2012 Porsche Cayenne : All Season Powerdrive

Can a Cayenne be considered a real Porsche? This is a question we asked ourselves when we first launched the SUV in 2002. Today, the Cayenne is one of the most popular models, earning both critical praise and popular acceptance while reaching 100,000 in sales faster than any Porsche model ever. In 2012, we’ve just continued to improve it.

The new Cayenne is lighter—dropping up to 364 pounds, depending on the specification. With less mass to move, the Cayenne can give you quicker accelerations, faster reflexes and shorter braking. Who says SUV were too big and too heavy?

Performance

The Cayenne’s 3.6-litre, naturally aspirated V6 engine uses Direct Fuel Injection (DFI), variable-valve timing on both inlet and exhaust, and a variable-resonance intake manifold to do more with less. Rated at 300 horsepower and a maximum torque of 295 lb.-ft., the SUV records a top track speed of 230 kph and a 0 - 100 kph time of 7.5 seconds. With less fuel consumption than ever before which demonstrates that nowadays, SUV vehicles are more efficient in terms of fuel economy.

The Porsche Traction Management (PTM) combines active all-wheel drive with an electronically variable multi-plate clutch, Automatic Brake Differential (ABD) and Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR). Developed by Porsche, this technology ensures the perfect distribution of drive torque to all four wheels, whether on long straights, through tight corners or on surfaces with different friction coefficients.

In addition to the standard 18-inch Cayenne wheels and new larger brakes, the Cayenne can be fitted with the optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB). These can procure outstanding brake performance as well as a total weight savings of approximately 50 percent compared with that of equivalent cast-iron discs.

Interior

The new Cayenne interior respects your high sets of standards, of comfort and quality. It reflects Porsche’s belief that the driver deserves the highest level of ergonomic design.

In front of the driver, we get three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and steering column with manual height and reach adjustment (electrically adjustable on the new Cayenne Turbo). We are pleased to announce that for the first time on a Cayenne, five round gauges form the instrument cluster, rising slightly from the dashboard as a visual unit.

Furthermore, the high-resolution 4.8-inch TFT color screen displays information from the onboard computer such as maps, settings of the adaptive cruise control and various warnings, such as alerts from the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, which is standard on all models.

The rear seats provide manual fore/aft adjustment as well as backrest adjustment and a 40/20/40 split-folding feature, thereby increasing the storage capacity from 20.5 cubic feet to 62.9 cubic feet (depending on the model).

The list of standard equipment includes the followings:

Bluetooth® hands-free phone interface
AUX-in
Partial Leather seats
CDR-31 audio system with touchscreen
Universal audio interface
Cruise control
Auto headlights
And much more

It seemed such a radical departure for a company whose sports cars had always been lightweight, nimble-handling machines of the highest efficiency. Yet Porsche engineers managed to fuse those exact qualities with those of a rugged, roomy SUV.