[Updated with High-Res Photos and Additional Info] Breaking news: after more leaks than the Titanic, Porsche came out of hiding and released official photos and initial specs on its redesigned SUV model that will have its first public outing at next week's Geneva Motor Show..
The verdict is still out on the new Cayenne's styling, but from what we can tell by these images, the next generation of Porsche's most profitable model looks less clumsy and a bit more sleeker than its predecessor thanks to a lowered roofline, steeper angle of the rear tailgate and sharper looking snout.
Then again there's that awkwardly styled rear end that could be mistaken for any other SUV - Crossover model - you didn't hear the word "Nissan" from us...
The interior has been redesigned from the ground up with the dashboard and center and lower consoles looking very similar to the Panamera sports sedan.
The new Cayenne shares its platform with the also new Volkswagen Touareg while using various mechanical bits and pieces from the Panamera.
And even though it has grown 40mm in length, like the Touareg, Porsche's SUV model is somewhere around 200kg or about 440 pounds lighter than the outgoing Cayenne with the German claiming that fuel consumption is down by 23 per cent.
Also helping improve fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions is a new Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic transmission with Auto Start-Stop.
Engine options for the new Cayenne include the VW Group-sourced 3.6-liter V6 petrol with 300HP (also found in the Panamera) and 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel with 240HP, as well as a naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V8 with 400HP (Cayenne S) and a turbocharged version of the same V8 with 500HP (Cayenne Turbo).
The big news for the latest Cayenne, however, is the introduction of a Hybrid model motivated by the same diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain found on the Touareg. It couples a 3.3-liter supercharged V6 TSI producing 333HP and 265 lb-ft of torque to a 47HP electric motor for a total output of 380HP and 580Nm or 428 lb-ft.
The Cayenne Hybrid can cover short distances at speed of up to 60km/h or 40mph in pure electric mode. No performance or economy figures were released but the Germans claim that with CO2 emissions of 193g/km, the Cayenne Hybrid is the firm's cleanest Porsche throughout the company's entire portfolio.
The 2011 Cayenne will have its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show early next week and go on sale this Spring.
2011 Porsche Cayenne Pricing in Germany Including Taxes:
Cayenne 300HP 3.6: €55,431
Cayenne 240HP 3.0 V6 Diesel : €59,596
Cayenne S 400HP V8: €72,686
Cayenne S Hybrid 380HP: €78,636
Cayenne Turbo 500HP V8 : €115,526
