Porsche Cayenne S Diesel – Pace And Decent Economy (Part 2)

Misgivings about the possible effects of the optional 275/45 tires and 20-inch wheels ($3,800 for the set) on the ride comfort were short-lived. Admittedly firm on broken road surfaces, the suspension never ventures into the crashy spectrum of the scale. It’s by no means a Mercedes-Benz M-Class in terms of absorbency, but few people would complain when you take into account how light on its feet the Cayenne feels. It steers deftly, grips like no 2,4-tonne vehicle has a right to and always feels utterly composed. Porsche may have ventured far from its original recipe when it created the Cayenne, but the Zuffenhausen DNA infuses every seam and screw of this large SUV.

The rest is business as usual: the design is ageing well and thankfully possesses very little of the first-generation model’s gawkiness; the cabin is expertly constructed and spacious fore and aft; and the standard specification is as thin as you’d expect from a Porsche (it’s a $93,772 SUV that doesn’t even have auto-dimming rearview mirrors, xenon headlamps or sat-nav as standard).

Test Summary

And what of its fuel consumption? There’s a dubious Italian expression that states, “You cannot have the barrel full and your wife drunk.” This unequivocally does not apply to the Cayenne S Diesel. On our standardized 150 km fuel route, a mixture of traffic-heavy town driving and highway cruising, it consumed only 8,5 liters/100 km.

Yet, it rivals sport cars in terms of performance. What’s more, it’s refined, comfortable, spacious, extremely well built and a joy to drive. Our only major bugbear is that you simply do not get enough equipment for the outlay. Otherwise, it’s near impossible to fault.