AS A performance-focused SUV from a sportscar brand, the Porsche Cayenne was a relatively new proposition when it was launched in 2003.

Since then, a number of sporty brands have released go-fast high-riders, including Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Lamborghini, while the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz now offer seriously quick versions of their respective large SUVs.

Now in its third generation, Porsche is keen to remind people that it was the original, but it also offers an entry-level variant for those that can’t quite stretch to the tarmac-munching flagship versions.

We test the base Cayenne AWD to see how it fares against other more sedate large SUV offerings.