Back in the days when peak power figures were infinitely more important than anything related to emissions or fuel economy, Porsche said it would never build an SUV. Luckily, the gentlemen at Porsche softened their stance over time, and the monstrous Cayenne joined the family.

Suffice it to say that with 250,000 units now sold, the SUV from Stuttgart has clearly been a success.

The 250,000th Cayenne is heading to its new home in Austria, and will be powered by a six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine - not something we normally associate with Porsche (but then, there was a time we couldn’t picture a Porsche SUV either).

As the economy continues to deteriorate and the emphasis on reducing emissions becomes paramount, it’s uncertain what the future holds for vehicles like the Cayenne.

With consumers continuing to switch to smaller and more frugal transportation, we look forward to seeing what Porsche has up its sleeve in response.