It is one of Porsche’s most important models, with more than 760,000 sales since it was first introduced way back in 2002. We are referring to the Cayenne, the brand’s first SUV that has been around long enough to go through two generations. Come August 29, 2017, Porsche will unveil the third-generation Cayenne, and to get the hype ball rolling, the carmaker is discussing the endurance testing it has undertaken to ensure its upcoming SUV is a capable one.
This meant travelling all around the world to subject the SUV to a multitude of conditions, including temperatures ranging from minus 45 degrees in Alaska, USA to plus 50 degrees in the sand dunes of Dubai (UAE). All in all, the prototypes and pre-series vehicles have completed a total of around 4.4 million test kilometres.
The Cayenne test mules also had to endure numerous laps of the several test tracks (in Germany, Sweden, Finland and Spain), high-speed runs on the Nardo test track in Italy as well as stop-start traffic in the hot and humid conditions of Chinese cities. That’s not all, as the SUV was transported to South Africa, Japan and New Zealand to complete extensive on- and off-road testing.
Porsche also subjected the Cayenne to tough endurance tests on Hydropuls units, a hydraulic testing facility that applies artificial vibrations to both the chassis and body. The machine simulates a vehicle life under conditions that are beyond what it will face with customers, with the vehicles covering up to 240,000 km within a few months.
For now, Porsche is referring to the third-generation Cayenne as the ‘E3’, stating that the SUV will feature an all-new chassis, likely the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform used in the Audi Q7 and the Bentley Bentayga. Motivation will come from a range of six- and eight-cylinder engines, with hybrid models being a very strong certainty.
As for the styling, the new SUV adopts the recent design language found on the Panamera, most noticeably in the front bumper with those intakes. The trademark four-point LEDs in the headlights are also seen here, along with 3D-effect taillights. Even the tailgate features a less fussy design compared to the second-generation model.
We’ll receive more information once that third-gen Cayanne makes its global debut in a few days’ time, so stay tuned.
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