Second Generation Porsche Cayenne Tested

The Cayenne has always struck me as a high-class, luxurious vehicle for the true performance-enthusiast who refuses to clog the streets with a 5,000 pound boxy SUV which not even soccer moms seem to like. It certainly has the look and the sound of a true performance car, but is it a true performance SUV worth sporting a Porsche badge?

Thankfully, I was invited by my friend Carlos to attend the Porsche Aircraft Experience at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. At this event, we had the opportunity to drive the second generation, 2011 Porsche Cayenne S hybrid.

 

My first impression of the Supercharged Cayenne is that it really was not big at all. Compared to many of the full-sized SUV s on the road, the Cayenne really is a thin, sleek  family vehicle. My eyes lit up and turned 360 degrees when the hood was opened and a supercharged Porsche engine was revealed. Talk about a tingling feet sensation! The 2011 Cayenne S comes with a 3.0 L V6 engine that produces 328 hp plus an additional 51 hp by the electric motor adding up to 379 hp and cranking 428 lb.-ft. of torque of pure performance.

 The interior of the car is very, very nice. Fitted with black, fine leather and plenty of electronic gadgets such as seat warmers, bluetooth and plenty of additional features such as the 14 speaker BOSE Surround Sound System and a Panoramic system that is almost four times larger than the standard moonroof.

Once we took the Porsche out in the road, I took control of the vehicle before entering I-95. As I approached the light, it turned yellow and I pressed the break lightly. Quote from the Porsche salesman: "No, go for it, it's a true performance car" With no hesitation in me, I put the pedal to the metal and I made the turn which the Cayenne took effortlessly and impressively there was no tire squeal.

The transition from the gas-powered engine to the electric engine is absolutely seamless. It might have well gone unnoticed for the entire trip if it wasn't for the seven-inch, high-resolution touchscreen that was actively displaying the flow of energy from the engine to the tires and storing energy from the tires to the battery cell.

The disappointing part of this story comes as I disengaged the automatic transmission and started driving the car with the steering wheel-mounted gear switches. Porsche's Tiptronic S shifts up with a press of the switch by the thumb and it shifts down by pulling backward on the same switch. It felt sluggish and somewhat dull. Plainly put, it was not at the same level as the rest of the agile-yet-cozy attitude of the car.

Although the Cayenne is not meant to be Porsche's legacy defending super-car, it is a very nicely put together vehicle which combines great power with outstanding handling and a luxurious style for the driver and its occupants. Starting at a base price of $67,700 the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid stands as a performance SUV that will keep soccer moms and salaried dads glued to the steering wheel for a fun, fast and classy ride. Just don't use the wheel-mounted Tiptronic shifters.