Some years back, Porsche鈥檚 marketing people discovered that many of their loyal sports car customers parked a 911 or Boxster next to a German luxury SUV in the garage. So, they built a German luxury SUV, too. They called it the Cayenne. It鈥檚 an SUV from a sports car brand. A family hauler designed by the same people who have built some of the world鈥檚 highest-performing cars. 鈥淲hy would I want a Porsche with a back seat? 鈥?joked a fellow motorist I met at a gas station. Also, as high-end products like this tend to, Cayenne also serves as a rolling showcase of new technologies that will, one day, trickle down to more mainstream vehicles. Numerous Cayenne models are available to suit any shopper taste. There鈥檚 a big-power Cayenne Hybrid, a mighty Cayenne Turbo with 540 horsepower, and the standard Cayenne, if you鈥檙e after something more modest. 92,000 with a tiny V6 engine that loves to party. The powerplant displaces only 2.9 litres, but twin turbo jacks output to 434 horsepower.
The transmission applies this power to the road across eight gear ratios, which can be browsed by the driver via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Gear changes are almost alarmingly quick 鈥?occurring in both directions, with perfect rev-matching, in fractions of a second. All-wheel drive is standard, and multiple drive modes provide instant access to which ever of Cayenne鈥檚 split-personalities you鈥檇 like, at any given moment. My tester rolled on a set of winter tires for its mid-March test drive, and it all rolled on a high-tech suspension system from the future. Combined with other technologies, this allows for precise and continual control of ride height, suspension stiffness, handling, ride quality, and body motion control. The result, in most conditions, is a ride that鈥檚 supremely comfortable, excellent flat and tidy handling, and minimal compromise. Drivers can even tap a button that lifts the Cayenne鈥檚 body up on its wheels, adding plenty of ground clearance for off-road activities, at the touch of a button. The driveline is similarly adjustable.
The normal drive mode is comfortable and suitable for all-purpose driving. Sport mode can be engaged for added response and faster reactions, more sound from the engine, and a stiffer, lower and sportier ride. Various subsystem settings can be further tailored from the pre-determined drive-mode settings. The off-road mode even lifts the suspension and largely disengages the roll bar system, for added articulation from the suspension. You are the boss of the Cayenne鈥檚 chassis. The cabin strongly targets a shopper after a more minimalistic approach to luxury. Where many competitors at this price point have cabins that are loud, shouty, and heavily ornamented with glamorous glitz, Cayenne takes the more subdued route. It鈥檚 not the initial impression that grabs your attention as much as sitting down and spending a moment examining the finer details. Though small details impress readily, Cayenne鈥檚 steering wheel, instrument set, central command screen and centre console are among the most beautiful, high-tech and elegant you鈥檒l find anywhere. Test-driving shoppers who smell what the Cayenne鈥檚 cabin is cooking may also wish to check out the Volvo XC90, and for the same reason.
Cayenne鈥檚 motorized tailgate opens up on an otherwise typical cargo hold, rear seats are adult-friendly and split-folding for more space, and I had no issue with head or legroom sitting in back. Up front, it鈥檚 that tall but not towering driving position many drivers love. Usually, Cayenne demonstrates expert use of its suspension control magic to brilliantly smooth out the ride and deliver a feel that鈥檚 steady, smooth and forgiving. Note that, given the sporty intentions of the Cayenne S, and my tester鈥檚 big wheels and thin tires, nastier potholes and craters punch right through the high-tech suspension comfort forcefield, meaning that rougher in-town roads can see ride quality degrade. The ride is always giving you a reminder, in some form or another, that you鈥檙e in a performance machine. Same with the engine, which always seems to emit at least a little hum from under the hood, serving as a reminder of the semi-exotic howl it generates at high revs, when pushed.
This engine likes to party, and it sings a great song, though shoppers after a library-quiet powerplant may need to look elsewhere. Elsewhere, the calibration of the steering, brakes, transmission and various other elements of the drive work toward a sensation that鈥檚 common across all of Porsche鈥檚 products: the harder you work them, the better they feel. Brakes are most precise and communicative when used spiritedly. The engine is most impressive when it鈥檚 worked hard, and spinning fast. The best, fastest and most precise of Cayenne鈥檚 gear shifts come at full throttle, and the steering, when used as intended, feels like a go-kart 鈥?very fast, and very heavy. Plus, drive with some lead in you boots on a winding road, and that trick suspension system keeps it all tidy and bolted down. Here鈥檚 a big utility vehicle that moves and thrills like a small sports car 鈥?and the harder you drive it, the better it gets. Aside from the ride on rougher roads, Cayenne鈥檚 heavily bolstered front sport seats combine with a relatively tall step-in which can make entry and exit trickier. Also, depending on personal tastes, some drivers will also wish for a touch more colour or flair from parts of the cabin. Finally, the dashboard: it鈥檚 hewn from a high-quality rubberized vinyl material, at the same sort of price that gets you full stitched leather in almost any other ride for similar (or less) money. 120,000. Faster and more powerful rocket-utes are available for less money 鈥?though few are as nicely sorted to drive, in as wide a range of conditions, as this Cayenne. Just be sure you鈥檒l benefit from the authentic performance moves here, since that鈥檚 a large part of what you鈥檙e paying for.
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