12:01 am, May 26, 2011
The Cayenne has always been loud, brash, and in your face. The new diesel aims to change that, reports James Batchelor
WHAT IS IT?
It’s the most important Cayenne to buyers as it provides all the looks of more powerful models, but is cheaper to run (considerably) and is more politically correct to boot.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
It’s the engine straight out of the new Volkswagen Touareg – an excellent 3.0-litre V6 diesel that produces 237bhp and a whopping 550Nm of torque. That’s produced very low- down with little turbo-lag.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
The diesel costs from £45,256 and has far too many standard features to list. Suffice it to say, the basic model has most customers would ever need.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
A saloon car on stilts. The Cayenne is very car-like to drive unlike other rivals, with more precise steering, and dynamic handling characteristics.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK OF IT?
Autocar felt that with the Diesel being almost half the price of the Turbo ‘it’s hard to ignore’, while Top Gear said ‘it’s the best compromise’ in the sector.
WHAT DO WE THINK OF IT?
The new Cayenne looks substantially better that its predecessor. It looks smaller too despite it being a tad larger, and the diesel engine makes far more sense that a petrol unit.
