Porsche Cayenne vs Ssangyong Rexton

What's the difference?

Of all the super SUVs I've piloted, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the best all-rounder in terms of performance, comfort, cabin technology and style.

As a family car it's roomy, practical and easy to use and drive daily.

As a performance car the Turbo GT is stupidly quick, with the agility of a sports car. Sure, a 911 would leave it behind on a twisty race track, but this SUV is close to having that sportscar experience and keeping your family, as well.

If KG Group can provide the long-term stability and new model investment that has eluded SsangYong for so long, the brand could have a promising future in Australia judging by the MY24 Rexton Adventure. It’s a solid package and what it lacks in benchmark ANCAP safety and third-row comfort is offset by a compelling driveaway price, generous warranty and national dealer network. So, if you’re looking for a feature-packed 4x4 seven-seater SUV for less than $55K, you might be pleasantly surprised by this competent Korean.

This might be a personal thing but to me nearly all Porsches look better from the back than the front.

It's the wide stance and powerful haunches, the hunkered down suction-capped-to-the-road look that does it for me and the Cayenne Turbo GT, despite being an SUV, passes this important Porsche checklist item.

The GT aero kit only serves to make this SUV look more of a beast, and the gold-bronze looking satin Neodyne wheels are a Porsche theme that I've not always been a fan of, but I get the historic connection.

If only the Turbo GT could look a little less like other Cayennes from the front. This is the king of the SUV range and despite the apron and bumper already being exclusive to this model, there should be more.

Vents in the wheel arches, carbon bonnet with nostrils GT3-style perhaps? Or is that going too far? If you do want something more lairy then there's always the Urus.

The Cayenne Turbo GT's cabin is stunning in its plushness and modern surprises such as the passenger display, the hoodless instrument digital cluster, the lashings of Race-Tex upholstery everywhere. It's perfectly Porsche. High-performance meets high-end.

It's also highly practical. Let's talk about that.

With its 4850mm overall length and 1960mm width, the Rexton rides on a 2865mm wheelbase with a compact 11-metre turning circle.

Its smooth ride comes from four-coil suspension with double-wishbones up front and an independent multi-link arrangement in the rear. For those venturing into the rough stuff, it has 20.5 degrees approach and departure angles, 20 degrees ramp break-over angle and 203mm of ground clearance.

Looks are subjective, of course, but we reckon it has attractive and cohesive styling, with its prominent and ornate diamond-style grille complimented by distinctive side-body contours that can’t be mistaken for other SUVs.

The interior has a premium look and feel, with lots of exposed stitching along soft-touch seams and a tasteful blend of contrasting surfaces including chrome, satin chrome, piano black and textured patterns.

There’s good attention to detail and build quality is excellent, but there are some annoying design quirks like the need for the front passenger to access a touchscreen menu just to adjust the audio volume.

The second-row of seating has a/c vents in the centre console and is spacious even for tall people like me (186cm). When sitting behind the driver’s seat in my position, there’s about 60mm of clearance between my knees and the driver’s seat backrest, which combined with ample head and shoulder room makes for a comfortable ride.

By contrast, the third-row seating is strictly for young kids, as there are no adjustments for the second-row’s backrest angle or fore/aft base cushion positioning to accommodate taller frames like mine. The side windows in the thick rear roof pillar are also conspicuously small, which adds to a claustrophobic feel.

Fortunately, access to the third-row is made easier by the 60/40-split second-row, which can be folded and tumbled forward.

However, given I’ve found tolerable third-row comfort in some rival seven-seaters, the Rexton’s third-row is my only gripe for those with longer limbs.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT only makes one compromise on practicality and that's the removal of the middle seat in the back, which, with just two kids isn't used all the time but on average we might need it once a week for school mates and cousins.

Instead of a middle seat there is a shallow tray, which will fit a phone or in our case leaves and rocks found at the park.

So, yes, the Turbo GT is a four-seater only, but this is a spacious, large SUV with good head and legroom, wide-opening doors for easy entry and exit, and air suspension which can raise and lower the height for easy access.

Storage is excellent with enormous door pockets in the front and back and there are four cupholders.

There's a wireless phone charger in the front and two USB-C ports as well, plus two USB-C sockets in the back.

Four-zone climate control means the kids in the back can set their own temperatures. They also have heated seats.

I was disappointed to see there aren't sunshades for the rear windows - pretty vital in Australia where it feels like we're only about 50 metres away from the sun.

The Turbo GT's 576-litre boot just managed to fit our pram and a week's shopping, which is our minimum standard for living. Any more space is a bonus.

With its 2130kg kerb weight and 2960kg GVM, our test vehicle has a sizeable load capacity of up to 830kg, which should be ample for five occupants and their luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to the class-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer and its 350kg maximum tow-ball download is compatible with that requirement.

Plus, its generous 6460kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) means it can legally tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum car-load, which is a practical set of numbers for just about any recreational requirement.

Front-row cabin storage includes cup/bottle-holders and a small bin in each front door, plus a single glove box. The stylish centre console has a bin up front with sliding-lid, two cupholders in the middle with another sliding-lid, plus a box at the rear with hinged padded-lid that doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.

Those seated in the second-row get a cup/bottle holder and bin in each door, plus pockets on each front seat backrest. The fold-down centre armrest has two more cupholders and a handy hidden compartment that’s ideal for small items. Third-row occupants get storage bins on each side but no cup/bottle holders.

Accessing the cargo area through the power tailgate reveals 236 litres (VDA) of load volume with the third-row seats upright. This expands to 641 litres with the third-row folded flat and 1806 litres (or more than 1.8 cubic metres) with the second and third-rows folded.

The cargo area’s rear floor has a two-tiered design, with the top floor lying flush with the third-row seats when folded but it can be removed to reveal a lower floor that provides a second level of storage. There’s also a usefully large bin in the right-hand-side wall cavity. The only things missing are sturdy load-anchorage points at floor level to secure cargo nets or straps.

Our test vehicle is the new ‘Adventure’ model, which serves as the middle-grade offering between the entry-level ELX and top-shelf Ultimate.

It’s equipped with the same 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, eight-speed automatic and part-time 4WD as other Rextons, for a drive-away price of only $54,000 (our 'Space Black' metallic paint is a $595 option).

That pricing looks razor-sharp compared with mid-grade 4x4 seven-seaters offered by segment leaders like the Isuzu MU-X LS-U ($61,400), Ford Everest Trend ($66,790) and Toyota Prado GXL ($69,530).

And they are 'list' prices (not including on-road costs) whereas the Rexton is 'drive-away-no-more-to-pay'.

The MY24 upgrades include a new dash layout and high-mounted 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple/Android wired connectivity. There’s also a restyled dual-zone climate control hub with touchscreen, plus new lower body mounts for improved ride quality.

The Adventure brings numerous luxuries like a walk-up welcome system (mirrors unfold and puddle lamps illuminate), touch-sensing front door locks with walk-away auto door-locking, power tailgate and soft-touch synthetic leather seats with the fronts offering power adjustment, heating and cooling.

The second-row outer rear seats and steering wheel are also heated, plus there’s speed-sensitive power steering and tyre pressure monitoring.

These appointments are in addition to the base ELX’s generous standard equipment list including 18-inch 'diamond-cut' alloy wheels with 255/60 tyres and a full-size alloy spare, LED dusk-sensing headlights/DRLs/front fog lights/tail-lights, heated door mirrors, a four-way-adjustable leather steering wheel and 12.3-inch driver's digital instrument display.

There are also four USB-C ports (two front and two in second row centre console), three 12-volt outlets (front console box, second row centre console and cargo area), electric parking brake, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and more. It's fair to say the Rexton Adventure is feature-packed.

As a middle-aged parent with two children, a Porsche that I don't have to crawl into and out of like a cubby house is a great thing.

What's even better is that this ‘easy access' Porsche is every bit as brutally powerful and fast as the quintessentially ‘pure' Porsche, the 911. Actually, it's more powerful and faster.

The Turbo GT's twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine makes 485kW and 850Nm with drive going through an eight-speed transmission to all four wheels.

In comparison, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, arguably the most brutal and anti-social 911, has 386kW/485Nm.

I haven't made a mistake. Those are the real numbers. And it's only when you step on the accelerator in the Cayenne Turbo GT, and it feels like somebody's sat down on your chest, that you realise what a big deal this is.

That is such a colossal amount of oomph that this 2.2-tonne family SUV can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds.

The 911 GT3 RS can do it in 3.2 and it has a roll cage and a fixed rear wing the size of a bedroom door.

And yes, we're now coming into a digital age where Teslas and other electric SUVs are quick, too, but can they go around corners like a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT?

Do they have the same rumble and roar as a twin-turbo V8 that's terrifying and enticing at the same time.

The correct answer is, absolutely not.

The quiet and refined 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel, which meets Euro 6 emissions standards, produces 149kW at 3800rpm and 441Nm across a 1000rpm-wide torque band between 1600-2600rpm. It provides energetic response in city and suburban use.

This engine is paired with an equally refined eight-speed torque converter automatic, with overdrive on its sixth, seventh and eighth ratios ensuring low-rpm operation and optimum fuel economy at highway speeds.

Sequential manual-shifting is available using the steering wheel-mounted paddles and there's a choice of three drive modes ('Power'/'Winter'/'Eco') which can be selected using a console button.

The part-time, dual-range 4WD system is controlled by a console dial, offering the choice of 2H (2WD high-range), 4H (4WD high-range) and 4L (4WD low-range). It also has an auto-locking rear diff to optimise traction as required.

Seriously? This is a 2.0-tonne twin-turbo petrol V8 with a 90-litre fuel tank. Even the Porsche specs sheet doesn't understand the question because in the column for fuel efficiency there are three letters - tbc.

My own testing saw me record 22.5 L/100km at the fuel pump, which means I enjoyed driving the car very much.

A little digging around reveals Porsche globally claims the Turbo GT will use 12.6L/100km, over a combination of open and urban roads.

You might not have as much fun as I did but easing back a little might get you closer to the 700km of range this more frugal consumption figure appears to offer.

While efficient it isn't, I'm not going to mark the Turbo GT too much here because compared to its petrol rivals the fuel consumption is what I'd expect from such a high-output heavy SUV.

SsangYong claims an official combined cycle average of 8.7L/100km. At the completion of our 307km test, which comprised mostly city and suburban driving with a bit of highway travel, mostly in Eco mode with up to five occupants on some trips, our figure calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings came in at 11.0L/100km.

Although higher than SsangYong’s claim, it was within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official and ‘real-world’ figures. So, based on our numbers, you could expect a driving range of more than 600km from its 70-litre tank, which is not bad. Based on the official figure, driving range extends to around 800km.

Never have I met a car this powerful and superbly athletic that is as pleasurable to drive alone on great, fast roads as it is to pilot at 50km/h in the suburbs with a family on board.

It exceeds my understanding of engineering that something this large can move so quickly. That in an instant can turn and tip into a corner with such precision and effortlessness.

Yet it can switch seamlessly and happily to coping with speed bumps and potholes, delivering a ride so comfortable it'll send babies off to sleep. And it did.

The only issue, and this is such a tiny thing, is the dash-mounted gearshift, which means having to reach up and select Drive or Reverse or Park, which, when executing a three-point turn, is necessarily frustrating.

Still, I'm giving the Turbo GT a 10 out of 10 for driving under all conditions, and we didn't even go off-road, which of course you can do, as long as it's not too wild.

The Rexton’s overall refinement and build quality are evident when you get behind the wheel. It offers good adjustability for driver comfort and the fundamentals of the vehicle are sound, as there were no red flags during our test.

The engine is smooth and quiet with good all-around performance, the automatic transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, the steering is nicely weighted and communicative, the brakes provide reassuring response and the ride quality is supple over bumps yet disciplined enough to provide good handling response.

It’s also pleasantly quiet at highway speeds, with low tyre and wind noise. Engine noise is also minimal, given that it requires only 1600rpm to maintain 110km/h, ensuring low-stress cruising.

Most of our driving time was spent in Eco mode, as we found performance in this setting more than adequate for our purposes. We did briefly use the Power mode but didn’t notice any significant change in response.

No ANCAP rating (as yet). Even so, it comes with numerous passive and active safety features highlighted by dual front, side and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee protection bag (but no centre airbag between driver/front passenger).

There’s also AEB, lane assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert, trailer sway control, hill descent control, front/rear parking sensors, reversing camera and more, but a notable absentee is speed-sign recognition and the cruise control is non-adaptive. There are also ISOFIX child seat anchorages on the two outer second-row seating positions plus top tethers for all three.

The Cayenne Turbo GT is covered by Porsche's three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is lagging behind in terms of duration even compared to other luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, which offers five years.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000km, although there isn't a capped price maintenance plan with final costs determined at the dealer level (in line with variable labour rates by state or territory).

Warranty cover is seven years/unlimited km warranty plus seven years roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.

The first seven scheduled services run to $375 each, up to seven years/105,000km, for a total of $2625.