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Porsche Cayenne 2024 review

The Porsche Cayenne has been given a mid-life makeover to keep it fresh and appealing.

Porsche and family-friendly rarely go together. Anyone who has tried to squeeze into the back seats of a 911 will testify that Porsches traditionally have been focused solely on the driver.

That changed with the Cayenne, the brand’s first SUV, which became an instant hit and helped secure the brand’s long-term future by massively expanding sales.

After two decades on sale the Cayenne remains the brand’s most family orientated car but for 2024 the company has given this third-generation model a major overhaul, with a goal to put a bit more sportiness back into every model.

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Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

Porsche is the master brand when it comes to maximising a model range with as many variants as possible. Which explains why this 2024 Cayenne is available in 11 different options, ranging from a relatively reasonably priced $138,700 ‘standard’ Cayenne all the way up to the extremely expensive and extremely fast $364,700 Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe.

In between, Porsche offers two body styles (SUV and Coupe), four engines (turbo V6 petrol, V6 petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, twin-turbo V8 petrol and V8 PHEV) and six trim lines.

These include the standard specification (which has no specific designation), the E-Hybrid PHEV, the sportier ‘S’ options, then Turbo and Turbo E-Hybrid then the hero Turbo GT.

The range begins at $138,700 (plus on-road costs) for the Cayenne. The range begins at $138,700 (plus on-road costs) for the Cayenne.

So the full rundown of the line-up goes like this - Cayenne, E-Hybrid, S, S E-Hybrid, Turbo E-Hybrid, Cayenne Coupe, E-Hybrid Coupe, S Coupe, S E-Hybrid Coupe, Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe and Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe.

As mentioned before, the range begins at $138,700 (plus on-road costs) for the Cayenne, the Cayenne E-Hybrid is priced from $154,600, the Cayenne S starts  $179,500 and the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid costs $288,400. The Coupe models add between $5700 and $9000 depending on the model, except for the previously mentioned Turbo GT.

All Cayennes are equipped with partial leather interior in black and a new 12.6-inch digital instrument display. (Base grade pictured) All Cayennes are equipped with partial leather interior in black and a new 12.6-inch digital instrument display. (Base grade pictured)

In terms of standard equipment all Cayennes now come equipped with LED Matrix beam headlights as well as 14-way electronically adjustable front seats, a head-up display, partial leather interior in black and a new 12.6-inch digital instrument display. 

The standard sound system on the Cayenne and E-Hybrid is a 150W, 10-speaker set-up with the S and above getting a Bose surround sound unit.

The majority of the range gets 20-inch alloy wheels as standard, but there are different designs for the Cayenne, E-Hybrid and S variants. The Turbo GT rides on 22-inch rims.

The extremely expensive and extremely fast Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe wears a price tag of $364,700. The extremely expensive and extremely fast Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe wears a price tag of $364,700.

Design - Is there anything interesting about its design?

Porsche’s designers used this mid-life update as an opportunity to refine the look of the third-generation Cayenne, rather than a dramatically different overall. Still, the changes are notable and give a fresh look to this luxury SUV.

At the front the designers have introduced a more aggressive look, with a more contoured bonnet, a restyled grille and new headlight signature as well as a tweaked lower apron.

Meanwhile, at the back of the Cayenne, there’s a new rear apron with integrated number plate holder as well as new streamlined three-dimensional tail-lights.

  • The Cayennes front features a more aggressive look. The Cayennes front features a more aggressive look.
  • The Cayennes rear features streamlined three-dimensional tail-lights. The Cayennes rear features streamlined three-dimensional tail-lights.
  • The new changes are notable and give a fresh look to this luxury SUV. The new changes are notable and give a fresh look to this luxury SUV.

There are even bigger changes to the interior, specifically the dashboard, which has been redesigned to create a cabin that is more modern looking but also more practical.

These changes are largely inspired by the Taycan electric car, with Porsche moving the gearshift to the centre fascia, alongside the new Taycan-inspired digital instrument display, and switching it to its toggle-style selector.

The re-designed dashboard panel has also led Porsche’s designers to create the option of a third digital display, in front of the passenger seat. It's available as an option across the line-up. 

The Cayennes dashboard has been redesigned to create a cabin that is more modern looking but also more practical. (Base grade pictured) The Cayennes dashboard has been redesigned to create a cabin that is more modern looking but also more practical. (Base grade pictured)

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

While it does take some time to get used to the new upper-dash-mounted toggle selector, the changes to the design have liberated more practical storage space in the centre console, between the front seats.

With the gear selector gone there’s now a small item storage cubby, joining the smartphone charging pad, a pair of cupholders and the lidded console box. 

The seats are comfortable up front, and while the lower grade models get manual steering wheel adjustment the higher grades get electronic adjustment, so finding the right driving position should be easy for most people.

The lower grade Cayenne models get manual steering wheel adjustment. (Base grade pictured) The lower grade Cayenne models get manual steering wheel adjustment. (Base grade pictured)

Space in the rear of the SUV variants is a big plus for the Cayenne. Certainly there’s a lot more room that you’ll find in a 911.

In fact, the Cayenne is by far the most family-friendly Porsche you can buy, with enough room in the back for two adults or older teenagers to sit comfortably, or enough room for three younger children. 

Unsurprisingly, the Coupe models aren’t quite so generous, with the tapering roofline eating into some of the headroom needed for taller people, but that’s an obvious consequence of picking a what is clearly the less-practical option in the range.

  • The seats are comfortable up front. (S grade pictured) The seats are comfortable up front. (S grade pictured)
  • Space in the rear of the SUV variants is a big plus for the Cayenne. (S grade pictured) Space in the rear of the SUV variants is a big plus for the Cayenne. (S grade pictured)

The boot in the SUV is also spacious, cementing the Cayenne’s family credentials.

The standard Cayenne offers 772 litres, but the Cayenne S is slightly smaller at 745 litres.

Even the E-Hybrid, which loses some space thanks to its unique powertrain, still has a respectable 627 litres of room.

The Cayenne S has a boot capacity of 745 litres. The Cayenne S has a boot capacity of 745 litres.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine/motor?

As mentioned earlier there are four core powertrains for this latest Cayenne - 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol, 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol and V8 PHEV.

All are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 in the entry-level Cayenne is largely carried over from the pre-facelift model but now makes 260kW/500Nm, a 10kW/50Nm improvement. 

This same engine is paired with an electric motor for the E-Hybrid range, with Porsche introducing an updated motor that has improved range, more power and faster charging.

All Cayenne models are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All Cayenne models are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The electric motor now makes 130kW/460Nm, a significant 30kW/60Nm improvement, which contributes towards a combined system output of 346kW/650Nm for the Cayenne E-Hybrid model.

Those figures increase to 382kW/750Nm for the Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV and Coupe, although it's worth noting none of the E-Hybrid models were available for us to drive.

The biggest story of the updated range, though, is what powers the Cayenne S, with Porsche bucking modern trends for downsizing and swapping the previous model’s V6 for a return to a V8.

The V6 in the entry-level Cayenne has an output improvement of 10kW/50Nm. The V6 in the entry-level Cayenne has an output improvement of 10kW/50Nm.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbo unit makes 349kW/600Nm, which is a 25kW/50Nm bump from the previous twin-turbo V6.

According to Porsche’s engineers the V8 engine doesn’t work as hard as the V6 did, and with some fuel efficiency focused tweaks, the V8 returns a better results under latest European emissions regulations.

To further enhance fuel efficiency (at least in theory) the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid pairs the V8 engine with the electric motor to make 544kW/950Nm.

If none of that is enough for you, Porsche has the range-topping Turbo GT model, which takes the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as the Cayenne S and winds up the performance to 485kW/850Nm, endowing the Cayenne with sports car-like performance despite its size.

The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid pairs the V8 engine with the electric motor to make 544kW/950Nm. The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid pairs the V8 engine with the electric motor to make 544kW/950Nm.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? What is its charging time?

The new electric motor in the Cayenne E-Hybrid is paired with a new battery (25.9kWh) which sits underneath the boot floor.

This allows for a theoretical 86km of driving on electric power alone. It also helps contribute to a claimed fuel economy rating of just 1.9L/100km; although, like all plug-in hybrids, achieving that figure in the real world is challenging in our experience.

Porsche has also added a new on-board AC charger that increases capacity from 7.2kW to 11kW, so with a high-voltage charger the battery can be replenished in just over two hours.

As for the rest of the range, the V6-powered Cayenne returns a claimed 10.4L/100km, while the new V8-powered Cayenne S is rated at 12.3L/100km.

The new V8-powered Cayenne S is rated at 12.3L/100km. The new V8-powered Cayenne S is rated at 12.3L/100km.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

One word best sums up the Cayenne range - bandwidth. This is a vehicle with a very broad range of variants but also a great range of driving characteristics.

The Cayenne is a large, luxury SUV and as such it needs to compete against a raft of rivals including the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Land Rover Defender, Lexus RX, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Range Rover Sport, Volvo XC90 and more. But it’s also a Porsche and therefore needs to be sporty and dynamic.

The result is an SUV that’s as comfortable in the shopping centre car park as it is rolling up to the opera or cruising along some twisty country road. It has enormous bandwidth.

This is a vehicle with a very broad range of variants but also a great range of driving characteristics. (Base grade pictured) This is a vehicle with a very broad range of variants but also a great range of driving characteristics. (Base grade pictured)

Obviously the further up the range the sportier and more dynamic it becomes, with the Cayenne Turbo GT a genuine challenger to its Italian cousin, the Lamborghini Urus (Lamborghini doesn’t like to show it but the engine in the Urus has a ‘Made by Porsche’ stamp on it).

But it’s the bottom end of the range we’ll focus on, the Cayenne and Cayenne S, in this review. Even the ‘entry-level’ Cayenne offers a sporty drive, despite the fact its V6 engine doesn't have the same punch as the V8 in the Cayenne S.

Porsche’s engineers revised the suspension for this update, introducing 'Porsche’s Active Suspension Management' system (PASM) with steel spring suspension for the first time.

Even the ‘entry-level’ Cayenne offers a sporty drive. (Base grade pictured) Even the ‘entry-level’ Cayenne offers a sporty drive. (Base grade pictured)

Without diving into the technical minutiae of how the PASM system works, the net result is a wider variance between the ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ settings in the driving modes. Or, in other words, an increase in bandwidth.

The Cayenne S, S E-Hybrid, Turbo E-Hybrid and Turbo GT all get adaptive air suspension as standard, which only further increases the bandwidth of the vehicle.

The Cayenne S threads the needle between a comfortable and relaxed luxury SUV and something sporty and responsive that the driver can enjoy when the road allows.

The Cayenne S, S E-Hybrid, Turbo E-Hybrid and Turbo GT all get adaptive air suspension as standard. (Turbo GT grade pictured) The Cayenne S, S E-Hybrid, Turbo E-Hybrid and Turbo GT all get adaptive air suspension as standard. (Turbo GT grade pictured)

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

ANCAP hasn’t tested this generation Cayenne (or any Porsche for that matter) but it has been crash rated by Euro NCAP, which awarded it the maximum five stars when it first launched in Europe in 2017.

Porsche has fitted a fairly comprehensive range of equipment as standard across all models in the range. This includes front, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags, plus autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and a surround view parking system.

However, there are some optional extras, such as 'Active Lane Keeping Assist' with 'Crossroad Assist'. This is a no-cost option on the high-grade Turbo E-Hybrid models and Turbo GT, but you’ll need to pay for it on the rest of the range.

The Cayenne has been crash rated by Euro NCAP, which awarded it the maximum five stars when it first launched in Europe in 2017. (S grade pictured) The Cayenne has been crash rated by Euro NCAP, which awarded it the maximum five stars when it first launched in Europe in 2017. (S grade pictured)

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

This is one area where Porsche is perhaps resting on its laurels, in particular warranty coverage.

Despite most major brands moving to five year warranties, including the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz (which sell obvious Cayenne rivals), Porsche is sticking with just three years.

Porsche is also avoiding the capped price servicing programs that so many other brands offer these days. As such, what you’ll pay varies from state-to-state so we can’t give you a clear and concise indication of what you’ll be paying.

Fortunately service intervals for the Cayenne range are a respectable 12 months or 15,000km - whichever comes first.


The Wrap

While I’m sure there are still Porsche purists out there that deride the Cayenne as a dilution of the brand’s dynamic legacy, and cram their kids in the back of their 911, the rest of us can enjoy what this vehicle brings. Powerful and dynamic, yet comfortable and relaxed, the Cayenne manages to do so many things well, so it’s easy to understand why it has been such a hit for the brand.

It faces plenty of competition and could be sharper when it comes to value and ownership criteria, but there are plenty of reasons why customers will opting for this family-friendly Porsche.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

Likes

V8 engine makes a welcome return
Dynamic handling remains 
Stylish and spacious interior

Dislikes

Complex model range
Could be better equipped
Relatively short warranty

Scores

Stephen:

4.3

The Kids:

4

$138,700

Based on new car retail price


Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.