Porsche Centre Bahrain, Behbehani Bros, celebrated the arrival of the all-new and intensified Porsche Cayenne GTS in the kingdom yesterday at an event. Also on show for the first time in Bahrain was the entry-level Cayenne featuring a powerful 3.6 litre V6 engine.

With a sporting bloodline which can be traced back to the legendary 904 Carrera GTS of 1963, the Cayenne GTS extends Porsche’s heritage of automotive excellence further into the modern era, the company said.

Colin Sattar, brand manager of Porsche Centre Bahrain said: “To date the Cayenne is Porsche’s most successful range and we are extremely happy to be showcasing these exciting new derivatives in Bahrain, opening a new chapter for the model. Featuring powerful new visual aesthetics and raw sports performance the Cayenne GTS represents the new peak of Porsche’s automotive achievements. Inside and out the model delivers the highest levels of motor sport technology in the comfort and luxury of an everyday car.

“The same is of course true of our new entry-level Cayenne; it is a Porsche through and through and the latest evolution of the Porsche legacy. Our most recent developments mean the new Cayenne has reduced rates of consumption which highlights our commitment to pushing forward engine technology and increasing output while reducing input,” he said.

Boasting a 3.6-litre V6 biturbo engine that is configured as a sports engine, it has a chassis that makes the GTS the most agile of Cayenne models. Not only does the engine contribute to this, so does the Porsche Active Suspension Management system with its sporty tuning and ride height lowered by 24 mm with the standard steel suspension – or by 20 mm with the optional air suspension.

The Cayenne GTS accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds when equipped with the Sport Chrono Package. These figures are 0.5 and 0.6 seconds faster than in the previous model. The car reaches a top speed of 262 km/h. As standard it has a sports exhaust system, which provides the resonant GTS sound.

Within the Cayenne family, the GTS is positioned between the Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo, and its dynamic and athletic performance is clear to see at first glance. The Sport Design Package is fitted as standard, and includes more powerfully contoured side sills and wheel arch mouldings as well as a Turbo front end.

The model also showcases the sportiness of Porsche’s new Cayenne GTS through a roof spoiler and lower rear of the vehicle, all painted in the car body colour. All around the car, the colour black provides some striking contrasts: all lettering is black, as are the 20-inch wheels in the RS Spyder design, the exhaust tailpipes, the bi-xenon headlights' inner apertures and the fittings of the darkened LED rear lights. The striking GTS lettering is also a new external feature that can be found on the front doors.

The sporting characteristics are also apparent in the cars’ interior with eight-way electrically adjustable GTS sports seats in leather/Alcantara upholstery featuring GTS lettering on the headrests fitted as standard. The interior GTS package is optionally available in carmine red or rhodium silver with the rev counter face, decorative stitching, headrest lettering and safety belts in contrasting colour.

The new Cayenne base model features a 3.6-litre V6 naturally aspirated engine, which delivers 300 hp, taking the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package. This results in a 0.2 seconds improvement from the previous incarnation while at 230 km/h, the top speed matches the level of the previous model. Like all new Cayenne models it benefits from the general efficiency measures, such as coasting, Auto Stop/Start function and thermal management, as a result fuel consumption drops by 0.7 l/100 km to 9.2 l/100 km.

Compared to the previous model the new Cayenne also offers a comprehensive selection of additional standard features, including a new eight-speed Tiptronic S with Auto Stop/Start and coasting functions, bi-xenon main headlights with four-point LED daytime driving lights, the multi-function sports steering wheel with paddle switches and the automatic boot lid.

The entry level Cayenne and the sporty Cayenne GTS are available for order as of now, their basic retail prices in Bahrain are: Cayenne - BD28,300; Cayenne GTS - BD38,500 - TradeArabia News Service