2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe First Drive Review: The Perfect Blend of Nice and Spice

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne Coupe is a luxury performance SUV that comes in a wide range of trims with multiple engine options, including a V6, a plug-in hybrid, and a V8. There’s no electric option just yet, but Porsche does offer the new Macan EV for those who don’t want to visit the gas station anymore. There’s also an upcoming three-row electric SUV from the brand if that takes your fancy. But for those who want a true performance SUV, the Cayenne – whether in Coupe or SUV guise – comes with a reputation for being one of the best. This year, the lineup has grown with the addition of the Cayenne GTS in both coupe and SUV form. This trim sits within the V8 lineup, offering more power than the base V8, but better road manners and a more manageable price than the Turbo GT.

This third-generation of the Cayenne received a major update for the 2024 model year with new features and a refreshed design along with the addition of Porsche’s twin-turbo 4-liter V8 engine. What it didn’t get at the time was the GTS (or Gran Turismo Sport). These three letters mark models in the Porsche lineup that combine high performance along with superior handling, which the Cayenne GTS upholds alongside the Macan and 911 Carrera variants. But better late than never, the Cayenne GTS arrived for 2025 with 493 horsepower, a revised eight-speed automatic, ad some bespoke exterior styling. Porsche invited us to Georgia where we drove the new GTS Coupe on winding country roads near its US headquarters in Atlanta.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

Exterior: GTS Extras

Already a sleek and sporty vehicle, the Cayenne GTS gets a little something extra to differentiate it from the rest of the lineup. There’s GTS badging on the door and on the back of the vehicle. There’s also larger air intakes in the front bumper that create a more aggressive first impression. Tinted headlights and taillights further add to the sportier design of this trim, along with bright red brake calipers. Our tester had yellow calipers that made for a great contrast with the Carmine Red paint.

The Sport Design Package is standard on the GTS, adding a unique front fascia, side skirts, door side trim, wheel arch extensions, and inlays in the front fascia. These are all done in a high-gloss black rather than matching the body color as in previous years. It adds contrast and makes the GTS more striking. At the back, the Sport Exhaust System has dark bronze tips and an adaptive rear spoiler, and are set into the standard gloss black diffuser. There are also 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels in anthracite gray as standar and a roof spoiler.

The opportunity to customize the look of your GTS includes center mounted exhaust tips as a part of several lightweight packages. These packages will also equip a lightweight roof, carbon fiber rear diffuser, and reduced sound insulation that can see the Cayenne GTS Coupe drop up to 55 pounds of weight. This speaks to performance enhancements, not so much aesthetics, but even without any changes, this is a striking vehicle with just enough differences in the design to let those with a keen eye know this Cayenne is special.

Interior: Subtle Changes

Inside, the Cayenne GTS Coupe still looks like the rest of the lineup, just with a few key upgrades. The most noticeable is the abundant use of Race Tex. This microfiber material includes recycled components with a suede-like finish that’s eye-catching and soft to the touch. It adorns the headliner, armrests, door panels, GT sport steering wheel, and the seat centers.

There’s an embroidered GTS logo on the headrests, and – new to the full Cayenne lineup this year – ambient lighting. It’s an attractive interior that buyers can personalize with unique GTS interior packages in Carmine Red or Slate Grey Neo – albeit at nearly $3,000. The range of options here is extensive, right down to picking from an assortment of seat belt colors. Porsche lets you make your Cayenne GTS as mild-mannered or bold as you choose, which is part of the fun of buying a Porsche.

Seating: Snug But Comfortable

There’s seating for five in the Cayenne GTS Coupe, although the rear seats are best suited to only two adults. Up front, there are eight-way power sport seats with strong bolsters to hold you in place during spirited driving. On the twisting roads we took through the Georgia countryside, they proved supportive and comfortable, striking a good balance.

Those who prefer something softer and roomier have the option for 14-way power comfort seats that ease up on the bolstering. Alternatively, the adaptive sports seats deliver 18-way power adjustability while maintaining strong bolstering.

Practicality in the GTS Coupe takes a knock in comparison to the SUV with it’s roomier boxy body. Whereas the SUV offers 27.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats, the Coupe only holds 20.9 cubes. The seats split-fold 40/20/40 for cargo versatility; stow them completely and there’s 53 cubic feet for cargo. If you need more, you can hitch a trailer and the Cayenne GTS can tow up to 7,716 pounds when properly equipped regardless of body style.

Infotainment: For The Driver

The Porsche Driver Experience made its debut on the Cayenne as a part of last year’s refresh. Originally seen in the Taycan, it features a 12.6-inch curved instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The system has all the usual suspects, with smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a selection of apps. It’s easy to use with responsive software and clean graphics.

There’s also an available 10.9-inch passenger screen that gives them access to the infotainment system and select features. While that’s nice, what makes it great is the ability to stream video content and stay entertained on long drives. It’s not visible to the driver, so there’s no chance of them being distracted by whatever the passenger chooses to watch.

Powertrain: The Fun Of A V8

Porsche added a V8 to the Cayenne lineup during last year’s refresh. It’s paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, but with varying amounts of power depending on the trim. Also doing duty in the Cayenne S Coupe, this twin-turbo 4-liter V8 delivers 468 horsepower with 442 lb-ft of torque lower down on the rung. From there, it’s a giant performance leap for the Cayenne Turbo GT with 650 horsepower and 626 lb-ft of torque – and a rather large difference in price: the ‘base’ V8 in the Cayenne S Coupe can be had for $108,000 while the Turbo GT asks for $203,800. Luckily, there’s the GTS.

The GTS Coupe sits in the middle of those two as the ‘just-right’ V8 version – both in terms of price and power. The GTS Coupe starts at $129,500 ($4,600 more than the GTS SUV) and it comes with 493 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque. It posts a 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package, and can carry on to a top speed of 171 mph. That gives it a bit more oomph than the Cayenne S (two-tenths of a second, to be specific), but far less than the Turbo GT, which can do the sprint in 3.1 seconds. It might sound like a compromise, but that’s not a bad thing – the GTS is about balance.

Drive Impressions: Balance, Balance, and More Balance

You can take the GTS to the track, but it’s just as at home doing a family road trip or being used on the daily for the commute to work. That’s not the case with every performance car, as what makes a car great on the track makes it harsh and unforgiving out on the road – the GTS lets you do both and it does so incredibly well. In this case, ‘balanced’ is a compliment.

This is partly due to its happy medium in power, but also the performance components that are a standard feature of the GTS. It has its own unique air suspension system along with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) that work together to keep the ride smooth and controlled. The system also lowers the ride height by 10mm (0.3 inches), which doesn’t sound like a lot, but adds to the overall ride feeling.

Everything in the GTS is tuned to provide excellent driving dynamics without becoming harsh for passengers or demanding on the driver. The list of things you don’t see, but feel, is long and technical, with two-valve damper technology, two-chamber air suspension, available active roll stabilization Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), and increased negative camber thanks to pivot bearings in the front axle borrowed from the Turbo GT.

The Cayenne GTS is a meticulously engineered performance vehicle, and it was apparent in every turn we took in the coupe we drove in Georgia. Steering was precise and responsive, making the banked turns on our twisty little route easy to manage. A choice of drive modes adjust steering, suspension, and throttle response to make it more sports car or more highway cruiser, depending on what you want out of the drive. It also adjusts the engine note, which is something you’re going to like if you want that V8 sound, but the fact that it’s artificially enhanced rather than genuine might rankle purists. That’s a small negative, however, in what is otherwise a fabulous vehicle.

Conclusion: A Proper Porsche

The Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe offers the right balance of performance and comfort for an uncompromising luxury experience. There’s a reason why Porsche maintains the reputation it does, creating benchmarks in the automotive industry – even in an SUV. Deliveries of this new addition to the Cayenne lineup are expected this fall, and we can’t wait to spend some quality time with it in the future.