It’s no secret that the Porsche Cayenne has made some serious money for the German automaker with some reports saying that it’s saved the company during the economic downturn. That trend looks set to continue with the new version of the Cayenne beginning production in Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany. Porsche top man Michael Macht has recently indicated that orders for the new Cayenne are “clearly exceeding” expectations.

The news comes at an important time for Porsche, which reportedly saw its sales decline an alarming 40 percent in the first quarter of this year. The previous-generation Cayenne, which is Porsche’s best-selling vehicle, had seen its sales figures reduced by about 25 percent during the fiscal year. But that may have been caused by potential Cayenne owners waiting for the new model.

Porsche is bringing out the new Cayman with updated styling, improved performance and reduced emissions — including the automaker’s first-ever production hybrid model. The new Cayenne and Panamera sedan are seen by many as the right formula to put Porsche back into making positive sales figures.

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