Delhi To Agra Road Trip In The New Porsche Cayenne

Thinking of going on a road trip? We went on a really special one but what made it so special? Read the article to know more.

Road trips are fun but what is more fun is when you are piloting a Porsche on some of the best roads to drive in India. The six-lane Yamuna Expressway is a smooth 165km road which leads from Greater Noida to Agra while shrinking the distance between the two. Our car for the trip was no less than the new Porsche Cayenne- an SUV with a sporting pedigree so as to speak.

The new Cayenne is a big luxury SUV but packs in a turbocharged petrol V6 and driving manners similar to its siblings within the Porsche range. The drive to Greater Noida though was filled with traffic as is with the morning rush hence, the luxury bit of the new Cayenne was put to the test. This is a large car but piloting through thick traffic is easy with direct but light steering.

The new Cayenne interior is different from the earlier one and it seems Porsche has made it more practical with the location of the gear lever being changed to the multiple screens facing you. That said, the Cayenne is less firm at low speeds and is easier to drive while the India spec suspension is much more compliant at low speeds. The Cayenne is still firm but way more comfortable than before. Finally slipping into the Yamuna Expressway, the Cayenne went into its element at a gentle three-digit cruise. This is a vast expressway and fenced off while the concrete surface does produce a bit more noise but in the Cayenne nothing much filtered in.

This is probably one of the most relaxed expressways with no unruly traffic as you gently cruise on. One thing you need to be careful of is the fuel or rest stops are not many but you do end up covering a vast distance within a much shorter time.

The 353 horses of the Cayenne were kept at a constant workout with a relaxed but fun driving experience. This engine isn't very loud but again this is a luxury SUV also and being too loud or sharp-edged would not have worked out. Reaching Agra within a matter of a few hours, we beat the expected ETA and the big Cayenne drew many glances with its red bodywork but it was not difficult to slip through the crowd.

A short customary visit to the Taj Mahal and checking out the other places like the Agra Fort followed but we then soon turned back to head over to Delhi. The drive back was smooth too but special mention must go to the headlights of the Cayenne along with the decent fuel efficiency of around 10 kmpl.

Of course, no one buys a Porsche for efficiency but the range on a full tank is quite good as it is helpful as there aren't many fuel stops on the Yamuna expressway. Hence, what started as a drive on the whim, turned into a quick Agra trip with the smooth expressway making it a stress-free drive. As for the Cayenne, it is clearly a driver's car and built to enjoy being driven around but the suspension is now much more compliant and it is a much more rounded package even if it is very expensive.

A lot of the features on our test car were optional and you would end up spending nearly Rs 2cr on a well-specced car but again a Porsche is slightly more premium as a brand positioning over others and remains a pure driver car to enjoy while also being compatible with our roads.

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