The Gen 1 Porsche Cayenne GTS, Your Upgrade Between Soccer Mom and Football Dad, Spotted in the Philippines

    For Porsche's first performance SUV, an automaker known for their zippy sports cars, the Cayenne GTS wasn't all that bad, as it was even once Porsche's number one selling product. However, after more than ten years, a look back at the Cayenne's first iteration shows that it was a fine, accomplished SUV that paved the way for the crossover utilities of ultra-luxury and supercar automakers today, such as the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus.


    The Cayenne joined the market in 2003 as Porsche's first utility vehicle. However, it was not exactly greeted with welcoming arms the year it was announced, to put it lightly, with many Porsche fanboys most likely wincing in disgust the moment it was shown, thinking it was the point of Porsche's downfall, or their worst product since the 964. However, its mix between a family SUV and a performance car, is an experiment that can be called a success.


    Its unique design, featuring an aerodynamic body kit, makes it a lot lighter than the base Cayenne at the time. And it's inclusion of a staggering 400 brake horsepower 4.8L V8, coupled with 500 Nm of torque, makes it quite faster than your average X5-type SUV. This gave it a top speed of 253 km/h, and a 0 to 100 time of 5.8 seconds. And with its bulky yet agile handling,  its hard to go wrong in the catalog for performance SUVs with this.


    However, with its priority in performance, it could not have been expected to become a fuel economy-wise car. Its horrible mileage, at 11 MPG, combined with an environment safety rating capable of making a Californian weep, puts it far from the selection choices of an owner looking for a Lexus hybrid.


    Its interior too takes a few points off its board. Despite being comfortable and refined, its gadgetry doesn't live up to its brand name. Its infotainment system, although impressive during its time, requires more work due to its lack of features and unresponsiveness. And its quarters as the captain's ship has been described as a wallet burner, since a numerous amount of its luxury features has been made an optional extra, such as its Bluetooth feature, Bose audio system, panoramic sunroof, and also its reverse parking camera.


    Although this expensive car may sound like a nightmare to own, that did not stop its popularity from growing, becoming one of the biggest bestselling sport luxury SUVs in the market, and becoming a popular family car for wealthy citizens in the Philippines. And its generous numbers that can still be seen around the city today proves that it can be as dependable and reliable as it can go fast and quick.

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