Third-generation Porsche Cayenne

When Porsche launched the Cayenne over a decade and a half ago, it became the first sports car company to launch an SUV, much to the dismay of purists everywhere who believes that Porsche should only make proper sportscars like the 911 and Boxster and nothing else. Despite being an SUV, it still behaves like a Porsche and it was made for the men who have everything or nothing. Get it? It's everything or nothing and with the arrival of the new, third-generation model, the newly regenerated Cayenne is ready for another round.

2018 Porsche Cayenne

For the man who's got everything or nothing, the new Porsche Cayenne promises to have the same fundamentals as the previous models in history but with a new packaging that will keep Porsche's first SUV prepared for whatever lies ahead in deceit. So, what's new with the new Cayenne anyway? Well, let's look at the design first and some may call it completely new, it was still slightly new by the looks of it because it has the same shape as the previous Cayenne, except for the back end which has the same rear lamp as today's Panamera. Overall, the design is almost as basic as every other Porsche in the lineup and for non-Porsche fans, a tad ugly.

2018 Porsche Cayenne interior

2018 Porsche Cayenne interior

Step inside and on the driver's side, you will notice that the dashboard almost lost all of the buttons in favor of touch panels which is rather nice but when your fingers gone smudgy after having some chips and crisps at the petrol station, you'd better pack some industrial-sized hand sanitizer or you'll make a mess on those touch panels. Bad mark for Porsche there but despite the complicating dashboard that sacrifices buttons for touch panels, there's still room at the back as well as ample boot space for your everyday stuff, which is rather nice for a family car but don't call it a family car because with prices start at 74,828 Euros plus OTR costs, it's very expensive. If the new Cayenne is too expensive to be a family car, what can you use it for? Escorting a VIP, of course! Isn't what the Cayenne is made for? For the man who has everything or nothing? This is everything.

2018 Porsche Cayenne

Despite its near-outdated looks, Porsche says the new Cayenne is all-new from the ground up and it now utilizes a lightweight chassis construction similar to high-performance SUVs in the Volkswagen Group, meaning the new Cayenne now behaves like what a Porsche should be, combining classic Porsche sportscar handling and SUV ruggedness into one unique package and to supplement the improved dynamics of the new Cayenne are rear-axle steering, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, and three-chamber air suspension, most are programmed via 4D Chassis Control.

As long as you're not fiddling with anything, these new supplementary dynamics made the new Cayenne fit enough to get through the most out of any situations. It can be either a civilized luxury car or an ideal getaway vehicle if you're trying to escape from a collapsing lair in the desert just to get a train ride with destiny. Also, it's got the first ever surface-coated brake which not only makes it last longer than other brakes but also works responsively to deliver the ideal stopping power.

Under the hood, the new Cayenne is powered by a choice of a 3.0L V6 turbo for the base Cayenne, a 2.9L V6 Twin Turbo for the Cayenne S, and the 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine for the Cayenne Turbo which delivers 550HP of power and 770Nm of torque with 286 km/h of top speed, all mated with the more responsive eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox. Of course, if you're going with the Turbo model, you can expect the air brake and a adaptive rear spoiler for the first time in an SUV, which is nice but that spells trouble if you're on a public highway.

So, while the new Cayenne is truly an exciting SUV to drive for almost any situations, it can be downright bothersome for Porsche enthusiasts because like the latest Panamera, the new Cayenne carries a wide array of safety tech such as adaptive cruise control, park assist, anticipatory pedestrian protection system, night vision (which isn't military grade), Lane Keeping Assist, traffic sign recognition, and many other that seems rather nice for a normal SUV like this but for a sportscar, that will drive them a bit mad because it can control your driving experience like the one I'm familiar with.

So, what can I say about the new Cayenne? Well, despite the near-stale looks and the safety tech that drives them mad, the improved dynamics thanks to its new chassis and new platform, not to mention the power-hungry engine lineup, really knows the "sport" in the SUV and for the drivers who have everything or nothing, this Cayenne is for them.

Photo: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG