Love it or hate it, the Porsche Cayenne SUV forged new territory for the brand when it debuted in 2002, and the Stuttgart company has ridden that success to production of 250,000 of the vehicles since. The magic quarter-million mark was passed today at the plant in Leipzig, Poland.

Perhaps typifying the loathing sports car purists have for the vehicle, the 250,000th Cayenne (pictured) is a white six-cylinder diesel model. The efficient and roomy SUV will be delivered to an Austrian customer.

Two generations of the Cayenne have been built thus far, with the first-gen SUV accounting for 150,000 of the sales. The second-gen vehicle has proven even more successful, selling 100,000 units since its debut in February, 2007, 45,478 of those sales coming in the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

The Cayenne has met with critical as well as commercial success. JD Power surveys based on customer ratings have shown the Cayenne to be best in class for new-car satisfaction, as well as garnering high ratings for reliability and overall quality.

For more on the Cayenne, check out our coverage of new models, including the imposing Cayenne Turbo S, and the sporty-yet-efficient Hybrid S here.

2009 Porsche Cayenne Diesel