The day was June 3, 1998. This date will forever be etched in the minds of the Porsche faithful as a turning point in their beloved carmaker’s history. It was the day when the German sports car company announced that it would be building its very first Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
For diehard Porsche fans, that bit of news was like a death sentence, a curse, as they regarded the Porsche Crest as a symbol of just one type of vehicle—sports cars, particularly, the likes of the iconic 911. Sure, there were also classics like the 944 and the 928. But an SUV? That sat five and had raised ride height? That was definitely out of the question.
Yet Porsche proved them wrong. The Porsche Cayenne, which rolled out of the Leipzig factory in 2002, went on to sell a record number of examples and exceeded all sales expectations. The first generation model, for instance, sold some 276,000 units from 2002 until 2010. The second iteration has sold even more—303,000 copies. And that’s just for the pre-facelifted model that was in production from 2010 to 2014. The current one saw 63,897 Cayennes roll off the production floor in 2015 alone.
The stellar performance has made it the second best-selling Porsche of 2015. It only trails its smaller yet equally capable Macan SUV sibling by a few thousands—with the Macan selling 73,118 units during that year. So what makes the Cayenne such a hit?
While the first-gen Cayenne’s styling left a lot to be desired, it still possessed the trademark Porsche DNA. The front end, for example, was a 911 through and true. And the drive, as many attest, is very sporty—for an SUV. The following Mk II model was a huge improvement, with styling cues that were more sophisticated, fluid, and yes, very modern Porsche. Plus, it was a vehicle that can tool the Metro streets on weekdays and transforms into a track toy on weekends. Oh, and did we mention that it could also go off the beaten path when called upon to do so?
Yes, this five-seater gave family men and the sporty-at-heart a chance to experience Porsche driving pleasure even during their commute to work or the mall. And it can be done even with a baby on board. What more could one ask for?
