The Cayenne has proved itself in the test drive to be a superior road-going SUV with power, agility and premium-quality drive. But how capable is the car off-road, especially when other traditional 4X4 companies claim that they are superior in off-road driving?
Stefan Fegg, Cayenne line director, explained the off-road capabilities of the new Cayenne in an exclusive interview with Arab News. He joked that during testing in dunes near Dubai, the car pulled another well-known brand of 4X4 vehicle out of the sand.
Instead of high and low fixed gears, Porsche has used the latest technology to enhance the off-road capabilities of the Cayenne. The three-chamber air suspension works with the low gears and multi-clutch system to distribute torque to the wheels. “This gives the vehicle an ideal propulsive power on every terrain,” he said. He said that the Cayenne won prizes in Germany for the best off-roader and also for best on the racing track. The Cayenne has many Porsche 911 components.
Fegg said that the first challenge when designing the third-generation Cayenne was to think about what people wanted from the car during its life cycle, which is about seven years ahead. “We also wanted to keep the genes of the Cayenne but add a modern interpretation and increase performance through reduction of weight and better engines. One challenge was to modernize connectivity in the car as this is an important requirement for many Cayenne buyers.”
In the future the Cayenne range will include a diesel, a plug-in hybrid and at the end of the cycle, a GTS. Fegg believes that sales of the third generation will exceed that of the second generation but the official view aims for a similar sales figure of 500,000 units over its lifespan