The Porsche Cayenne is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV available since the 2003 model year.
Porsche Cayenne Introduction and Design
Porsche has been known as a race-oriented manufacturer since the beginning. It has had many two-door sports cars beloved by race fans and general car enthusiasts for many years. Which is why the Porsche Cayenne SUV made such a large impact on the auto manufacturer. After seeing the growing trend in SUV popularity and demand, Porsche set out to create its own version to offer the public. It did so while retaining much of the usual design elements that Porsche is known for, including the long front end section with rounded lights and fenders, plus a performance-focused mentality. But the Cayenne would be Porsche’s first ever four-door vehicle and the first to use a V8 engine since the 1995 Porsche 928. The carmaker proved that it was capable of taking new risks to stay relevant in the growing variation of the car world.
Engine and Features
The model was first available in three different trim levels. The base model Porsche Cayenne featured a 3.2L VR6 engine with 247 horsepower and 229 lb ft of torque, the mid-level Cayenne S variant used a 4.5L V8 engine with 335 horsepower, and the premium Cayenne Turbo featured a twin turbocharged 4.5L engine with 444 horsepower. As far as SUVs go, Porsche did an excellent job at matching performance with utility. It retained much of the handling characteristics that Porsche is known for, and while the model couldn’t outmaneuver other Porsche models, it was much better behind the wheel than many other SUVs. Many other variants of the Porsche Cayenne were released in the first generation. These included a 2006 Turbo S, which used the same twin-turbo 4.5L engine but tuned to a whopping 514 horsepower and 530 lb ft of torque. It could go 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, nearly half the time of the base model.
Second Generation Updates
In 2010, the second generation of Porsche Cayenne was introduced, marketed as a 2011 model year. Significant changes were brought to the model, include a larger overall size with more sloped windows and roofline, and light designs updated from other Porsche designs. Through a use of aluminum and magnesium, plus the removal of the low-range transfer case, the second generation Cayenne was able to weigh over 550 pounds less than the outgoing variant, despite being larger overall. The base model featured a 3.6L VR6 engine with 296 horsepower, while the Cayenne S had a 4.8L engine with 395 horsepower, and the Cayenne Turbo stuck with the twin-turbo 4.8L V8 with 493 horsepower, eventually bumped up to 513 horsepower in 2014. The Cayenne Turbo S remained the most powerful option available, with a twin-turbo 4.8L V8 engine tuned to produce 542 horsepower in 2010, then bumped up to 562 horsepower in 2015. A diesel model also became available, featuring a turbocharged 3.0L V6 with 237 horsepower and 406 lb ft of torque. The introduction of a Cayenne S Diesel in 2014 saw the addition of a twin-turbo 4.1L diesel engine that produced a respectable 380 horsepower and a whopping 627 lb ft of torque. This model was used to break the Guinness World Record for heaviest aircraft pulled by a production car. This was also the first generation to see a hybrid design, first featuring a supercharged 3.0L V6 engine with an electric motor, producing 370 horsepower. Then laster changed to the Cayenne S E-Hybrid in 2014, with a supercharged V6 PHEV design, producing 410 horsepower.
Third Generation Design
The third generation of the Porsche Cayenne was introduced in 2017, but marketed as a 2019 model year. It was heavily redesigned to once again look closer in exterior appearance to the popular Porsche 911 model, while also retaining the capability of an off-road SUV. The base model has a turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine with 335 horsepower, the Cayenne S has a twin-turbo 2.9L V6 with 434 horsepower, and the Turbo S Hybrid now features a twin-turbo 4.0L V8 PHEV design with 671 horsepower combined. This model was upgraded in 2021 to produced 690 horsepower.