The Cayenne is turning 20 and its influence has been great: helping to define the brand as well as combining comfort and off-road qualities with sportiness. As an all-rounder, it has also been met with enthusiasm by our customers.
Porsche considered alternative body shapes to the classic five-door SUV for the Cayenne early on. Shortly after the launch of the first-generation model in December 2002, three additional variants came in for consideration: a coupé, a version stretched by 20 centimeters and with an additional row of seats, and a convertible.
With its decision to develop a 'sporty multi-purpose vehicle,' Porsche presented its design department and its boss at the time, Harm Lagaay, with major challenges.
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.”
It’s certainly a controversial question. In the year that the Cayenne celebrates its 20th birthday, guest contributor Fabian Mechtel travels to Leipzig to meet Walter Röhrl in search of the answer.
