2nd Gen Porsche Cayenne Celebrates 100,000 Mark

The 100,000th second generation Porsche Cayenne was assembled today in Porsche’s Leipzig, Germany plant and marks steady and clear growth for the German automaker.

The public and auto journalists alike had their doubts about the Cayenne when it was first brought to the North American market in 2003, but the luxury SUV has held its own and has had strong sales since the beginning. In 2011, the second generation Cayenne increased its sales by 15 percent over the 2010 model year selling 29,023 units in the United States.

Along with the 100,000th second generation Cayenne, Porsche is celebrating its 10th year of producing vehicles at the Leipzig site. “Ten years ago the success story of Porsche Leipzig started. What was a greenfield site, today ranks among the most modern car plants in the world. In addition to the Cayenne, Leipzig is also where Porsche produces the very successful Panamera luxury saloon, approximately 70,000 units of which have now rolled off the production line. That is why more than 93,800 vehicles left the Porsche plant in Leipzig in 2011, more than in any year before”, says Wolfgang Leimgruber, Member of the Executive Board of Production and Logistics of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

Mirroring the American numbers, China has also recorded a sharp increase in the purchasing of the luxury SUV. From 2009 to 2010, Cayenne sales increased 14 percent in China and Porsche forecasts that by 2014 China will be its largest market.

The Leipzig plant will be adding a third shift to keep up with demand on the Cayenne, and will no doubt be kept busy by a re-surging auto market worldwide.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Porsche Cayenne review.