Motors North

Porsche Cayenne Diesel

I WOULD have thought mixing oil and water was as sensible a combination as mixing oil and a Porsche – but I was wrong.

Let’s get one thing straight. I consider the Porsche Cayenne to be the ugliest 4x4 on the face of the planet – and no matter how wealthy or in need of a 4x4 missile I was, I would never be persuaded to have one in my own garage.

Even its most recent facelift has done little to soften my heart, though I must confess the Cayenne is more visually acceptable than its first incarnation and will become more so this spring when a facelift model arrives.

You see, I’m a pragmatist when it comes to cars. A Porsche 911 is simply sublime, a Boxster delightful, a Cayman a joy, and even the questionable lines of the four-door Panamera have won me over.

But the Cayenne? Not a chance! Or is there?

From my first time behind the wheel, I saw it as an expensive and pretentious Volkswagen Touareg – built on the same German production line and even using some of the VW's engines.

But that was some years ago... and boy, how we’ve changed!

The 2010 Cayenne not only looks a little better but also has grown more refined while retaining the crisp handling that always has singled it out from Touareg and even the fine Range Rover Sport.

But the biggest change for me is the diesel model – a stunning revelation of a car that truly has altered my perception of this 2.3-tonne monster.

I would have not believed it possible – a diesel Porsche that genuinely does combine the best of both worlds.

My teenage son was less convinced. "It doesn’t sound like a Porsche," he said.

True, it delivers a steady diesel beat in place of a petrol Porsche yowl, but it goes well.

It’s still expensive – my road test car is listed at £40,571 but cost nearly £55,000 on the road with its impressive array of extras – and cannot be regarded as bonny. But boy, does it go well!

My first surprise was the ride quality, The £2,012 three-position Porsche Active Suspension (PASM) is superb.

Take it easy in “comfort” mode and the Cayenne rides as quietly and softly as a Range Rover; in “normal” it’s no less comfortable but takes on a little sharpness in response and firmness; but slip into “sport” and this near 4.8 metre long five-seat express takes on the handling characteristics of the rest of its breed – pin-sharp steering, precise responses to throttle and an urgency that will delight a performance car driver and deliver outstanding confidence and security on the road.

The optional 19-inch alloys and winter tyres fitted to my Porsche test car cost £1,340 but gripped like limpets, and roll and body sway were not even remotely part of the equation.

In “sport” and with the instantaneous-changing six-speed Tiptronic-S transmission managing the power delivery of a lively 240bhp three-litre V6 turbodiesel plucked from the Volkswagen engine line, then “breathed on” by Porsche, the Cayenne diesel simply transformed itself from a potential 30mpg off-roader to a blisteringly fast and responsive sports 4x4 that swallowed a gallon of the black stuff every 24 miles.

It was an exhilarating, rewarding and confidence-inspiring experience. I soon parked my doubts about its appearance and price and began to revel in a large five-seat luxury vehicle that felt and drove like a premium sports car.

My one issue with the car is the Tiptronic’s steering wheel mounted manual change buttons.

I found the right hand selector button perfect for rapid downshifts using my thumb, but shifting up using the top half of either the right or left hand side button is awkward and calls for unnatural use of a forefinger.

It’s not damning, but frustrating when everything else approached perfection.

No-one is going to buy a Cayenne with economy in mind – even the diesel. But it’s a refreshing fact that Porsche has a serious and accomplished efficiency programme that genuinely does push the economy and low emission stakes to impressive levels.

It does so by making its fine power plants to exacting standards of precision. All models benefit from this programme, including the Cayenne, to improve economy and emission levels.

It allowed me to trundle slowly through Moray at 31mpg – a comfortable and relaxing sightseeing trip in the snow with the PASM in “comfort” mode, and the £880 optional BOSE surround sound audio system massaging my ears with Mike Oldfield with the boot-mounted deep base unit sending good vibrations right through my body. Superb!

It was at this point that I was torn between being satisfied with the Cayenne’s brilliant road performance, or following my road testing instincts and pushing the limits in serious off-road snow.

My instincts won.

Realising the car was being sent to the north of Scotland in one of the coldest winters we’ve had for 20 years, Porsche wisely equipped the Cayenne with “sensible shoes” – 255/50 Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow covers. It was an inspired choice: they were perfect for the Highlands in mid winter.

As I ventured into deeper and deeper snow with the suspension on its highest setting for maximum ground clearance, my initial trepidation disappeared.

Thanks to adaptive air suspension and an easily-managed electronic diff-lock and ratio-reduction system, the Cayenne is genuinely able off road.

The complex 4x4 traction system made sure only the wheels that needed it got power, and the suspension articulation ensured deep ruts and ridges were easily traversed.

It wasn’t the kind of Cayenne driving I’d expect most owners to attempt – but they can rest assured this fast and powerful beast is impressively good in the rough stuff, thanks to its tugboat 550 Newton metres of torque.

It hesitated once or twice as snow choked the Pirelli tyre treads and the wheels momentarily span, but ultimately there was no stopping the Porsche.

It completed a seriously difficult few miles over a snow-filled Dava Moor track with flying colours.

It has a standard ground clearance of 218mm that extends to an impressive 271mm off-road and can cope with water up to 500mm deep – so it’s not just a Chelsea tractor.

Back on drying tarmac with the suspension back to road settings and suspension and chassis set for “sport”, the Cayenne cleared its throat and got back to doing what it does best – delighting its driver.

This is quite a car – and with the rear seats folded it’ll swallow 1,770 litres of cargo, so speed is not its only shifting talent.

There are five Cayenne models, four petrols and one diesel, with prices running from £39,754 for a 290bhp 3.6-litre V6 petrol to £77,436 for a scorching 500bhp 4.8-litre turbocharged V8. If you’re really flush, there’s even a Turbo S at around £91,000.

In May the Cayenne gets a major facelift. I doubt its bulldog looks will change much but its engines, locking diff systems and air suspension will be further refined among other updates.

If you have the budget, appreciate the pin-sharp handling of a Porsche and don’t mind diesel or a vehicle with the styling appeal of an aggressive shoe box, this Cayenne will be your perfect driving partner.

I’m tempted to draw comparisons with Range Rover’s excellent 3.0 TDV6 Sport – both cars are close and while I dearly love the British car’s delivery and comfort, it can’t hold a candle to the German opposition’s ultimate handling in its Sport programme.

It’s not pretty and it has the acoustics of a diesel, but the oil-burning Cayenne is a genuine Porsche to the core.

Rating: 8.5/10

FINAL THOUGHT: No other diesel-powered 4x4 can deliver the precise handling and incredible driver feedback of the Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Fuel oil and Porsche do mix – and no-one was more surprised than me. This is a superb and powerful 4x4 that is as exciting on tarmac as it is impressive off-road.

Porsche Cayenne Diesel

Price: £40,571 (£54,977 as tested)
Capacity: 2967cc
Power: 240hp
0-62mph: 8.3 seconds
Maximum speed: 133mph
Economy: Combined 30.4mpg; Urban 24.4mpg
CO2 emissions: 244g/km
ESP: Standard
Insurance: Group 18

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Porsche Cayenne Diesel