When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I rather doubt it since all the photos showing the test mules make it appear the vehicle is no larger than the 958, and may even be a tad smaller. So there just isn't room for a 3rd row that humans could sit in. I suspect that if Porsche latches onto the "Atlas" body from VW - that was designed as a 3 seat rows vehicle - then we'd see the 3rd row capability.
Maybe Porsche is trying to avoid making an all out minivan-mom-kids-hauler type vehicle.
The MDX has 3rd row seating and similar size to the Cayenne so it's not impossible. The two seats in the back doesn't fit adults unless the adult is under 5'. It's very useful to have if you need to haul extra people. When not in use, it folds flat/flush to the ground and no one noticed the 3rd row seating.
I agree the 3rd row is for kids only. My wife really likes the Cayenne, but is considering a Q7 so she can do carpool once in a while for our kids' classmates. If the new Cayenne will have a 3rd row, she'd probably want to delay her purchase rather than getting a Q7 now.
I think the difficulty with a 3rd row seat is clearance to the rear window. Since Porsche tilted it even more on the 958 (vs 955/957) it means only children with no heads would be able to sit back there. It would also help if they had no legs.
I seem to recall some rancor between the VAG groups when VW announced the Atlas. While I've no intention of buying one it does seem like a pretty good combination of features/price. Time will tell, of course.
If a 7-seat variant with Cayenne-like features existed I'd have given consideration to it. Not really for the added seating but for larger cargo capacity. The Q7 really has a lot going for it... except for being utterly uninspiring in the looks department. But at a certain point I'd imagine management and the engineers have to decide when they can no longer provide a Porsche kind of driving experience. The Cayenne is probably at the outside edge of that envelope.
At least they're avoiding the horrific brand wreckage Jeep has been inflicting on itself with junk like the Compass and Renegade (or the Commander). But then that's a wildly different market segment, I suppose.
It's sort of like the Touareg argument... do the numbers and you'll buy the VW. Drive one and you'll buy the Porsche. Would a 7-seat model still win enough points in the debates to drive sufficient sales? I'm kinda thinking not.
My GS 350 lease ends in January 2018. My wife said I could buy any care "as long is it is an SUV". Drove the Cayenne and was pretty impressed. Considering Range Rover sport and Q7 as well. I think the new Q7 underpinnings with porsche exterior styling in the 2018 may just be the ticket for me but I don't think it will come out in time. Is it possible to extend a lease for a few months??
My GS 350 lease ends in January 2018. My wife said I could buy any care "as long is it is an SUV". Drove the Cayenne and was pretty impressed. Considering Range Rover sport and Q7 as well. I think the new Q7 underpinnings with porsche exterior styling in the 2018 may just be the ticket for me but I don't think it will come out in time. Is it possible to extend a lease for a few months??
Usually. I used to have a boss who just didn't bother turning his leases in - he was in Florida for the winter and they wanted it returned in NJ. They just kept billing on a monthly basis. You might ask the company you leased from for an authoritative answer.
Just drove the Q7. Perhaps it's me and I'm coming from a sports sedan, but it seems that the drive is a bit softer and more "wallowing" than the older version. Ride comfort and cabin quietness is exceptional, as well as the electronics. I think the Q7 is off my list, but if you added more dynamic suspension it would be a tougher choice.
In all the reviews I have watched, there is no third row shown, nor talk of a third row. Nor does there look like a place for it with the floorpan. I'd be willing to bet 100% that there is no third row.
I happened to be helping a friend load some stuff into the back of their XC90. I was, once again, astounded by the huge amount of cargo area back there, even with the 2nd row of seats in the raised position. It's really big as a damned bus inside, without on the outside looking like the ungainly beast it drives like. Whereas the Q7 does look like the bus whose handling it seems to want to imitate. Though not as bloated at the Mercedes, of course, nor nearly as hideously gargantuan as a Suburban or an Armada. But still bland and poor-handling in comparison. Still, if Porsche managed to make the cargo area a bit more generous inside they'd likely continue to have a winner.