IF you think that all-wheel-drive technology is something that was first developed primarily for military vehicles around the 1930s, then let me put you straight.

You've got to right back the very dawn of the 20th century to when Queen Victoria was still on the throne and the second Boer War was in full swing when Ferdinand Porsche built his Lohner-Porsche race car, with power supplied by an electric hub motor at each wheel.

From then on, apart from the odd four-wheel-drive machine such as the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car, it was not until 1980 that Porsche seriously began to develop a sporty, all-wheel-drive system, which in 1984 saw the German marque's 4WD Type 953 charge to victory in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

More rally success followed with the 4WD Type 953 and this led to the construction of the 4WD 959 super sports car in 1985, which saw success both on the track and on the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally.

Today, Porsche's new and highly-sophisticated Traction Management System sets the standard for modern all-wheel-drive vehicles.

And while it is also fitted to some of Porsche's high-performance sports cars, it is on the Cayenne SUV range where it really proves its worth and separates the men from the boys.

Sporting an uprated VW-group twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V8 diesel engine, the brand new Cayenne S Diesel hits UK showrooms in early January.

With no less than 378bhp and 626lb/ft of torque on tap, the car's awesome power is delivered to all four wheels via a super-slick, eight-speed automatic Tiptronic S gearbox, which can propel the machine from standing to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 156mph.

Considering the phenomenal weight of the Cayenne - it weighs in at a little over two tons - the drivetrain makes light work of pushing the car on to its very limits.

Like all SUVs, there is some flexing and body roll when negotiating tight corners at speed, but it is minimal and not enough to unruffle any feathers, unlike many other vehicles of this ilk.

Porsche have stuck to the current body style for the new Cayenne S, but subtle diesel badging on both wings and black intake grilles somewhat give the game away.

In basic form, the newcomer comes with a £58,243 price tag, but for the money includes leather interior, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, infotainment package with seven-inch touch screen, parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels.

There's little doubt that this S Diesel will encroach heavily into the petrol Turbo S model's sales, but with that car's massive £107,460 price tag, that is only to be expected.

Alright, the Diesel S may be 20mph slower flat out and 1.2 seconds off the pace of the Turbo S on the 0-62 mph dash, but with its superior fuel economy and lower annual road tax, I know which model would be my choice.

: £58,243

4134cc, 378bhp V8 diesel engine, driving all four wheels through eight-speed automatic gearbox

: 156mph

: 5.7 seconds

: Combined 34mpg

: 218g/km

: 3yrs/unlimited miles