After almost two decades since first venturing into the SUV segment, the Porsche Cayenne has reached the one million mark. The venture has catalyzed Porsche’s road to success and tapping into new markets.
First announced in 1998, the planned “sporty and all-terrain utility vehicle” became one of the key driving forces that helped pull the company out of a crisis. Porsche took a large risk with considerable investments for vehicle production. But the risk proved to be worth it, as the Cayenne was ready in time for the plant’s 2002 opening ceremony.
Designed by Chief Designer Harm Lagaaij, the first Cayenne generation started as the Turbo and S models, with the second generation including the S Hybrid (later called the S E-Hybrid). Over 275,000 cars rolled off the production line after the first generation alone, with derivative GTS and Turbo S models being added with the model update. Then came Porsche’s innovative first-ever plug-in hybrid in the premium SUV segment. The hybrid concept became a major milestone for the Cayenne on its journey to become the plug-in-hybrid 2014 with over 30 kilometers of electric range. The third generation was later introduced to the market in 2017 with optimized everyday usability, increased driving dynamics, and overall reduced consumption and CO2 values.
Due to continuous releases of cutting edge technology, the Cayenne surpassed the Porsche 911 by almost 50,000 units, with a total production of over 105,000 units in the 2007/2008 fiscal year. In addition to surpassing production milestones, the Cayenne took the first three places in the demanding TransSyberia Rally marathon in 2007, a highly impressive feat. One year later, it took it one step further and took the first five places.
The Cayenne also secured Porsche an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records when it pulled a 285-tonne Airbus A380 for 42 meters, surpassing the existing record for a “series production car pulling the heaviest aircraft” by 115 tonnes.
Reading about the Cayenne is one thing, driving one and experiencing one is another — stop by Porsche Fort Wayne and test drive one today!