Cayenne: SUV with soul of sports car

The current best seller in the Porsche range is the Cayenne SUV. It came about after the legendary sports car maker decided to enlarge its footprint after decades of only creating low-slung, two-people carriers.

In aiming to grow its business and profits by having representation in other vehicle sectors, the company today boasts five ranges, with a sixth - a smaller SUV, named the Cajun - soon to make its appearance.

The Cayenne, in the meantime, has carved out a niche in the premium SUV segment, snatching away sales from traditional leaders Range Rover, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Armed with bits and bobs shared with its VW Touareg sibling, this "Porsche on stilettos" took very little time to catch on among the movers and shakers.

It offered them the opportunity to live with the emerging glamour of SUV ownership, along with the greatest automotive brand of them all.

Cayenne is now firmly on the shopping lists of buyers and, with the time it has clocked in this country, it has now also broken into the pre-owned market.

Should you opt for a used Porsche, expect to find an SUV that's truly above alternatives in capabilities, bar the Range Rover.

While the rest of the field may boast equal levels of luxury and have AWD undercarriages, it's only the Rangey and Cayenne that offer genuine off-road driving, thanks to two-speed transfer cases.

So if you intend using your high-life SUV as a mud-plugger, the Cayenne is a good place to start.

Boasting all the bells and whistles, plus the added advantage of the strength of the gold and black shield on its nose, the Cayenne is available in a number of derivatives to suit various tastes.

Engines begin with a base-line 3.6-litre V6; a middle order 4.2-litre petrol V8 and a top-line turbocharged V8 version.

A diesel derivative has also joined the melee. Both offer well-rounded packages with the V8s adding a deep-throated engine roar to the mix.

On the road, expect superb drive quality honed by makers of the best handling sports car ever, the Carrera.

It cruises well, thanks to air-suspension, while if driven a bit more enthusiastically, like a Porsche, offers incredible handling and feel that can't be matched by rivals.

I've personally witnessed a Cayenne being drifted silly at a race track, ample evidence that, while Porsche may have strayed off its regular tracks, it did so without losing its ethos.

There are few Porsche centres in this country and for peace of mind they should be the only port of call for a pre-owned Cayenne.

Expect to pay between R450000 and R1-million for models between 2008 and 2011.