Porsche Cayenne Range : BRUISE MISSILE

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Porsche's latest Cayenne looks a good deal more palatable and has been improved under the skin too. Andy Enright reports

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. Despite this, it's always been extremely good off road, as long as you don't mind exposing those big alloy wheels to a bit of a pranging. The latest Cayenne aims to improve driveability significantly, thanks in no small part to Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDDC). This system stabilises roll during cornering and is offered as an option on all models. The result on the road is better handling and agility plus greater directional stability and ride comfort. When off-roading, owners will notice better axle articulation. Engine-wise, the entry-level V6 gets uprated from 3.2 to 3.6 litres. 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. Porsche has finally bitten the bullet and fitted a diesel engine too. The 3.0-litre V6 TDI unit has 240bhp and a hefty 550Nm or torque. Direct injection and VarioCam Plus valve control see the eight cylinder 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, there's the 405bhp GTS or, even better, 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, you'll probably love the latest versionâ€¦"

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 that's 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, there's plenty of space inside, although if you really want a 4x4 capable of carrying a big family, you'd 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 five-car model range. The entry-level Cayenne 3.6 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. It's a similar story with the Diesel. Perhaps even better value is the V8-engined Cayenne S, also on offer in 405bhp GTS guise. This features an even more charismatic engine. That looks good value when Land Rover want over £60,000 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 you'll need to squirrel away getting on for £80,000. 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 won't buy a Porsche Cayenne if you're working to a tight budget, they're 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 and residual values, while not as impregnable as they once were, are still relatively firm. The diesel engine succeeds in making running costs even more manageable with 30mpg economy and 244g/km emissions. 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 Audi's Q7, though Jeep's Grand Cherokee SRT-8 makes an attractive alternative if you want a sporty 4x4. The Cayenne just feels that bit more special though. That'll 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, you'll 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 Weissach's part to persuade you of the Cayenne's reformed character. Porsche is a company that's going places at the moment, but it's worth remembering that it's still a relatively small independent concern. We'll 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 that's rumoured to be appearing. Still, this interim measure doesn't look at all bad.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Porsche Cayenne range
PRICES: £37,590-£76,760 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 244-358g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Turbo] 0-60mph 4.8s / Max Speed 171mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [Turbo] (urban) 12.6mpg / (extra urban) 26.9mpg / (combined) 19mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, PSM
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4786/1928/1699mm