Porsche Cayenne Range
Initially, the Porsche Cayenne was viewed as merely financially expedient but now even dyed-in-the-wool Porsche fans owe it a big debt of gratitude. Without the US success of this car, there would be no 911 GT3 RS models or stake bought in the Volkswagen Group. The Cayenne traces its birth to a tie-up with Volkswagen, the two companies pooling resources at the turn of the century to produce what would, in 2002, become the Cayenne and the Touareg models respectively.
The Cayenne did exactly what Porsche hoped for and despite some grouses about its rather ungainly styling, it made the numbers not only in America but in Europe also. In the last year of the life of the original car, sales started to soften in the face of some new market entrants but Porsche has acted to try to stop this plateau turning into a haemorrhaging of profits. The latest Cayenne is tidier and a whole lot smarter to boot. Since its inception, the Cayenne has appealed to buyers looking for a sharper, more sporting drive from their 4x4.
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When off-roading, owners will notice better axle articulation. Engine-wise, the V6 gets uprated from 3.2 to 3.6 litres, plus it now uses direct injection technology as well and is good for 287bhp, dropping the 0-60 time down to a mere 7.
8 seconds. Direct injection and VarioCam Plus valve control see the Cayenne S get a 45bhp shot in the arm, the mainstay of the Cayenne line up now packing a hefty 385bhp wallop. For those who really want some muscle, theres the 500bhp Turbo which will hit 60 in 4.8 seconds and keep going until aerodynamics call a halt at 171mph.
Porsche Traction Management (PTM) can direct up to 100 per cent of drive to the front or rear wheels if necessary.
"If you liked the old Cayenne, youll probably love the latest version"
Perhaps Porsche tried a little too hard with the original Cayenne to ally it to the design ethos that had worked so successfully with the 911. As a sports ute it looked rather odd, and became more ungainly the paler the colour it was specified in. The latest model makes amends, giving the Cayenne a front end look all of its own. Where the 997 series 911 has gone back to round headlamps, the Cayenne now gets more feline looking projector beam lights and a grille thats less frog-like than before.
This not only looks the part but also significantly improves cooling. The wheel arches are more clearly defined than before and every Cayenne model is fitted with a rear diffuser and a roof-mounted spoiler. As before, theres plenty of space inside, although if you really want a 4x4 capable of carrying a big family, youd probably be better off looking at an Audi Q7. The build quality of much of the switchgear has been improved and Porsche has also revised the materials used for the seating.
Porsche is offering the Cayenne as a four car model range. The entry-level Cayenne 3.6 is priced at £37,100, which now looks comparatively good value for money when put up against direct rivals from BMW, Audi and Mercedes. Even this model is well-equipped and if owners specified the no-cost badge delete option, most onlookers would figure that this was at least £60,000 worth of car.
Perhaps even better value is the 385bhp V8-engined Cayenne S. This features an even more charismatic engine and weighs in at £46,610, also available in 405bhp GTS guise at £54,350. That looks good value when Land Rover want over £58,000 for the supercharged Range Rover Sport model which is slower, though equally powerful. The big money will still be thrown at the Cayenne Turbo, a model for which youll need to squirrel away £74,650.
Somewhat incredibly, there is a thriving aftermarket trade in Germany for tuners who can boost the power of this car still further. This frankly boggles the mind. Whilst you wont buy a Porsche Cayenne if youre working to a tight budget, theyre not the financial liability one might at first expect. The relatively low upfront price and modest fuel thirst of the 3.
6-litre car makes it an attractive alternative to an executive saloon, while residual values, though not as impregnable as they once were, are still relatively firm. Porsche carefully managed the facelift of the Cayenne to ensure that this car is different enough to its immediate predecessor but not so divergent in look and feel as to ruin its used valuation. The V8-engined cars are also more fuel efficient than of old, even when taking into account the boosted power. Thanks to that direct injection system, the fuel consumption figures have improved by an average of 8 per cent across the board.
This car stacks up well on paper against obvious rivals like Mercedes ML models and Audis Q7, though Jeeps Grand Cherokee SRT-8 makes an attractive alternative if you want a sporty 4x4. The Cayenne just feels that bit more special though. Thatll be more than enough to seal the deal for many and send production soaring back up towards 30,000 cars per year. If you liked the old Cayenne, youll probably love the latest version.
In truth, the appeal is much the same, albeit with evolutionary improvements to the styling, the engines and to the handling. If this Porsche originally left you rather cold however, one suspects it may well take a little more convincing on Weissachs part to persuade you of the Cayennes reformed character. Porsche is a company thats going places at the moment, but its worth remembering that its still a relatively small independent concern. Well have to wait a couple of years for an all-new Cayenne, thanks to the investment being ploughed into the four-door Panamera model and a hybrid Cayenne thats rumoured to be appearing.
Still, this interim measure doesnt look at all bad.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Porsche Cayenne range
PRICES: £37,100-£74,650 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 320-378g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Turbo] 0-60mph 4.8s / Max Speed 171mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [Turbo] 12.9(urban) / 23.7(extra urban) /18mpg(combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, PSM
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4786/1928/1699mm
