2008 Porsche Cayenne

Who would have guessed, lo those five years ago, that Porsche would have a hit with its large SUV?

Not many people were enthusiastic about the Cayenne, as it would be named, when Porsche announced plans to build it and sell it alongside the iconic 911. But the critics may have been right in some respects, they have been proven wrong in sales. Porsche has sold nearly 150,000 Cayennes since it came on the market in August 2002. And today, forty percent of Porsche's sales are Cayennes.

In Detroit earlier this year, a revamped Cayenne was unveiled. TheCarConnection drove it recently in the south of Spain, and found the updates to the SUV worthwhile.

The Cayenne's most visible change is its new nose, taillights, and its new extended roof spoiler. The facelift gives it an updated look and improves aerodynamics too-the sport-ute's drag coefficient has fallen from 0.38 (V-6) and 0.39 (V-8 models) to 0.35 for all three 2008 models.

Directly injected

New engines and a new anti-roll stability control system have also been added. Porsche has upgraded the Cayenne's engines with direct fuel injection for increased power and torque and for better fuel economy and less exhaust emissions.

As before, the base Cayenne (about $43,300 in the U.S.) has a V-6, but its displacement has been increased from 3.2 to 3.6 liters. Power and torque have increased to 290 hp and 283 lb-ft for better performance, and acceleration from 0-60 mph has dropped from 9.0 to 8.1 seconds. Porsche says the V-6 Cayenne's top speed is up from 133 mph to 141 mph, too.

The 4.5-liter V-8 in the $57,900 Cayenne S has been replaced by a new 4.8-liter variant with 385 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. With this engine-equipped with VarioCam Plus Valve Management-the S reaches 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 156 mph. MORE--

The Cayenne Turbo ($93,700) returns with a twin-turbo version of that V-8. This SUV needs only 4.9 seconds for the sprint to 60 mph and reaches a top speed of 171 mph. Even though the performance is improved, Porsche says that the fuel consumption is down up to 8 percent for the average European cycle.

Porsche's new active anti-roll system, which can be combined with the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM, $2,990), is combined with an air suspension. Porsche calls its new system PDCC-Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control-and has priced it from $3,510 on all models. It adds active anti-roll bars that reduce body roll and improve off-road grip.

Rolling, rolling, not rolling

During our first drive with the new Cayennes, the new engines shone. But the PDCC system stood out the most. Body roll is greatly reduced-so much, that you easily forget you are driving a large, 5,000-pound heavy SUV.

We also liked the base Cayenne with the upgraded V-6 engine this time around. It's powerful enough and agile and offers most of its torque between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. Like the Cayenne S, the base model comes standard with a six-speed stick shift. The V-8 bi-turbo is teamed to the Tiptronic six-speed automatic, which is available as an option for the other two models.

The new Cayenne and Cayenne S come standard with H7 headlights with projection technology, where the light beam is projected directly to the road ahead and not via a reflector or lens. The Cayenne Turbo gets bi-xenon headlights with dynamic curve lights. The new Cayennes also get LED rear lights and brake lights. The latter are activated in 0.1 milliseconds, giving drivers behind the car more time to react, Porsche claims.

Standard features include an alarm system, tinted heat-insulating glass, air conditioning, electric windows and front power seats. Options include an automatic tailgate, the Panorama Roof system, Porsche's multimedia package and a Bose sound system with rear seat entertainment (both standard on the Turbo), as well as an off-road anti-lock braking system and Trailer Stability Control.



2008 Porsche Cayenne
Base price: $43,300 (V-6)
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 290 hp/283 lb-ft
Transmission: Six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 188.9 x 75.9 x 66.9 in
Wheelbase: 112.4 in
Curb weight: 4,763 lb
Fuel economy (EPA cty/hwy): N/A
Safety equipment: Dual front, side and curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control
Major standard features: Air conditioning; power windows, mirrors and locks; electric rear defroster; anti-theft system
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles