The new Porsche Cayenne (source: Courtesy of Porsche)
In 2014, the Volkswagen carmaker announced it would move the production of luxury SUV Cayenne model from Leipzig to its plant in Bratislava. In 2015, the foundation stone of a new production hall in the Devínska Nová Ves borough of Bratislava was laid – where the Cayenne would be assembled, the Sme daily wrote.
On the evening of August 29, Porsche presented a new generation of SUV which would be “Made in Slovakia” for the very first time. Currently, only the Cayenne’s bodywork with driving mechanism is produced in Slovakia, then sent to the Porsche plant in Leipzig for completion.
Next year, apart from the Cayenne, the Audi Q8 and later the first Lamborghini SUV will be made in Bratislava.
Innovations of the new Cayenne
The new Cayenne model generation has a new, aluminium platform, with the wheelbase remaining the same. However, the new model is longer and lower than the current generation and about 65 kilograms lighter.
The biggest technology novelty is the dashboard electronics with a voltage of 48 Volts, instead of the classic 12 Volts. Thanks to this, the Cayenne can have several modern chassis systems.
The carmaker claims, as cited by Sme, that due to the chassis and gearbox technologies with short gears, Cayenne will excel not just on the road but also off-road. Drivers will be able to choose a road or one of four off-road modes: for driving in mud, on gravel, sand or rocks.
The Cayenne received a new type of brakes which should work better than the classic steel discs, last longer and not create as much dust.
In the interior, we find the technologies we know from the brand’s other models, especially the latest Panamera. The driver has, for example, night vision or modern assistance tools at their disposal (adaptable cruise control, keeping in the lane), and a crew can use the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.
The volume of the boot rose by a hundred litres, to 770 litres.
When the sale is launched, there will be two engine versions: the basic Cayenne will have a six-cylinder engine with a 3.0 litre volume; and the turbo one with 340 horsepower.
The stronger Cayenne S model will be a six-cylinder with 2.9 litres, two turbos and 440 horsepower. This version has a maximum speed of 265 kilometres an hour; and if clients pay for extra Sport Chrono package, it will be able to accelerate to 100 km in less than five seconds.
Both engines are combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all four-wheel drive. It is expected that in the future the portfolio will be enhanced by a Turbo model with eight-cylinder engine, or a hybrid and maybe even diesel versions.
