Critical Knowledge:

• Completely redesigned for 2011
• New 8-speed automatic transmission
• Supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine
• Longer wheelbase increases interior room
• New all-wheel-drive system
• New electric power steering

Green Facts:

• Lighter and more fuel efficient
• Gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant
• Auxiliary 47-horsepower electric motor
• All-electric speeds up to 40 mph
• Unique hybrid "sailing" technology

Introduction
Originally launched in 2003, the Cayenne sport utility vehicle was a marked departure from the generations of Porsche sports cars that preceded it. The 5-passenger SUV boasted both on- and off-road prowess, and a choice between 6- and 8-cylinder powerplants. While it shared many common components with the Volkswagen Touareg (including the chassis), the Cayenne was designed, tuned and manufactured exclusively by Porsche.

Regardless of the admonishment by Porsche purists, the Cayenne was a sales success for the automaker (eventually outselling the venerable 911). In 2007, the "second-generation" Cayenne arrived. While it wasn't an all-new design, it carried significant upgrades, including a revised body design and reworked engines.

Completely redesigned for the 2011 model year, the Porsche Cayenne once again shares major platform components with the Volkswagen Touareg. With the new platform, the automakers worked hard to reduce weight, recognizing that most consumers never took advantage of the very capable off-road systems within the vehicle. Focus was directed on structural design, lightweight materials, and a new all-wheel-drive system. At its debut during the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the all-new Cayenne was several hundred pounds lighter, more torsionally rigid, and more aerodynamic than its predecessor.

Porsche has traditionally offered many variants of the Cayenne with 6- and 8-cylinder power and even turbocharged high-performance models. Complementing the gasoline-powered lineup for 2011 is the all-new Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid-the automaker's first dual-energy vehicle.