Porsche Cayenne review

All the regular petrol models are in the top 37% bracket for benefit-in-kind company car tax, so they won't make cheap company cars.  The hybrid models may offer cheaper payments, but we're waiting for their CO2 emissions to be confirmed.

Official fuel economy figures are equally eyebrow-raising; the most frugal version manages a combined (WLTP) figure of 24.1mpg, while the Turbo model returns only 20.8mpg. Again, the hybrid figures are yet to be officially published, but if you do mainly local journeys and can keep the battery topped up to make use of the electric-only range, they could prove to be extremely cheap to run. Recharging the E-Hybrid battery from a 7.2kW home wall charger will take 2hr 20min, while the Turbo S E-Hybrid will take 2hr 40min, but you have to buy an extra cable for both to make them compatible.

The Cayenne is also predicted to depreciate slowly, holding onto well over half of its value after three years and outperforming even the Range Rover Sport. That keeps PCP finance rates relatively competitive next to its chief rivals. 

You don't get a lot of standard kit with a Cayenne, Cayenne S or E-Hybrid. Beyond the infotainment system and LED headlights we discussed earlier in this review you only get the basics – such as part-leather seats, standard cruise control, two-zone climate control, 19in alloy wheels and an electric tailgate. Luxuries, such as heated seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control, are all extras.

The Turbo and Turbo S E-Hybrid models are vastly more expensive but do add some more bits and pieces, which include 21in alloy wheels, heated front and rear full leather seats and an Alcantara headlining.

If you want more toys for your money, look instead at the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport and Volvo XC90. 

Overall, the Porsche brand finished 23rd out of 31 manufacturers in our 2018 Reliability Survey. That's below Audi, BMW and Alfa Romeo, but above Mercedes and Land Rover. 

The Cayenne comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is par for the course in this class. You get European breakdown cover for the first three years of ownership, too.

The Cayenne gets a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. However, compare its scores in each category with those of the safest cars in this class, such as the Volvo XC90, and you'll see that the Cayenne drops a few points for adult occupant protection and quite a few in the child occupant protection category. 

It gets pedestrian detection with automatic emergency braking and the usual selection of airbags, traction control and stability control as standard. Lane departure warning and blindspot monitoring are all extras, though.

All Cayennes get central locking and an alarm, and the security experts at Thatcham Research rated it very highly. They gave the Cayenne five stars out of five for its resistance to being stolen and four out of five for resistance to being broken into.