2011 Porsche Cayenne Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Porsche Cayenne review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Cayenne, and includes Porsche Cayenne safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

When the first Cayenne debuted in 2003, Porsche fanatics were beside themselves with dismay that their favorite sports car company would even consider a SUV, let alone actually build one. Now, eight years later, the sky hasn’t fallen, hell hasn’t frozen over, and Porsche even sells a weird sedan/hatchback thingy in addition to an SUV.

The Cayenne is completely redesigned for 2011. Highlights include the introduction of a new hybrid model, greater fuel efficiency across the lineup, a larger interior, a better four-wheel-drive system, additional safety features, and new luxury and technology upgrades.

Porsche sells the Cayenne in four different models, each with its own powertrain. Standard equipment levels are reasonably generous, but one visit to the Porsche website’s “Build Your Own” section and you’ll see that it’s easy to double the price tag thanks to an incredible wealth of optional features that allow Cayenne buyers to tailor the SUV to very specific preferences.

The least expensive model is the standard Cayenne. It has a V6 engine, a manual transmission, eight-way power front seats, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, and a power tailgate. Porsche Communication Management (PCM) is standard, and includes Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and a USB port. Additional features include a seven-inch color touchscreen information display, a stereo with a CD/DVD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, and heated washer nozzles. The Cayenne rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, and is equipped with LED driving lights, LED turn signal indicators, and LED taillights.

Moving up to the Cayenne S or Cayenne S Hybrid doesn’t add much in the way of standard features; a power moonroof, a SportDesign steering wheel with paddle shifters, and Servotronic speed-dependent power steering assist are the main upgrades, along with a unique set of wheels. Instead, getting the S or S Hybrid means a significant improvement in power, performance, and with the S Hybrid, fuel economy.

At the top of the lineup, and at more than double the price of a base Cayenne, sits the Cayenne Turbo. By its name, you’re right to assume that performance is pretty impressive. In addition to a twin-turbocharged V8 engine and other performance upgrades, the Cayenne Turbo has 19-inch wheels, a Bose surround sound audio system, a navigation system, and a parking assistance system. Adaptive Sport Seats are standard for the driver and front passenger, and the Turbo includes heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, memory for the driver’s settings, genuine aluminum interior trim, and a headliner trimmed in Alcantara.

As we mentioned, the Cayenne is available with a long list of extras. Aside from paint, leather, cabin trim, and additional appearance upgrades including numerous wheel sizes and designs, and depending on the model selected, here are the highlights.

Comfort levels can be addressed by optional 14-way power Comfort Seats, 18-way power Adaptive Sport Seats, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a four-zone climate control system. Entertainment upgrades include a Bose or Burmeister surround sound audio system, a rear seat entertainment system, and satellite radio. The Cayenne is also available with a panoramic sunroof, a navigation system, voice-recognition technology, a keyless access system, a heated windshield, power rear window sunshades, and off-road underbody protection.

Additional options will be covered in the sections to follow, but even so, we’re only addressing a fraction of the features that are available on a Porsche Cayenne and we encourage you to visit the official Porsche website to learn more about the myriad ways a Cayenne can be configured.

The base Cayenne has a 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine making 300 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic available as an option. When equipped with the Tiptronic S transmission, the Cayenne has an Auto Start/Stop function designed to shut the V6 engine off under certain conditions to help conserve fuel.

Speaking of fuel economy, the Cayenne V6 is expected to get 15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway with the manual gearbox, and 16-city/23-highway with the automatic. Porsche claims the Cayenne will accelerate to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds with the manual gearbox and 7.4 seconds with thriftier automatic, on the way to a top speed of 142 mph.

For power and performance, the Cayenne S delivers thanks to a 4.8-liter, direct-injected V8 that generates 400 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. This model comes standard with the Tiptronic S Auto Start/Stop transmission, is rated to get 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, and vaults to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds on the way to 160 mph.

To own the quickest Cayenne, parking the Turbo in the driveway is required. The Cayenne Turbo has a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected, 4.8-liter V8 spooling up 500 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 516 lb-ft of torque between 2,250 and 4,500 rpm. The Tiptronic S Auto Start/Stop transmission is standard, fuel economy ratings are 15-city/22-highway, and the Turbo blasts to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and can attain 172 mph.

To own the most fuel-efficient Cayenne, get the S Hybrid, which is expected to return 20 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Equipped with what Porsche calls a full parallel hybrid powertrain, the Cayenne S Hybrid has a supercharged, direct-injected 3.0-liter V6 paired with an electric motor and 288-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The combined 380 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 427 lb-ft at 1,000 rpm ensure that the Cayenne S Hybrid is a legitimate Porsche. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 6.1 seconds, and this model can get to 150 mph.

The Cayenne S Hybrid’s full parallel powertrain is designed so that the supercharged V6 engine and the electric motor can operate together or independently. Porsche says the Cayenne S Hybrid can go as fast as 40 mph on the electric power alone, and then when coasting at speeds up to 97 mph, the gas engine shuts off to conserve fuel. As with all Cayennes except the base model with the manual transmission, Auto Start/Stop technology is standard.

Each Cayenne model is equipped with Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive. On non-hybrid models, PTM is a new, lightweight active system that drives the rear wheels until conditions warrant power transfer to the front wheels. Porsche says the new system weighs less, which improves fuel economy and on-road driving dynamics while still providing the level of off-road capability Cayenne owners require. The Cayenne S Hybrid is also equipped with PTM, but on this model it’s a permanent all-wheel-drive system with a self-locking center differential and a 40:60 front/rear power split.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) is available on all models except the Cayenne S Hybrid. It’s a variable torque distribution system with a rear differential lock that is designed to send the majority of engine power to one of the Cayenne’s individual rear wheels for greater traction and cornering capability. PTV Plus also actively brakes the inside rear wheel during hard driving to transfer power to the outside wheel, thereby tightening the SUV’s cornering line and improving grip.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is an optional air suspension system with Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. Available on Cayenne and Cayenne S, and standard on Cayenne Turbo, PASM can also be upgraded with Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC). PDCC is an active vehicle stabilization system that reduces body roll in corners.

The Cayenne’s standard braking system includes internally vented discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. Brake size increases as you go up the model line, and the Turbo’s stoppers include two-piece front and cross-drilled rear discs for maximum stopping capability while the S Hybrid’s braking system features energy regeneration to recharge the battery pack. A standard Auto Hold function operates like a hill-start assist system. Any of the four Cayenne models can be equipped with optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), as long as the buyer has upgraded to 19-inch wheels or larger.

The 2011 Cayenne is equipped with six standard airbags and Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which includes the antilock braking system with braking readiness and brake assist, stability and traction control, and other safety technologies designed to keep the Cayenne under control.

The Porsche Dynamic Light System includes bi-Xenon headlights with static and dynamic cornering lights, and speed-sensitive headlight control with road and freeway settings. This feature is standard on the Turbo, and optional on other models.

The Cayenne’s optional Lane Change Assistant is a blind spot monitoring system. The SUV can also be equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control, a radar-based system that automatically maintains a set distance from traffic ahead, and operates until the Cayenne comes to a stop. To re-engage the system once traffic starts moving again, tap the cruise control lever or step on the accelerator.

As is typical when it comes to higher-end, lower-volume vehicles, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has performed crash tests on the redesigned Cayenne.

As far as dependability is concerned, Consumer Reports is making no predictions as this review is written. J.D. Power and Associates expects the new Cayenne to provide slightly better than average reliability over time.

The redesigned 2011 Cayenne is equipped with water repellant front windows to improve visibility in the rain, and the glovebox is refrigerated.

Thanks to the new Cayenne’s wheelbase stretch, the back seat is much roomier than the previous model’s. Plus, the rear seat slides fore and aft with up to 6.3 inches of travel to adjust for leg or cargo space, and the backrest can be reclined to one of three angled settings.

Cargo area measures 23.7 cubic-feet with the rear seat in use (20.5 cu-ft for the S Hybrid) and 62.9 cu-ft with the rear seat folded down (59.7 cu-ft for the S Hybrid). The Cayenne’s towing rating is 7,716 pounds for all models equipped with the Tiptronic S automatic transmission. If you happen to have a base Cayenne with a manual gearbox, you’re restricted to towing 5,952 pounds.

The Cayenne’s ground clearance measures 8.7 inches with the standard suspension. With the optional PASM, the range is 6.9 inches to 10.75 depending on the selected setting. Maximum wading depth is 19.69 inches with the standard suspension, and up to 21.85 inches for models with PASM.

Porsche and Volkswagen collaborated on the engineering that provides the underlying platform and structure for the Porsche Cayenne and VW Touareg SUVs. However, despite shared lineage, these models are distinctly different from another.

Vehix elected to test-drive the Cayenne S Hybrid to see just how fuel-efficient a 5,000-pound, performance-oriented SUV could possibly be. As it turns out, 19.3 mpg is pretty good for a vehicle of the Cayenne’s size, and one endowed with the Cayenne’s capabilities, even if it fell a bit short of the EPA’s combined 21-mpg rating.

The trouble is that Porsche’s first attempt at building a hybrid powertrain could use additional refinement. From the driver’s seat, it is obvious when the engine and electric motor are coupling and de-coupling, and when the Cayenne is driven in Normal mode, requests for acceleration are frequently delayed. The result is that the driver frequently overcompensates by pushing harder on the accelerator, which just produces unexpected surging when the powertrain finally does respond to input.

The regenerative braking system is also tricky to operate. The pedal feels too soft, and response is too sticky. Halting the Cayenne S Hybrid smoothly is difficult, and if pedal pressure proves too light as the SUV comes to a stop, it immediately starts to creep forward, requiring correction. We also weren’t fans of the light-effort steering or the thin-rimmed steering wheel that were installed in our test vehicle.

The result of these characteristics is that the driver is constantly aware that the Cayenne S Hybrid is, indeed, a hybrid. This is certainly not uncommon among these types of vehicles, but the best hybrid powertrains are the ones that don’t draw undue attention to themselves while underway.

That said, we are compelled to report that the Cayenne S Hybrid is the most fun hybrid vehicle we’ve ever driven. As expected from a Porsche, this gas/electric Cayenne is quick, handles well, and stops rapidly. And while we didn’t challenge it with seriously difficult terrain, it bounced down a two-track mountain trail like a family-friendly rally car.

The Cayenne’s front and rear seats are comfortable, the cargo area is accommodating, and the control layout provides an intimate, cockpit-style feeling in the front seats. We’re not huge fans of the haphazardly arranged controls, however, which already seem outdated compared to systems like MyFord Touch or Chrysler’s Uconnect Touch infotainment systems.

Purists may continue to decry the existence of the Cayenne, but there’s no denying that its popularity and profitability drive Porsche’s success. Removing the badge for a moment, the Cayenne is a capable SUV in its own right, speedy, athletic, and sure-footed regardless of weather or terrain. Personalization is limited only by imagination and budget, the cabin is roomy and comfortable, and the S Hybrid’s fuel economy is truly remarkable. Count us as fans of the Cayenne.

By Christian Wardlaw