Porsche Cayenne S 958.1 vs BMW 220d Active Tourer G42: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Cayenne S hits 100 km/h in 6.62 s versus 8.42 s for the 220d Active Tourer. At this point, the Cayenne S leads by 1.80 s and sits roughly 19 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Cayenne S is doing 125 km/h against 115 km/h for the 220d Active Tourer. The gap is 1.00 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Cayenne S crosses the line in 14.74 s versus 16.26 s. The 1.53 s gap represents roughly 59 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the Cayenne S continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 177 km/h versus 159 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Cayenne S finishes in 26.61 s versus 29.52 s, with a 2.91 s lead.

The Cayenne S features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the 220d Active Tourer’s FWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Cayenne S is capped at 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h, the 220d Active Tourer at 220 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (5.83 kg/hp vs 9.60 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 13.60 seconds. The 1.80 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.