Porsche CAYENNE 3.2
Is Porsches Cayenne 3.2 Just Brand Management Gone Mad? Andy Enright Passes Judgement
Just how badly do you want a
Porsche 4x4? Thats the question youll need to ask yourself as the pen hovers over the dotted line for a Cayenne 3.2 V6. After all, the broadly similar and far more handsome
Volkswagen Touareg 3.2 is several thousand pounds cheaper.
The prospect of paying over the odds merely to have that Porsche crest staring back at you from the steering wheel boss prompts many uncomfortable questions as to your true motivation for buying the Cayenne. There has to be more than just the brand.
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Porsche have certainly done their best to disguise the fact that the 3.2-litre V6 engine is a
Volkswagen Group powerplant. Cosmetically, the top end looks pure Porsche with exposed pipes from the inlet manifold mirroring the style of the V8 engines that power the more serious Cayenne versions. This is in fact the first V6 ever to appear in a roadgoing Porsche, the flat-six engine found in the 911 apparently not fitting into the Cayennes cavernous engine bay.
The powerplant isnt exactly the same as the Touaregs however, Porsche revising the intake manifolds and fitting a freer breathing exhaust system such that the Cayenne is a significant 30bhp up on its distant cousin at 247bhp. Still, with 2160kg to haul about, the Cayenne 3.2 was never going to be a particularly rapid car. Break out the timing gear and so it proves, the big Porsche stopping the digits at 8.
8 seconds on the sprint to 60mph and topping out at 133mph. This means that the Cayenne is the slowest accelerating Porsche since the unloved 924 another marriage of convenience with Volkswagen that Porsche fans try to airbrush from the companys history. Will the Cayenne 3.2 be viewed with similar embarrassment? Its unlikely the turbocharged V8 model will and the V6 would seem to offer practically everything the big hitter does with the exception of its searing pace at less than half the price.
A qualified success on that score then.
"With 2160kg to haul about, the Cayenne 3.2 was never going to be a particularly rapid car"
Porsches reputation for no-compromise engineering may well take a hit in the process but with sales of luxury 4x4 models still very buoyant across Europe and a more affordable model hitting the US where exchange rates have rendered the V8 Cayennes prohibitively expensive, theres little doubt the V6 model will find plenty of takers. Priced at £34,350, there will no doubt be plenty of buyers who were looking at an entry-level
BMW X5 or a
Volvo XC90 and who now fancy putting a Porsche in their garage. True, theres no diesel version to compete with these cars and youd need to warn your children when you were about to open the garage door, such is the Cayennes spectacular ugliness, but otherwise Porsche would seem to have hit on a winning formula. The badge speaks volumes in a way no Volvo, BMW, Volkswagen or Mercedes logo ever could.
A spell behind the wheel will be enough to convince most buyers that this is more than just an exercise in badge snobbery. The sheer depth of engineering evident in the Cayenne is astonishing. Porsche undertook a huge amount of off-road development at places like Moab, Utah, hot weather testing in Australia, cold weather trials in Canada and so on to ensure a rugged final item. Key rivals were benchmarked, Porsche aiming to improve on their off-road capabilities.
Wheel articulation is enormous, theres a proper low-range gearbox and the optional air suspension can pump the Cayenne up to a lofty altitude, all boosting the Porsches off-road credentials. With a maximum ground clearance of 273mm, the Cayenne can handle most obstacles. The optional off-road package allows the anti-roll bars to be decouple for another 60mm of ride height. Naturally, much of the Cayennes off road ability is due to its rubberwear and youll have to choose carefully in this respect, based on your likely intended blend of uses.
Cars destined for regular off road work tend to come specified with chunky all terrain tyres, whilst those destined for mostly tarmac use will probably arrive on your driveway fitted with Pirelli P Zero Rosso rubber. The steering is pleasantly quick-witted at 2.6 turns lock to lock, giving the driver the impression that the Cayenne is very light on its feet. This is helped by the air suspension which gives a well-damped feel and an almost roll-free cornering attitude.
After even a short drive, its apparent that a sports car developer has been at work on the Cayenne. Unlike its VW cousin, the Touareg, the Cayenne eschews a 50-50 split in drive between the front and rear axle in favour of a more sporting 38-62 ratio. Porsche PSM stability control system is surprisingly lenient, allowing the impish driver to kick the tail end out a few degrees should they feel the need to showboat. This is a Porsche first and a 4x4 second.
Running costs are likely to be high. Residual values may well take something of a hit after the initial novelty factor wears off and at an average of 21.8mpg, youll need to fire a lot of unleaded down the Cayennes neck. The desirable options such as satellite navigation and air suspension - a hefty £1,975 - will also realise only a fraction of their upfront cost when the time comes to sell.
As long as you can live with those challenging looks and take a realistic view regarding whole life costs of the car, theres no reason why the Porsche Cayenne 3.2 isnt as sensible as the next luxury petrol-powered 4x4. True, it doesnt do a great deal to further Porsches reputation as purveyors of the finest sports cars in the world but without cars like this there would be no 911, no Carrera GT and no Boxster. Suddenly the Cayenne 3.
2 seems quite a wonderful thing.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Porsche Cayenne 3.2 V6
PRICES: £34,350 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 320g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.8s / Max Speed 133mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 15.9 (urban) / 26.6 (combined) /21.4mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, PSM
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4786/1928/1699mm
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