Porsche Cayenne Reviews

Cayenne is no longer a VW Touareg with a Porsche badge. Despite sharing its chassis, a diesel engine and its first hybrid petrol/electric powertrain with VW, Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler says the two models are "totally different"."On the last Cayenne you could exchange the doors with the Touareg. Now you can't," he says. "Every panel is totally different."PRICING AND DRIVETRAINSThree new Cayenne models have arrived in Australia: Turbo V8 at $239,900 (up $2700), Cayenne S V8 at $147,900 (up $1000) and S Hybrid at $159,900. They will be followed shortly by the V6 at $103,500 (up $1000) and Diesel at $104,500 (up $800).For those extra dollars, the customer gets 20 to 23 per cent better fuel economy with increased or similar power figures, more equipment, more cabin space and an eight-speed tiptronic transmission with stop/start technology that switches the engine off at idle.Winkler says the Cayenne is such an important seller for the company they flew powertrain manager Stefan Fegg from Germany to Brisbane for the national launch this week.Fegg says they worked with VW to develop the parallel hybrid system which uses a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine (245kW/440Nm) and an electric motor (34kW/300Nm) that produces fuel economy of 8.2L/100km. Not bad for a two-tonne truck, but still not as good as the new Diesel which is down from 9.3 to 7.4L/100km.However, Fegg points out that city drivers will be able to squeeze more economy out of the hybrid and can even choose to run in electric-only mode for up to 3km if they don't go faster than 60km/h.Fegg says the massive fuel economy savings across all models are due to weight saving, reduced friction in the engine and transmission, low-rolling resistance tyres, recuperative power from the brakes used to charge the battery, two overdriven gears on the eight-speed tiptronic with 50 per cent faster changes, and stop/start technology.In Europe, the stop-start function defaults to the switched-on position, but in Australia, the driver must select it, although it then defaults to whatever setting it was on when the engine was last switched off.While Porsche added 65kg to the vehicle for structural safety and extra features, 103kg was shaved from the body by using lightweight materials, 74kg from the chassis, 63kg from the engine and 10kg from the electrics. Overall, vehicle weight is down 250kg.However, the Hybrid unit adds 165kg, of which 80kg is the battery. That makes it top weight at 2240kg, compared with the S at 2065kg and Turbo at 2170.APPEARANCE AND FIT-OUTStyling is now more svelte and less of a big-bottomed tank largely due to the less chunky and much lighter one-piece tailgate design. There is now no separate window opening, so dust penetration should be reduced.PCA training manager Paul Watson says the bonnet has been extended forward allowing the Porsche badge to be relocated. "Every Porsche now has the crest on the bonnet. It's back in its rightful place," he says.It also now features a front air intake that has been inverted from the previous smile to a more menacing grimace. Cayenne is 48mm longer and 11mm wider with a 40mm longer wheelbase, increasing cabin legroom. The rear seats also move forward and back by 160mm as well as folding and tilting.While the space-saver spare tyre is under the cargo floor, in the Hybrid it takes up a chunk of the cargo area because the battery is under the floor. Watson says customers can choose to swap the tyre for a can of goo to patch punctures. Tyres can be re-inflated by an on-board nitrogen compressor. The Cayenne cabin is almost identical to the new Panamera with its sloping centre console, cockpit-like clustered instruments and driver-oriented feel.MECHANICALDriving dynamics feature highly in the new Cayenne with a range of acronyms such as PASM, PTV Plus, PDCC and PTM.PASM is the Porsche Active Suspension Management which adjusts the dampers for sport, normal or comfort setting as selected by the driver.PTV plus is Porsche Torque Vectoring that brakes the inside wheels and varies power delivery via an electronically controlled cross differential on the rear axle in corners. It basically helps prevent understeer which is endemic in most SUVs. It is optional on the Cayenne, S and Turbo.PDCC is Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control is a hydraulic system that operates active anti-roll bars to keep the body flat in corners. It is standard on the Turbo and available as an option on all air suspension models.PTM is Porsche's Traction Management system. In active form on the Cayenne, S and Turbo it uses an electronic clutch to distribute torque up to 100 per cent to either the front or rear wheels. In "reactive" form in the Diesel and S Hybrid, PTM splits torque up to 40 per cent to the front and 60 per cent to the rear."Two-wheel drive isn't an option for the Cayenne, it's an SUV and will always be four-wheel drive," says Fegg.There are three modes for off-road driving. Mode 1 recalibrates electrical systems such as traction control and ABS for slippery terrain and in the air suspension models it raises the ride height. Mode 2 locks the clutch for better traction and Mode 3 locks the rear diff.Brakes in all models have been uprated with larger discs up to 410mm in the Turbo and stronger calipers. All models also feature a recuperative system that uses kinetic energy from braking to charge the battery. It's called a "micro hybrid" system.There is a vast range of options available including lane-change assist and adaptive cruise control that operates down to 20km/h.Cayenne is a combination of elements built in various locations. Its chassis is made in Slovakia, the engines are made in various locations in Germany and Hungary and the final vehicles are assembled in Leipzig, Germany.Winkler says S Hybrid represents about eight per cent of their 250 orders so far, but he expects to sell about 15 per cent after customers have test-driven it. "Hybrid customers will live in the city and buy it not only for economy, but for social acceptance," he says.Diesel will continue to represent about 40-45 per cent of sales. Winkler says there is no confirmation of GTS or Turbo S models.DRIVINGA quick strop across Mt Glorious and its 40-odd kilometres of gloriously winding tarmac reveals a car that is more lively and lithe in its handling, although still short of the BMW X5 benchmark. Despite load shedding, it still feels its weight and relies on the fancy electronics to keep things together. There is a moment of impending understeer at turn-in, but a smooth and predictable flick to oversteer.Road noise is substantially reduced which turns your attention to the wind noise around the wing mirrors and bottom of the windscreen. The S Hybrid deserves its S badge for the potent driving force when both the electric motor and petrol engine are working.It emits a typical Porsche growl as it stomps bucketloads of torque through its wheels. The V8 feels less powerful at the low and mid end than the Hybrid, but comes on song when revved out.The Turbo is simply stunning with lightning delivery of great globs of power for rapid overtaking that will leave you breathless and licence-less unless you are careful. Brakes tend to be too sensitive in initial bite, especially in slow-moving traffic, but offer great confidence when looming up on a hairpin turn.OFF THE ROADPorsche rounded out its country road strop with a short demonstration of off-road abilities at the Mt Cotton Training Facility. Here it was the turn of the mechanical diff and all the associated electronic trickery to strut their stuff.While low ratio has been tossed out to save weight, Cayenne retains hill descent with the speed now controlled by the cruise control stalk down to 3km/h. Wheel articulation is limited, but the traction controls work miracles on steep and uneven surfaces to produce more forward momentum than most luxury softroaders.Wade depth is limited by the air intake, so a bow wave will snuff the engine. However, it is fine for most off-road duties Porsche owners will require.Winkler admits only 20 per cent of Cayenne owners will ever get their wheels dirty.

All over Europe, governments are tightening their belts – Greece is crumbling, Britain has just announced the most draconian budget in a generation, and even Belgium is rethinking its generous social welfare system.And in Germany, Porsche is doing the same for the Cayenne SUV, making it leaner and greener … and a little meaner.The heart of the changes are the upgraded V6 engines: the V6 petrol unit from a platform shared with the Volkswagen Touareg, and the V6 diesel – joined now by a hybrid version that wasn’t available for test this week.And in place of the twin-clutch PDK autos, there’s a new eight-speed ‘Tiptronic’ automatic transmission geared for fuel economy with the top two slots functioning as overdrive.There’s also been work done to cut down body weight by around 130kg, and the introduction of lower rolling resistance tyres across the range.AppearanceThe designers have also worked to make it more ‘Porsche-like’, which translates as ‘less of a lump’. And while there’s no disguising that it’s an SUV – and one that has grown 1cm wider and taller and nearly 5cm longer – it does have a more refined appearance.Porsche says they aimed to make it look more compact, and while the Carsguide jury is still out on that result, the refined streamlining of the shape perhaps lets the eye slip more easily over the body. It’s design sleight-of-hand that has trimmed what you might call the visual co-efficient of drag.MechanicalAlong with the addition of stop-start technology that cuts the engine temporarily when you halt, the economy improvements have been achieved by optimising engine systems with over-run control, reducing weight and revising heat management to warm up the engine faster and reduce friction.For the 3.6-litre V6 petrol, that means it now develops 220kW of power at 6300rpm and 400Nm of torque at 3000rpm – a rise of about 7kW and 15Nm – while reducing fuel economy by about 20 per cent to 9.9L/100km, with emissions lowering in tandem to 236g/km. It gives 0-100km/h acceleration of 7.8 secs and a top speed of 230km/h.Although the 3.0litre turbo-diesel’s outputs are unchanged at176kW from 4000-4400rpm and 550Nm of torque from 2000-2250, it has also managed to cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent to 7.4L/100km and emissions to 195g/km. Performance is still respectable, matching the petrol V6’s 0-100km/h time of 7.8 secs, but with a top speed of 218km/h.The Hybrid S that’s on the way has a supercharged 245kW 3.0-litre V6 coupled with a 34kW electric motor with a combined torque output of 580Nm from 1000 revs. It uses just 8.2 litres/100km, has CO2 emissions of 193 g/km and can be driven for short distances at speeds up to 60km/h on electric power only.All-wheel drivePorsche has also worked to lighten the all-wheel drive, which on the petrol V6 is set up to give the rear wheels 85 per cent of the torque in normal driving, redistributing that as needed through the traction management that can send 100 per cent to either axle as needed. However the V6 diesel –  and the Hybrid – send 60 per cent to the rear wheels in normal driving, with a switchable centre differential lock changing that to 50/50 for surfaces like rough gravel.Extra off-roading ability is lent by a switchable suspension adjustment and a host of extra helpers such as the new hill control and improved stability system, and brake assist and force distribution for the 350mm front and 330mm rear discs.Pricing and rangeOn sale from July 27, the new range starts with the petrol V6 from $103,500, followed by the V6 diesel at $104,500, the updated 4.8-litre V8 S at $147,900, the S Hybrid at $159,900 and the range-topping Turbo at $239,900.There are some price rises over the current models, but Porsche Australia spokesman Paul Ellis says that’s outweighed by the extra kit. “There’s more equipment and the price rise is negligible – less than $2000,” Ellis says.Cayenne accounts for around 40 per cent of local sales, and Ellis sees that continuing. “We’ll sell as many as we can get, and indications are that we’ll sell a lot,” he says.“The Cayenne is the one Porsche that’s been immune in the financial slump. We noticed slacking off in the sports car segment during the GFC, but the Cayenne’s versatility enabled it to weather the storm. I’d say all our dealers are already holding deposits.”Fit-out and equipmentThe cabin is well laid-out, superbly upholstered and has some great design touches – the lozenge chrome bezels and the similarly angled grab handles on the console sides for a start – but rear visibility is uncomfortable, and you’ll come to depend on the parking assistants.Which brings us to the wallet-stretchers on the options list, because the V6 models get parking alerts rather than the reversing camera that’s standard on the V8s and Hybrid.The other down-specs include 18-in wheels rather than 19-in, steel suspension, adaptive headlights but not the higher models’ bi-xenon, and an 11-speaker Bose system – which you can upgrade to a 14-speaker Burmester for $11,950.DrivingWe weren’t big fans of the Cayenne when Porsche first launched it. It seemed so far from their traditional DNA of sporty engineering. Too big, too lumpen – and too damned thirsty.But we’re liking it a lot more after driving the new one. It looks better, more refined, more dynamic… and it’s more frugal.While they’re not going to have the grunt of the V8 models, neither of the versions we tested was a slouch. Both petrol and diesel V6 versions take off smartly for what is still quite a big lump of vehicle -- despite weight loss of about 130kg , it still tips the scales at about two tonnes.But the effortless strength of the diesel makes it our pick. The modest-sounding 176kW is more than compensated by the 550Nm thump of torque – and with just a $1000 premium over the price of the petrol, it’s not going to take you long to recoup the difference. With current fuel prices, it would even up after about 30,000km.The cars were on the optional 19-in wheels rather than the standard 18-in, but still fitted with low rolling-resistance tyres. But while we found the set-up great for the straight line speed of the smooth autobahns, they were still jittery over the stretches of crumble-edged back roads.We didn’t get a chance to take either of them off-road, but ventured into the tough terrain of narrow urban streets and some peak-hour jousting – which is where most of the Cayennes will do battle, if truth be told – and were happy to find it steered and negotiated the challenge easily.Would we buy it in preference to the Volkswagen stable-mate that comes in at about $25,000 less? It would come down to how much that $25,000 impacted on our budget vs the superior Porsche interior fit-out and equipment.

Porsche has learnt a lot of lessons from its first foray into the SUV field.

Porsche has expanded its popular Cayenne lineup by introducing a new variant tagged the Cayenne GTS that sits between the Porsche Cayenne S and the hot Cayenne Turbo.

The Porsche Cayenne GTS is the closest thing yet to a Porsche sports car in a full-sized family wagon, thanks to all sorts of tweaking in the body, engine and suspension.It could also be the vehicle that finally justifies the overused Sports Utility Vehicle tag spawned in the US for heavyweight four-wheel drives to make them more acceptable as suburban runabouts.The Cayenne still asserts itself as a luxury soft-roader, from its 2225kg heft to a respectable 194mm of ground clearance, fuel consumption of 13.9 litres/100km and the impressive 3500kg towing capacity.But it's all front.The only soft aspect of this beast is the Alcantara-and-leather upholstery, and a glance at the 295/35 rubber mounted on 21-inch alloys is proof the GTS is intended to leave the tarmac only on forays to the beach.Not for use on the sand.The GTS has inherited the front and rear spoilers from the Cayenne Turbo, but the wheel arches have been flared 14mm and it rides 24mm lower than the base Cayenne S to give it a more muscular stance.The 4.8-litre V8 has been sourced from the S with modifications to the intake and throttle-mapping freeing up another 15kW.That translates into a mid-range surge that propels the GTS from 80-120km/h in 7.8 seconds — a full second quicker than the S.Porsche expects the $153,500 GTS to lure some Cayenne S buyers upmarket, but doesn't believe it will steal sales from the range-topping Turbo.It also sees the GTS muscling its way onto the short list of prospective performance-wagon buyers — think Audi RS4 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.Self-levelling air suspension will be standard on all Australian-specification GTSs.So will the Tiptronic S automatic transmission, though Porsche Cars Australia spokesman Paul Ellis predicts 10 per cent of GTS owners will specify the manual six-speed gearbox.The interior features sports front seats with 12-way adjustment.You don't sit on them so much as contour them around your body — and you'll need all that bolstering when you give the GTS its head.On the roadThe Turbo still rules straight-line fight in the Cayenne hierarchy — 368kW against 298kW is a one-sided fight — but will lose ground to the GTS in the twisty bits.Which is where a Turbo S model is a distinct probability in the not-too-distant future.The GTS suspension is teamed with an array of electronic aids for a flat, fast ride. Flick the centre-console switch into Comfort mode and the GTS will cruise over corrugations as the Porsche Active Suspension Management softens the damping.A flick back into Sport mode activates the full arsenal, with the engine, exhaust and throttle settings remapped for (even more) performance, as the ride height drops automatically and the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control loads up the anti-roll bars to keep the body level through turnsThrottle lag is non-existent, and — as the Porsche hurtles from hairpin to hairpin on the Portugese back roads used for the world press previews, you are grateful the six-piston 350mm brakes don't fade under repeated punishment.There is some tyre noise on coarse bitumen, but that's easily addressed by flicking the Tiptronic shifter down a cog to coax more bark from the V8.It's easy to forget you are sitting in a soft-roader — in fact, it's hard to believe anything other than a dedicated sports car can corner as well as the GTS. And that, ultimately, is the newest Cayenne's true appeal.Paul Ellis says many buyers use their Cayennes as a quick and comfortable means of towing their boat, car or horse float and — with its 540-litre luggage capacity — it's practical transport for the affluent and ambitious.Unhitch the trailer and the GTS will scare other drivers (and you) with brakes, power and poise that few cars and few other soft-roaders can match.BMW does a strong job with its X5 V8, and its forthcoming X6 will provide the closest competition, but for now the Cayenne is the one to beat in the sports utility market.

Released here in mid-2003 the Cayenne is Porsche’s first off-road 4WD vehicle.

This one, says Porsche, is for the particularly "power and performance-conscious" SUV connoisseur.It is also about bragging rights, engineering a 2.3-tonne all-wheel-drive wagon to leap from 0 to 100km/h in just over five seconds and on to a 270km/h top speed. (Some may claim an indicated 281 km/h but never took the photo.)With 383kW (521 horsepower in the old money) and a dune-shifting 720Nm of torque this Cayenne Turbo S (discreetly badged and sitting on 20-inch wheels, tyres rated to 300km/h) is a move by the German makers to blunt some new competition in this high-minded, high-speed segment. There's the supercharged Range Rover Sport, a hot-rodded Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT plus a 6.3-litre V8 Mercedes-Benz M Class wagon just down the track. And then there's an all-new Audi Q7 wagon now chasing a slice of the luxury SUV market.It is hard to match the all-wheel-drive Porsche's prodigious outputs. This is the most powerful of allproduction Porsches after the Carrera GT with performance numbers to match some 911 coupes. This looks like the fastest, baddest SUV to date.It moves fast. Australia was allocated 20 machines to July this year at better than $241,000 each, close on $34,000 over the Turbo Cayenne. Get in line, all that first mob are close to sold; others will follow.So the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is strutting its stuff through the sands of Arabia to show that climbing, diving, slewing through these ancient sands can be a very quick, quite comfortable experience in a powerhouse machine.Perhaps the Cayenne's bulk and centre of gravity mean the four-door wagon, packed with all today's safety and luxuries, is no match for a 911 (or a Cayman or a Boxster) when the tarmac turns tight and twisting. Perhaps some sceptics still question Porsche's move to launch in late 2002 a four-wheel-drive wagon. (At 40,000 in a good year the Cayenne sells twice Porsche's predictions and allows for extra cash to develop the likes of the Cayman and the four-door Panamera due in 2009.) It has not, say the Porsche bosses, diluted the brand. There remain few to touch the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S as the nose rises under acceleration at 150km/h, the wagon sitting firm and steady on an indifferent piece of bitumen road and transmission dropping from sixth back to fifth to get on with business. There remain few with the aural delights as that twin turbocharged V8 rises, always singing, to the occasion.And there remain very few vehicles which could offer these delights off road in the rolling sands outside Dubai. This is not a genuine, rock-spewing, take-no-prisoners four-wheel-drive wagon.It will go a long way in the rough but its real raison d'tre is in the slippy, sloppy stuff — mud and gravel roads, snow or sand to be tackled with surety and speed.Spend this amount of money on an SUV machine and it needs to be special, very special. And so with an open throttle, Michelins down to 14psi, body lifted to 157mm, stability management controls switched off plus a little driver apprehension, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S is tackling sand dune after sand dune in the Arabian desert.Roaring to the top, turning, easy over the lip. Back on the power, power, power. And up those shifting orange sands and off the throttle as the big wagon crests the top, ease down the sharper side.This needs concentration until it's learnt — on the power early to get those turbochargers spinning and the wheels moving. Be wary of full lock on the steering wheel.There is more to this business of charging (and conquering) sand dunes than brute force. For this is also the business of discrete power distribution. In normal driving, the Cayenne gives the rear wheels 62 per cent of power, 38 per cent for the front. Then Porsche's Traction Management redistributes the business according to needs and an array of sensors; up to 100 per cent of drive can be sent to either end if needed.As with most modern systems this is all quite seamless, whether charging sand dunes or hurtling down a long desert highway.There are six ride heights with the Turbo S running air suspension as standard, useful for raising the body off road or allowing the body to hunker down at high speeds. The chassis is essentially the same as for the Turbo but this one has upgraded tie rods and dampers on the front axle.The extra power arrives courtesy of modified intercoolers for the Porsche's two turbochargers.These bigger heat exchangers are all aluminium; the extra performance allowed engineers to turn the turbocharger pressure up to 1.9 bar. And Porsche claims this extra power and torque does not affect fuel consumption over a "normal" Cayenne Turbo with combined consumption of 15.7 litres per 100km. Premium please.The other changes here are the bigger brakes — 380mm front, 358mm rear — with new cooling ducts. The rest is as before.The Porsche Cayenne has a distinctive style, unloved by some and well-accepted by others. It has a tonne of luxury and safety, myriad buttons (maybe a few too many) on the centre console for stereo and navigation and the like.Leather is standard, the seats comfortable at 200km/h and, aside from a little wind flutter around the mirrors, the cabin quiet.For all the power this is a subtle (albeit expensive) flagship SUV, just don't take it on without a machine that is as quick and comfortable and as sure of itself.

When Porsche uncorked the Cayenne it promised it would pop to the top of the four-wheel-drive world.It hasn't worked that way. Sales are good-ish in Australia, and have doubled the numbers at the company's local division, but it hasn't been a total breakthrough.The arrival of the look-alike and drive-alike Volkswagen Touareg, as well as a massive lineup of potential luxury rivals, has made things tough for Porsche.In short, it hasn't been a champagne spray.And we also found the fizz had turned flat when we tasted a Cayenne V8 for the first time last year.Things are different this time, as we're looking at the Cayenne Turbo and the car has been snitched from PCA boss Michael Winkler for the drive.He says there has been no special tweaking, but confesses the car is a lot better than the squeaky Cayenne S we lumped to Bathurst last October.The promise of the car is reflected in everything from its twin-turbo V8 engine to the hi-tech air suspension, electronic assistance package, fully loaded cabin and price tag soaring beyond $200,000.But, most important of all, are three words from Winkler:¿Remember the 928.¿That won't mean a lot to younger fans, but the 928 was Porsche's first trip into the world of V8-powered family cars.It was built in the 1980s before the four-wheel-drive boom, but anyone who has driven a 928 will remember the machined-from-solid feel, easy driving and V8 thump.We felt exactly those strengths in the first few kilometres with the spacious Cayenne Turbo.It's an impressive machine, starting with the twin-turbo V8 and its all-wheel drive system and electronic air suspension.Porsche says it has liberated an easy 331kW of power and 620Nm of torque from the hi-tech alloy engine, and that it's more than enough for a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.6 seconds, and a top whack of 265km/h.The car comes with everything from satellite navigation and a super-classy CD system to alcantara leather, electric sports seats, a multi-function steering wheel, DVD entertainment for the rear seats, a tiptronic six-speed automatic with switches on the wheel, and a sunroof.Even so, there are lots of rivals with smaller price tags and badges that are just as impressive as the Cayenne.Mercedes has the raunchy but rowdy ML55, the Range Rover is great if you can afford the fuel, the Lexus LX470 is still the off-road king, and the BMW X5 with 4.6-litre V8 is still our favourite, and undercuts the Cayenne with a starting price of $152,300.Still, the Cayenne Turbo is the king of the quicks and a stop – or two – beyond the reach of the clone-car VW Touareg which shares so much of its engineering and equipment.Porsche Cars Australia's recent decision to reject a V6 Cayenne in favour of a proper prestige attack has protected that position and given the brand a better chance to continue its early sales success.ON THE ROADOur first run with the Cayenne, last October, was not good.We only got two blocks from the Sydney dealer before it started squeaking and rattling.We were appalled that a car as costly as the Cayenne could feel so crappy.It bounced and jiggled over Sydney's broken bitumen, but the cornering grip through the twisty bits to Bathurst provided plenty of compensation.The first few kilometres in the Cayenne Turbo were a total contrast. It felt tight, eager and well-balanced.It was a lot like a 928, at least to someone who had driven one before, and still has it on a ¿classic garage¿ shopping list.And colleague James Stanford had already given his approval to the Cayenne Turbo's potential as an Outback rally machine after some sideways sprinting near Alice Springs in 2003. It only needed a tickle on the throttle to move with the traffic, while a full-on attack from the lights was rewarded with a thundering growl and a slingshot start.We have no doubt, despite the Cayenne's size and two-tonne-plus heft, that it could continue to hunt all the way to the claimed top speed.It handled corners easily, the six-speed automatic was smooth and discreet, and the steering feel was good.There was some movement in the front suspension, and even the air shocks couldn't give it the hunkered-down feel you would expect in a 911 or Boxster, but it was certainly more like a Porsche than a Proton.We also enjoyed the roomy back seat and boot – all the luxury you usually get in a top-line BMW or Benz – and the easygoing cruising ability.But it was tough to park, it was a little too keen on fuel during our test – though Stanford reported 10 litres/100km from the Geelong freeway – and it never felt as sporty as we would have liked.If you consider the Cayenne as a full-sized Porsche family car, and you have the dollars to put one in the drive, it is the closest thing to a born-again 928.And we know from experience that it can – if you can handle the scratches and dirt – tackle tough off-road conditions.But we still don't think the Cayenne is as good as it should be, or that it is as far ahead of the Touareg as Porsche buyers have every right to demand.Did we get it wrong on the first run through the Cayenne? No.Have we been converted by a week with the Cayenne Turbo? No. But we now have a much better understanding of what Porsche was really trying to do with the Cayenne, and we can now appreciate its many strengths without being overwhelmed by its weaknesses.

It steps away from the company's roots and its rivals, taking the famed German sports car maker into very new territory.So, is it a fast four-wheel drive or a sports car in a four-wheel drive suit?And what's the point of having a 250km/h bush basher? Or an Outback escape machine that most people will be scared to scratch?Porsche has its own answers and has clearly tapped a similar sentiment in shoppers, because advance orders for the Cayenne run forward for nearly a year in Australia. And the car – somehow, truck doesn't fit – already looks likely to more than double total Porsche sales here.It's been a huge hit in Europe and Americans are also open to the action, but there are plenty of buts...Like? Why did Porsche have to share development with Volkswagen and then face the fact the VW Touareg was always going to be cheaper with almost the same appeal?And why did Porsche work so hard to create a 911-style nose that doesn't really work with the rest of the Cayennne's bodywork?But the Cayenne is definitely the answer to a question that's been gnawing at Porsche for more than 20 years. It always wanted a four-door vehicle to boost its range and spread the sports car appeal to families, but didn't know how to do it without undermining the classic, ageless and brilliant 911.It tried for a while with the front-engined 928 V8, but it was too soft for 911 fans and not practical enough for anyone else.The 924 and 944 models moved Porsche into more-affordable territory, now filled by the Boxster, but none of those cars could do the jobs filled by the Mercedes, BMWs and other luxury cars usually parked in garages alongside a 911.So the Cayenne is an obvious answer. And it's a solution that's already working well for BMW and Mercedes, with everyone from Maserati to Lamborghini likely to go down the same trail.The Cayenne is a big, heavy, four-wheel drive with plenty of space for five people and their luggage. It has permanent four-wheel drive and true ¿crawler¿ gears for off-road work, but the sports car focus is obvious in everything from the leather-grip steering wheel to the low-profile, 18-inch alloy wheels.There are two models, the Cayenne S with a 4.5-litre V8 motor and the Cayenne Turbo which gets a force-fed version of the same engine that pumps out 331kW of power and 620Nm of torque.Prices are what you'd expect for a big, fast, four-door Porsche and the starting dollars run to $129,900 for the S and $203,400 for the Turbo. They only come with a six-speed automatic gearbox, but there is a huge list of standard equipment -- auto air-con, leather electric seats, satnav, CD sound and more -- and buyers can also dip into a deep pool of extra-cost gear.On the roadThere has been an incredible amount of interest in the Cayenne, across Australia and across the world.We went to the Australian press preview of the Cayenne in South Australia's rugged Flinders Ranges and came away impressed. We took an open mind and a heavy right foot and discovered the Cayenne was great on the road, great in the rough stuff, and impressively engineered in almost every area. But...There were questions about quality, we didn't get to try it in the city or suburbs, and we still had niggling doubts about the threat from the Touareg.So we saddled up a Cayenne S for the annual run from Sydney to Bathurst and back, with other action along the way, to decide the Cars Guide verdict on the controversial newcomer.We couldn't hide our disappoint ment in the first five kilometres with the Cayenne. It squeaked and rattled like an old Hyundai and we were straight on the phone to Porsche to get some answers – beyond the 10,000km on the odometer and a tough life as a press test car.We were directed to the Porsche pits at Bathurst, where factory mechanics pounced and found everything from a loose panel in the top of the dash to floppy trim around the doors, and rubber seals that needed lubrication. Normal stuff, we were told, for a 10,000km checkup. And the sort of stuff that owners would take straight back to the dealership.We were happy that most of the noises were gone after the tweaking, but... just 10km later the panel below the dash popped loose again and the rattle was back. Not nice.We were also underwhelmed by the performance of the Cayenne S, at least in city conditions. It's brisk but not outstanding, and the fuel-use readout in the trip computer was reading 16.4 litres/100km. We got it down to 12.4 during our test, but it will like a drink if you dip into the accelerator.This is all sounding pretty negative, but that's not the goal. The Cayenne is a terrific vehicle in so, so many ways.We enjoyed our time in the Cayenne S and it definitely does the job for Porsche people who want a family wagon with a sports car flavour. But we're not totally convinced it is the ultimate answer.