Whilst Porsche had been known solely as a manufacturer of sports cars since 1948, they had never manufactured a SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle). That changed in 2002 when the all wheel drive Cayenne was introduced. Whilst Mercedes Benz, with their ML, and BMW with their X5 had introduced their SUV offerings earlier, the Cayenne more than made up for lost time. Styling was sporting for an SUV with hints of the 911 at front.

The first Cayenne models were only available as petrol V8’s, either naturally aspirated or turbocharged. Sales in Australia commenced from June 2003, with a base price of $136,900. In time Diesel (both in six cylinder and V8 forms), six cylinder petrol and hybrid models were sold. Performance enthusiasts weren’t ignored with GTS and Turbo S models available.

The Cayenne is a true utility vehicle as it is capable of family duties, towing a trailer or taking a trip to the snow. The first generation Cayenne was manufactured from 2002-2010, with the second generation manufactured from 2010-2017. The third generation has just been launched and will be sold in Australia from 2018.

With sales of smaller luxury SUV’s taking off worldwide (such as the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5), Porsche introduced the Macan to the world market in 2014. Initially available with six cylinder naturally aspirated petrol, turbo petrol and diesel engines, Porsche introduced the four cylinder Macan in 2017. It is the first four cylinder Porsche since the 968. This model was the first new Porsche with a Recommended Retail Price under $100,000 in Australia since the 944.

The Porsche Cayenne and Macan are now the strongest selling models in Porsches current range. They bring added practicality without losing their sporting heritage, being true Sport Utility Vehicles.