20 Years Porsche Cayenne: The ‘third Porsche’

Ferry Porsche predicted it back in 1989: “If we build an off-road model according to our standards of quality, and it has a Porsche crest on the front, people will buy it.” He would go on to be proved right. Since 2002, the Cayenne has been one of the mainstays of the car manufacturer’s global success.

The iconic Cayenne Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) is also the chosen model for the first local assembly in Malaysia at the first assembly facility outside of Europe. The Cayenne elevates the brand-typical performance with enhanced standard equipment range specified exclusively for the Malaysian market.

Find out more about the Cayenne

The ‘third Porsche’ – an extraordinary success story

“The Cayenne has always been a major draw for our brand – it has brought many new customers and fans from all over the world to Porsche over the past 20 years,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing.

Porsche had to make some big decisions in the mid-1990s in order to secure its long-term economic success. With the Boxster, launched in 1996, Porsche began to manoeuvre its way out of its slump. But it quickly became clear to the management that the legendary 911 and the new mid-engined model alone would not be able to lead the company into a secure future. Plans for a ‘third Porsche’ began to take shape, albeit initially without a firm decision on the segment.

The company opted for an off-road vehicle as this type of vehicle was particularly on trend in North America – Porsche’s largest market at the time. Ambitions were high right from the start: Porsche was not content merely to build a sporty SUV consistent with the brand, but aimed to give the top competitors in the off-road segment a run for their money.

The first generation: a Cayenne Turbo (left) and Cayenne S in front of the customer centre in Leipzig in 2002.

In 1999, Zuffenhausen decided to build the car in its home market rather than abroad, and constructed a new production facility in Leipzig, which was officially opened in August 2002. Both the first and second model generations of the Cayenne – known internally as E1 and E2 – rolled off the production line in Leipzig and later also in Osnabrück. With the launch of the third generation (E3) in 2017, Porsche moved all Cayenne production to Bratislava to create additional capacity in Leipzig for the Panamera sports sedan and Macan compact SUV.

Its wide technical range makes the Cayenne a family-friendly touring vehicle that is also a robust off-roader and highly dynamic sports car with typical Porsche performance. With these characteristics, the Cayenne has done much to shape the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment over the past 20 years.

The all-rounder: sports car and off-roader with long-distance comfort

The beginning of a great success story: the Cayenne (E1) debuts in 2002 as Porsche's third model series after the 911 and the Boxster.

Away from paved roads, Cayenne drivers could also depend on a low-range transfer box to improve traction. A fully locking centre-differential prevented the wheels from spinning even if they briefly lifted off the ground. Equipped with these capabilities, Porsche’s first off-road vehicle was every bit the equal of competitors’ well-known off-roaders, even during test drives in the car’s development phase.

The first-generation Cayenne (E1) was also the first Porsche to feature the newly developed PASM. Porsche Active Suspension Management was offered together with air suspension. It continuously regulates the damping force and incorporates the condition of the road and the Cayenne driver’s driving style into its calculations. Its air suspension also helped the Cayenne off-road: The already impressive ground clearance of 21.7 centimetres with conventional suspension went up to 27.3 centimetres with the help of the level control system within the air suspension. Porsche optimised its on-road performance at the beginning of 2006 with the introduction of the first Cayenne Turbo S, which attracted attention with its engine output of 383 kW (521 PS) from its 4.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, which was exceptional by the standards of the time.

New markets, new customers: the Cayenne opens doors

For Porsche, the Cayenne has created the economic basis for sustainable success without compromising the motorsport-based values of the sports car brand. “With the Cayenne, we have succeeded for the first time in successfully transferring the Porsche legend to a completely new market segment,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, at the world premiere of the third generation on the roof of the Porsche Museum in 2017. "Our sports car in the SUV segment has proven to be a bestseller and growth engine since 2002. And that’s not all. The Cayenne has opened the door to many new markets for Porsche and made a significant contribution to the internationalisation of our sales network.”

August 2017: the third Cayenne generation (E3) celebrates its world premiere on the roof of the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

March 2022: the first locally assembled Cayenne outside of Europe in Malaysia

Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche, says: “As a style icon in the SUV segment, the Cayenne has helped strengthen the appeal of our brand, particularly in China and other Asian markets. It is now one of Porsche’s most in-demand models worldwide, and I’m sure its popularity will remain strong in the future.”

The full story is available at Porsche newsroom here