Raising The Stakes

Porsche aims to stun the competition with its renewed Cayenne.

- Keegan Dorai

Overlooking the Strait of Hormuz and separated by the UAE, the Musandam Governorate in Oman is also known as the Norway of the Middle East due to its rugged coastline and mountainous terrain.

This is where Porsche decided to test an all-new version of one of its most crucial models, slated to be launched locally this year. Originally introduced in 2003, the Cayenne has been a massive success for the marque.

Our drive started at the seaside town of Fujairah in the UAE before crossing into Oman. The route consisted of a mix of straight boulevards through the border town of Dibba, B-roads passing the Sawt settlement, and an off road trail before we arrived at Six Senses Zighy Bay.

Two variants offered during the drive were the Cayenne and Cayenne S, the latter boasting a meatier 434bhp and 550Nm power output. With twin-turbo charging, the S variant also betters the single turbo 3.0-litre mill found in the non-S version, even with its slightly smaller 2.9-litre engine.