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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
So far this year Porsche has sold 1,810 two- and four-door sports cars, but Cayenne sales alone add up to 2,115 over the same 11 months. Factor the brand’s rising star, the Macan compact SUV into the mix and Porsche’s 2016 calendar year sport utility sales have already broken 4,700 units, which means its two SUVs account for almost 77 percent of the brand’s 6,100-plus year-to-date sales. In other words, without the Cayenne and new Macan, Porsche would likely cease to exist in Canada. Being that the results are similar in the U.S. and other markets around the world, let’s just be glad the powers that be at the helm of this storied brand had the smarts to enter the luxury SUV sector when they did way back in 2002.
After
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Fortunately you don’t have to spend upwards of half a million to own an extremely capable near exotic super SUV, the Cayenne GTS and Turbo models that live up to such
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Personally I would have preferred if Porsche called this well-equipped model the Iridium Edition or Rhodium Edition, as any metallurgist or commodities professional will tell you (of which many own Cayennes, of the latter at least) are the rarest of metals and therefore have the potential to be most valuable, and besides there are way too many Platinum-graded SUVs and pickup trucks on today’s market, the name almost nearing the ubiquity of Limited (rhenium, gold, and
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Speaking of Canadian-sourced commodities currently in the dumps (albeit showing recent signs of life), as with all other Cayenne models the Platinum Edition runs on gasoline, the alternative powertrain no longer diesel as was initially announced. Instead, the brand’s ultra-efficient lithium battery-powered S E-Hybrid plug-in variant joins the more conventional 3.6-litre V6 for a strong combination
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Platinum is the top trim level available with these two powertrains, its standard features list containing dynamic cornering HID headlights, exclusive satin platinum finished 20-inch RS Spyder alloys housed in wider body-colour wheel arches, high-gloss black window surrounds and roof rails, auto-dimming side mirrors,
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Remember I mentioned Rhodium a few minutes ago, well Porsche has paid tribute to earth’s second rarest metal by naming my
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Of course the sky is the limit with Porsche options, so don’t believe for a second this was a fully loaded Cayenne Platinum Edition, its as-tested $85k asking price (including Porsche’s low $1,200 freight charge) still a reasonable sum for such a well-made mid-size family hauler. As you might expect from Porsche, the quality of materials suits the premium experience even when the dash, door uppers, grab handles and more aren’t covered in optional soft stitched leather, the trim bits aren’t carbon fibre, and features like four-zone climate control, 16-speaker 1,000-watt-plus Burmester audio, rear seat heating, ventilation and entertainment aren’t included,
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
While the front seats were beyond just comfortable, those in the rear were also better than average thanks to bucket-style outboard designs. It was roomy back there too, with my five-foot-eight frame still having about eight inches ahead of my knees, plenty of space from side to side, and another four or so above my head, unless you count the sunroof in which case I had at least six inches overhead. With two in back a comfortable armrest folded from the centre position to expose twin cupholders, or alternatively you could lower the entire centre section for loading in long items such as skis.
The
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most interested in purchasing a Cayenne with its base engine are probably focused more on its practical aspects and luxury attributes than outright performance, or they’d opt for an S or the aforementioned
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Response to throttle input is strong compared to most competitive base powertrains, the eight-speed running through the gears quickly in nice, precise increments whether flicking the paddles or letting it do its own thing with either Sport or Sport Plus mode engaged, while traction at takeoff is superb no matter the state of the road below. The same goes for tackling corners where the Cayenne still reigns supreme in the mid-size SUV class, the lighter weight of the V6 resulting in quicker turn-in and a more agile feel, those big 20-inch alloys I mentioned
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I especially appreciated the Cayenne’s compliant ride quality while off-roading during this model’s launch program. It’s always been an impressive 4×4, not even losing a inch of rock-crawling, mudslinging, or water fording capability (up to 550 mm or 21.8 inches deep without a snorkel for the latter) after adapting to the nearly 250-kilo (550-lb) lighter aluminum and magnesium intensive second-generation PL72 platform architecture back in 2010, which also made the Cayenne feel more car-like and therefore more capable on the road.
Alas, the diesel’s overabundant torque made for an even more capable off-roader, not
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Fortunately Porsche gives Cayenne buyers more ways to personalize their rides than
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Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
If you like what you see take note the Platinum Edition is available for a limited time, and while Porsche hasn’t specified how long that might be it’s probably not a good idea to wait around to find out as its sporty combination of exterior styling enhancements and impressive interior upgrades make for an especially handsome and value packed proposition.
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