Off the Richter Scale

Sixteen years ago, Porsche surprised everyone with its first-ever crossover, the Cayenne. Now its third generation is proving to be the perfect desert companion for Andre Lam in Dubai

he motoring world was aghast when Porsche first announced that it was launching an SUV in 2002. In retrospect, it was arguably the marque’s smartest move as the model is now one of its bestsellers. So successful was this first SUV, the Cayenne, that Porsche actually attempted to acquire its ally, Volkswagen, with whom it had collaborated with for the car. That didn’t come to pass, but the Cayenne name lives on, and is now into its third generation. It has even led to the birth of a smaller and more successful Porsche SUV, the Macan. With the latest Cayenne, Porsche didn’t venture too far afield with its styling, so it can be a little difficult to tell the difference from its previous incarnation, particularly if you are looking from the front. The primary difference is the continuous lighting strip that cuts horizontally across the entire back. The Cayenne’s body has also grown slightly, but its designers have managed to shave a significant 65kg—the rough equivalent of one adult passenger—off the weight of its predecessor. It is also not immediately noticeable that the car now uses larger rear wheels than the front, just like a proper sports car, and that it is equipped with an adapted version of the Porsche 911’s rear-wheel steering system for greater agility, stability and steering capabilities. With a new air suspension, which can raise its body for off-road clearance and lower it during high-speed drives, the new Cayenne is undoubtedly a more refined drive than its earlier on and off-road variants. I found this to be particularly true with the model’s sportier Cayenne S