Porsche

10 February 2012

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Porsche Cayenne road test report

Porsche Cayenne

When Porsche first launched the Cayenne in 2002, it’s fair to say that the model was unpopular at both ends of the spectrum that featured petrolheads at one end and the green-hued, anti-car lobby at the other. For the petrolheads, it was heresy for Porsche, the doyens of the sports car world and creators of the classic 911, to build a big, lumbering SUV. For the eco-warriors, there was the view that the world definitely did not need another gas-guzzling 4x4 behemoth, especially one that was likely to be more of a status symbol than genuine working mud-plugger. Eight years later Porsche must feel vindicated in taking a left turn into the SUV segment, as the Cayenne has become the marque’s best-selling model. And now there’s a new iteration, which includes a hybrid version for the first time.

A front-facing image of the Porsche Cayenne

Performance

There are five engines on offer with the new Cayenne – a diesel, three petrols and a petrol/electric hybrid. The diesel is a 2,967cc V6 unit that produces 236bhp at 4,000-4,400rpm and 406lb-ft of torque at 2,000-2,250rpm. It’s the same unit that was used in the previous iteration, which is understandable when you consider it’s only been around a couple of years. Performance is therefore largely unchanged, but loss of around 140kg in weight means that there is slightly more urge. The 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds (half a second better than the previous generation) is very decent for a car this size - it’s a full second faster than the comparable Range Rover Sport, for example - as is the top speed of 135mph. The base petrol engine is a 296bhp 3.6-litre V6 is a decent unit that would be highly impressive in any model that didn’t suffer from comparison with the mighty V8 that Porsche has at its disposal. The 0-62mph sprint is achieved in 7.5 seconds with the six-speed manual gearbox, or 7.8 seconds with the eight-speed Tiptronic. It maxes out at 143mph. The remaining two petrol-engined Cayenne models are fitted with a 4.8-litre V8: the Cayenne S pumps out 394bhp at 6,500rpm and astonishes with its pace (0-62mph comes up in just 5.9 seconds and top speed is 160mph). It feels incredibly fast, belying the 2,065kg weight of the car, but then it’s trumped by the Cayenne Turbo, which, as the name suggest adds a turbocharger to the V8 to coax 493bhp from the powerplant. Acceleration is head-spinningly rapid, with the 0-62mph sprint dispatched in a supercar-baiting 4.7 seconds – which puts it on a par with the 911 Carrera. For the first time in the Cayenne, Porsche has fitted a hybrid engine, which comprises a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine and an electric motor. Together, the two drive units provide a maximum output of 375bhp and peak torque of 428lb-ft of torque as low down as 1,000 rpm, so 0-62mph is achieved in a tasty (and pretty un-environmental) 6.5 seconds. Apart from the base V6 petrol-powered variant, all engines are mated to a new eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission that provides smooth shifts and can also be controlled manually via paddleshifts mounted on the steering column.

Ride & Handling

One of the wonders of the Cayenne is the way that Porsche has managed to utilise its knowledge of driving dynamics and transfuse it into this two-tonne, high-riding SUV. It’s incredibly agile for such a large car, with the body roll that often afflicts such large cars well contained. There’s also plenty of grip, so the Cayenne always feels planted and secure on the road. And although we shouldn’t be surprised that the steering in a Porsche is so feelsome, its ability to supply feedback still took us aback slightly. Indeed, the weighty steering is also sharp and accurate, which inspires great confidence on the road (or, indeed, a track, on which we were lucky enough to put various Cayennes through their paces). The ride is decent enough when you get going, but at low speed it can be a little on the knobbly side. However, if you opt to add the air suspension system, you can choose from three modes – Comfort, Normal and Sport – the softest of which makes the ride extremely compliant and allowing it to soak up almost anything the UK’s roads can throw at it.

Build Quality & Reliability

The new Cayenne has the kind of build quality you’d expect from a luxury German car. It’s superbly engineered all over, with a very high standard of fit and finish. The cabin of the new iteration has taken a great deal of its influence from the Porsche Panamera four-door saloon, with even better-quality leathers and soft-touch materials on the dashboard and fascia to raise standards even higher. Porsche cars don’t tend to show up in UK customers satisfaction surveys (where reliability is an important factor in determining overall scores), as they don’t sell in enough numbers. However, US surveys usually rate Porsches highly - the company was rated eighth among manufacturers in the most recent US JD power survey - and there are few reports of the cars suffering from reliability issues.

Safety & Security

Porsches don’t sell in huge numbers across Europe, so they’ve never been crash-tested by Euro NCAP. However, all evidence suggests that the Cayenne is certainly tough enough to survive any collisions at least as well as any rival SUVs in the premium segment. It’s also comforting to know that the Cayenne shares a number of components and structural elements with the Volkswagen Touareg (which has been awarded a five-star rating by Euro NCAP) and the Audi Q7 (which was awarded four stars). There’s plenty of equipment on board the Cayenne to contribute to active and passive safety. So there are six airbags (front, side and curtain); Isofix child seat anchor points; a new Porsche Traction Management all-wheel-drive system that also comes with the Automatic Brake Differential (ABD) to increase traction, Anti- Slip Control (ASR) to improve vehicle stability, and Porsche Hill Control (PHC) that helps with driving down steep gradients; a new, larger brake system; and Porsche Stability Management (PSM) traction control. Options to increase safety include radar-controlled cruise control, which includes functions such as an overtaking aid, cornering speed control and distance warning; and a lane change assist facility that uses radar sensors in the rear bumper to monitor the lanes on both sides of the vehicle for up to 70m behind, including the blind spots. Buyers also get a half-day Driving Experience Programme at Porsche’s special facility at Silverstone, which can include tuition in car control to help them improve their technique and help them become safer drivers. Security equipment comprises an alarm, immobiliser and remote central locking.

Space & Practicality

One of the major drawbacks of the original Cayenne was that the rear lacked space, meaning that adult passengers could feel cramped. However, the latest Cayenne is 48mm longer overall, with an extra 40mm in the wheelbase. This extra space is enhanced by a rear bench seat that moves backwards and forwards by up to 160mm. On the subject of seats, all in the Cayenne are new, with the front chairs having eight-way electrical adjustment to ensure that drivers of any size and stature can find a comfortable position. There are also optional adaptive sports seats with extra support, and you can also pay extra for heating and ventilation on all seats, fore and aft. The boot is also spacious, with 670 litres with the seats up and up to a maximum of 1,760 litres when folded down. Standard equipment on every Cayenne includes Porsche Traction Management, leather interior, dual-zone automatic climate control, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, audio system with 7-inch touch-screen, 18-inch alloy wheels, plus front and rear electric windows. The Cayenne Turbo adds air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, tyre pressure monitoring, Porsche Communication Management with satellite navigation, Bose audio system, heated seats and metallic paint. Some of the optional extras include an ear-splitting Burmester audio system (£3,162), the Porsche Communication Management (£2,092), bi-xenon headlights (£1,141), privacy glass (£313), and even a heated steering wheel (£178).

Ownership & Value

A Porsche SUV is never going to be cheap to buy, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to discover that the base Cayenne starts at £41,404, rising to £44,178 for the Diesel, £53,693 for the S, £57,610 for the S Hybrid and £81,589 for the range-topping Turbo. In terms of running costs, the Cayenne won’t be cheap to run, either: it’s an SUV with a range of powerful engines, so fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will be relatively high. That said, Porsche has improved both for this latest generation, thanks to a number of weight-saving and efficiency measures. Fuel economy figures therefore peak at 38.2mpg for the Diesel, falling to 34.4mpg for the S Hybrid, then 28.5mpg for the V6 Cayenne, 26.9mpg for the V8 Cayenne S before bottoming out at 24.6mpg for the range-topping Turbo. Obviously, in the real world these will rarely be achieved – if Turbo owners get anywhere near 20mpg they’ll be doing well, for example. It’s a similar story with CO2: the S Hybrid takes the prize here for lowest emissions, with 193g/km, followed by the Diesel (195g/km), Cayenne (236g/km), S (245g/km) and the Turbo (270g/km). This means vehicle excise duty will cost owners £235 for the Hybrid and Diesel, £425 for the V6 Cayenne and V8 Cayenne S, and £435 for the Turbo. Although not cheap to buy or run, owners can at least console themselves with the knowledge that when the time comes to trade in their Cayennes, resale values hold up pretty well, with cars worth around 45% of their purchase price after three years and 60,000 miles.

Submitted: 23/11/2010 08:35:02

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