectly matched to your driving intentions.
The Exhaust Symphony
As one tester’s spouse noted: “Does this car make you want to drive faster? Because I would. I mean, just listen to that exhaust.” The response was unanimous: “It’s got a good growl”. This emotional connection is what separates great cars from merely competent ones.
Competition and Context: Leading the Pack
Outclassing the Competition
Comparative testing revealed the GTS’s superiority over competitors like the Range Rover Sport SV, with the Porsche sounding more expensive, cornering with greater precision, and riding with better manners despite being significantly down on paper power. The secret likely lies in the GTS being approximately a quarter-ton lighter than its rivals.
The GTS looks identical to a Turbo thanks to SportDesign bumpers but costs £40,000 less, while matching the performance of vehicles costing significantly more.
The Verdict: Redefining Automotive Excellence
The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS truly is the “throaty-burble Goldilocks SUV for parents who aren’t quite done heading out for spirited drives after dropping the kids off at school”. It successfully balances every seemingly contradictory requirement of modern luxury SUV ownership.
You can get more performance for the money in another automaker’s showroom, but none will engage you quite like the Porsche. The GTS doesn’t just transport you—it transforms every journey into an event worth savoring.
For anyone who simply loves driving SUVs, the 2025 Cayenne GTS might just be the true one-car solution. In a world of compromises, Porsche has created something increasingly rare: a vehicle that refuses to compromise at all.