If you’re in the market for a high-end SUV, two of the newest competitors come from Porsche and Land Rover.
If high performance is your preference, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – at R3,350,000 – will be sure to scratch that itch.
If off-road capabilities are what you’re after, Land Rover’s range-topping Discovery – at R1,726,770 – has got you covered.
Below, we take a closer look at what these SUVs have to offer.
Standard equipment
Luxury features are plentiful in these exceptional SUVs, with electrically-adjustable seats, automatic LED lights, rain-sensing wipers, leather upholsteries, electric tailgates, multifunction steering wheels, top-of-the-line sound systems, and large infotainment displays fitted.
Their different personalities then start to shine, however.
The sporty Porsche provides a four-seater layout, while the Discovery offers seven seats.
The Cayenne’s athletic personality is emphasized by a healthy dose of Alcantara leather inserts on the seats, centre console, dash, gear lever, and steering wheel – along with the Sports Chrono package adding an analogue track timer above the central display.
Furthermore, it comes with four-zone climate control, a carbon fibre roof, an analogue gauge cluster, a heads-up display, adaptive cruise control, dynamic cornering lights, and 22-inch lightweight alloy wheels.
The Land Rover gets dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, a digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control, 22-inch alloys, and Remote App functionalities that keep track of things like your Discovery’s fuel status and location.
Driver assistance
Both the Porsche and Land Rover leave little to be desired in terms of driver assistance systems.
In the Discovery, owners are treated to ABS with emergency braking, driver fatigue monitoring, blind-spot assist, lane keep assist, a rear collision and cross-traffic monitor, and a 360-degree camera with all-round parking sensors.
The Cayenne GT also offers lane keep and change assist, ABS with brake assist, and all-round parking sensors – along with a rear-view camera, night vision assist, and active parking assistance on top.
Night vision assist uses an infrared sensor to detect objects in the road at night, and then displays the thermal image on the infotainment screen.
Active parking assistance will then measure parking spaces, and let the driver initiate an automatic parking procedure.
These SUVs boast excellent crash safety scores, too, with both the Cayenne and Discovery being awarded 5-star ratings from the Euro NCAP.
Performance
At the heart of the Cayenne Turbo GT you will find the most powerful eight-cylinder Porsche engine yet – a 4.0-litre, bi-turbo, V8 unit that puts out 471kW and 850Nm.
The motor is mated to a fast-shifting eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission, and sends power to all four wheels.
This Cayenne’s Active Suspension Management, Traction Management, and Dynamic Chassis Control programmes also received a unique configuration, while the chassis, powertrain, and sports suspension systems were adapted specifically for the SUV.
The result is a 3.3-second 0-100km/h sprint, a top speed of 300km/h, and a combined fuel consumption of 11.9l/100km.
Providing drive in the Discovery is a 3.0-litre, turbocharged, in-line six-cylinder petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid technology, producing 265kW and 500Nm.
The motor is combined with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and sends power to all four wheels.
It accelerates to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds, has a top speed of 209 km/h, and achieves a combined fuel consumption of 9.3l/100km.
Land Rover also installed a plethora of safety systems to keep the Discovery safe in nearly any driving situation.
These include electronic air suspension, electronic traction control, gradient acceleration control, hill launch and descent assist, roll stability control, and a twin-speed transfer box for high and low range gears.
Capabilities
While the Discovery might lack in the speed department, it more than makes up for it in the off-road category.
The 283mm of ground clearance, maximum water wading depth of 900mm, sharp approach and departure angles – 34 degrees and 30 degrees – and maximum ramp angle of 21.2 degrees give the Discovery excellent off-road characteristics.
Further improving its breadth of skills is the ClearSight ground view monitor that displays a view of the terrain below the nose onto the infotainment display.
It also carries 986 litres of cargo in five-seater mode, 80kg on the integrated roof rails, and tows a maximum unbraked capacity of 3,500kg.
As expected, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT does not aim to compete in this realm.
However, it can carry 610 litres of cargo with all the seats up, and tow up to 3,500kg.
Price
The Land Rover Discovery P360 HSE R-Dynamic has a South African price of R1,726,770.
Each purchase includes a 5-year/100,000km Land Rover Care Plan.
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT has a South African price of R3,350,000.
Along with this, you get a 3-year/100,000km Porsche Driveplan.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
Land Rover Discovery
Keyword: Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT vs Land Rover Discovery – Ultimate SUV battle