The Cayenne is Porsche's hope to lift sales of the until now niche sports car manufacturer. Porsche believes the Cayenne can equal the volume of its sports car range combined.
The Cayenne was developed in conjunction with Volkswagen's Touareg. So the pair share the same body, doors, gearbox and differentials. Porsche fettles its Cayenne with different suspension and centre differential tuning, and its engines (4.5 litre turbo and non-turbo V8s) are unique to the Porsche. On the road there is nothing quite like the Cayenne for performance and handling. The S model's naturally aspirated V8 gives the Porsche brisk acceleration, but the turbo's 330kW push in the back is almost obscene for a 2.5 tonne 4WD. It will bellow its way to 260km/h, where permitted, and sticks to the road like a leech.
On the downside, the suspension tune makes the Cayenne seem agitated on rough city roads, and the auto transmission could be smoother. But the Cayenne rewires your beliefs about what a big, heavy 4WD should be capable of. The Cayenne is just able to do so much more. Off-road, the Cayenne is surprisingly competent, considering its on-road prowess.
With excellent low-range gearing, height-adjustable air suspension and excellent traction control, the Cayenne can mix deluxe with dust. Only its high-performance tyres, easily punctured off-road, lack of a full-size spare wheel, and lack of underbody protection let it down.
The Cayenne has very comfortable seats and plenty of room for five. However, some may find the interior fit and finish and the array of fiddly buttons and switches not quite up to standard.
The Cayenne is an impressive newcomer, and if it is performance you want, then this is the one for you.
