Porsche Cayenne: The king of driver-friendly SUVs

published 10 November 2017

Porsche's Cayenne first "reared its shockingly ugly head" back in 2002, says Shane O'Donoghue in The Daily Telegraph. This latest version may seem like a subtle makeover of a familiar concept, but the car has actually undergone a comprehensive overhaul. The new version is more spacious within and the interior is "of tangibly higher quality", with a high-tech and easy-to-use infotainment system. The car is lighter and more powerful, and employs "fiendishly clever" technology to make it "quicker and more capable than ever". Indeed, "mere mortals" will never getthe most out of this car's on and off-road abilities. Typical buyers will be more likely to be found ambling about in posh neighbourhoods than testing the car's limits on empty B-roads. But they will love it nevertheless. The subtle exterior redesign means it even looks good now too.

Back in 2002 Porsche enthusiasts were horrified at the thought of their beloved brand building a Chelsea tractor, says Alan Taylor-Jones in What Car?. But the Cayenne has been a roaring success, and today no one bats an eyelid when sports-car makers produce hulking SUVs. The Cayenne remains one of Porsche's most important cars, making up the majority of sales, and that's why so much thought and effort has gone into this update.It remains a practical and luxurious family car, but the Cayenne has always really been about "putting the sport into SUV". This new model will "get you down a challenging stretch of road ludicrously quickly indeed, better than most of its rivals". It's an impressive achievement.

It's "the king of driver-friendly SUVs", agrees Top Gear. It drives "as if the road is being sucked beneath you like a crazy treadmill", and there's never enough road to really test the car's abilities. Thanks to its "all-you-can-eat buffet of tech", it feels like a sports car despite its bulk. This is a "very complete machine" that will provide "hours of laugh-out-loud fun".

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Stuart graduated from the University of Leeds with an honours degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, and from Bath Spa University College with a postgraduate diploma in creative writing.

He started his career in journalism working on newspapers and magazines for the medical profession before joining MoneyWeek shortly after its first issue appeared in November 2000. He has worked for the magazine ever since, and is now the comment editor.

He has long had an interest in political economy and philosophy and writes occasional think pieces on this theme for the magazine, as well as a weekly round up of the best blogs in finance.

His work has appeared in The Lancet and The Idler and in numerous other small-press and online publications.