The Porsche Cayenne is a mid-sized luxury SUV and was unveiled in 2002. It signalled a significant departure from the traditional Porsche lineage of high performance sportscars. Yet since its launch almost a decade ago, the Cayenne has gone on to become one of the best selling models in the Porsche portfolio.
History
Despite initial scepticism from the motoring press that an SUV offering would dilute the Porsche brand, the Cayenne has been successfully adopted into the sector with over quarter of a million units sold as of August 2009. It is widely credited with turning the fortunes on the company around, after a widespread slump in sportscar sales in the 1990’s threatened to send the eighty year old company into economic turmoil.
The Cayenne shares the same chassis as other high performance towcar favourites – the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7, but it was the first SUV to feature full 4×4 capabilities.
The first generation consisted of the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo, both powered by V8 engines which were joined by the VR6 and diesel powered-versions later in the model cycle. The Turbo version quickly gained a reputation as the most powerful SUV on the market – its only true competition being the Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG.
The diesel version of the Cayenne was introduced in 2009 powered by a Volkswagen 3.0L TDI engine, and then in 2010 Porsche introduced a Hybrid version (pictured below) – the Cayenne S Hybrid to the US market.
Second generation Cayenne
The next generation Cayenne debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010, with a new profile and enhanced interior design. Shorter, with more muscular curves than its forerunner, the 2011 Cayenne was also 250kgs lighter and more fuel efficient that the outgoing model.
In preparation for the 2012 model year, Porsche debuted the second generation Porsche Cayenne Turbo S at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2010. The Turbo S is a sportier version of the base model and comes equipped with 550 horsepower (that’s 50 more than its predecessor) along with modified trim options.
The Diesel version also gets a new engine with lower CO2 emissions and better fuel economy, with mpg rising from 38.2 to 39. A 5 bhp increase has cut the 0-62 mph speed by 0.2 seconds to 7.6 seconds. A number of design revisions have resulted in the unladen weight of the vehicle being reduced to 2,080 kgs.
Towing with a Cayenne
The Cayenne falls into the luxury 4×4 category and is a fine option for anyone looking for a high performance, high spec towcar match.
The default choice in this section is the diesel purely for the power output for towing and a range leading MPG. Yet the fun choice for towcar customers would be the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. It’s a 2.5 tonne behemoth and has the third most powerful engine output in Porsche’s history.
Another consideration – the 2011 Cayenne GTS – has a rear mounted camera system as standard which is an excellent addition for motorists who frequently undertake intricate reversing manoeuvres – such as hitching a caravan to the towball.
Cayenne details
(Final line-up may vary)
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Engines
- Cayenne 3.6L V6 – 295 Nm of torque
- Cayenne Diesel 3L V6 – 405 Nm of torque
- Cayenne S 4.8 V8 – 368 Nm of torque
- Cayenne S 3L Hybrid – 324 Nm of torque
- Cayenne Turbo 4.8L – 516 Nm of torque
