Is the Cayenne still Porsche's secret spice?

Crete, Greece

WHAT comes to mind when you think of a Porsche? Surely the 911 coupe, which devotees hail as an icon of motoring? But while the 911 is what the world associates with Porsche, not many realise the company was floundering until it took a bet on the Cayenne, its first Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), even before it was hip to be seen in one.

That was in 2002, and from launch the sales figures for Porsche's SUV were meteoric; more than 270,000 found buyers, and more than half a million units of the second-generation Cayenne, which came out in 2010, were sold.