2025 Cayenne GTS Has More Power, Screens Than Ever

When Porsche unveiled the extensive updates to the Cayenne last spring, a familiar variant was absent: The GTS. Offered across all three generations of Cayenne, this model is more powerful than the base Cayenne but not as expensive as the top-tog one (Turbo S or Turbo E-Hybrid, depending on the era). After a hiatus for the 2024 model year, the GTS is back—and, yes, it still has a twin-turbo V-8.

Those who read between the lines of the 2024 changes won’t be surprised at the engine choice, or the power figures. The Cayenne S upgraded from a V-6 to a V-8 for 2024, so anything other than an eight-cylinder in the 2025 GTS model would have caused quite a stir. The current Cayenne S makes 468 horsepower, eight more than the 2023 GTS. Naturally, the new GTS had to prove its superiority, so Porsche gave it 40 more hp and 30 more lb-ft of torque, for a total of 493 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque.

Porsche hasn’t messed with the basic recipe of the GTS. The twin-turbo V-8 is paired exclusively with the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic. Air suspension (10 mm lower than on lower-spec Cayennes) comes standard, as do a set of black 21-inch wheels and smoked lenses for the head- and taillights. Window trim, tailpipes, logos, and air intakes are all finished in black as well.

The interior of the GTS receives the same overhaul that the rest of the Cayenne lineup did for the 2024 model year. The shifter moves to the dashboard from the center console, which now houses the A/C controls. Behind the steering wheel is a curved, 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster. To the right of it is a standard-equipment 12.3-inch touchscreen. A third display, for the passenger, is optional. (Yes, Porsche has installed a protective film that prevent the driver from watching YouTube on the passenger’s screen.) GTS badges are etched, stitched, and appliquéd throughout the cabin, and the eight-way-adjustible Sport seats feature lots of Race Tex—Porsche’s name for its suede alternative.

Also new is the number of body styles: For the first time, you can have your Cayenne GTS as a regular SUV or as the raked-back Coupe—if you’re willing to pay $5000 extra for the more sharply-angled rear glass and less interior volume.

As of this writing, the GTS is the most powerful Cayenne that isn’t a hybrid. That the top-dog model features electrical assistance is no surprise: As we’re seeing more and more frequently, upscale automakers in Europe are pressured to add hybrid assistance to their vehicles to allow customers to drive them in Ultra-Low Emissions Zones, like those in London. The association between “most powerful” and “electrified” is merely a welcome side effect, we’re guessing.

For now, if you’ve got $80,000 to $150,000 to spend on a Porsche SUV, you’re spoiled for choice.