When I first drove the base Porsche Cayenne back in 2011 looks aside, I loved so much of its class and prestige that it became one of my favourite cars that year. That was until 6 months later where I drove a true sports car, a 997 Carrera S which changed everything.
Then I got back into the Cayenne, everything turned sour. I liked nothing about it except for its badge. It was difficult to manoeuvre along Jalan Bukit Bintang due to its enormous size. Select comfort on suspension settings, the steering becomes rubbish and the car wobbles about. Furthermore, the ride is no S-class.
PRO
Handling for its size
Overall attribute
A nice place to be in
CON
Brake fade
SPECIFICATION
3.6-litre V6
300hp 400Nm
8-speed Aisin
0-100km/h : 7.8 s
Top speed : 230 km/h
From RM 570,000
In collaboration with the Panamera-inspired interior where it features a huge variety of confusing buttons, the air-suspension's controls and low-range settings makes life worse by being in the form of hieroglyphs. Mushy brakes married to a V6 block from Volkswagen simply aren't inspiring enough to drive around town like your pants' are on fire so I grew very bored of something I once really really liked.
Once upon a summer's day in the South of France where I learnt that the French are mad as they drive very quickly on narrow roads with opposing traffic where at times two of the car's right wheels must go on the grass in order for both cars to pass at once. When it comes to wide and beautifully paved roads from Marseille to Cassis, the speed limit is ridiculously set at 60 km/h. Those two weeks of driving got me so frustrated when I made a promise to myself where I would storm up Genting once I am back.
But that didn't happen as there are plenty of obstacles presented to us in life. I did go up Genting but with the act of god it rained so hard, the Cayenne was the sensible choice instead of what Porsche's best at making. No puddle, no fog could have stopped the Cayenne from charging uphill. In sports suspension setting, the handling is at its best yet providing great body control alongside exceptional ride quality. It is comfortable being sat in the back where one will find it difficult to tell if it were doing a hundred and sixty on the freeway.
The more time spent in this 2-tonne workhorse, the more I see why I liked it in the first place. Let's get real here, no one drives a sports car all year round plus sports car owners most definitely have other cars to spare. Porsche might be diluting their brand by making sport utility vehicles and limousines but that also means there's a Porsche for every occasion. Still a V8 motor is much needed in this Porsche Cayenne.