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The success of the Porsche Cayenne

No idea how well the Porsche Cayenne scores? We’d like to explain that with the help of some figures. In 2022 alone, Porsche sold about 95,000 Cayennes out of a total of just over 300,000 cars. With that, nearly one in three new Porsches was a Cayenne. The first generation of the Cayenne appeared on the market in 2002. Since then, the brand has already sold over 1,250,000 units of the Cayenne. Still the SUV is a popular choice among Porsche buyers. The future of the car has also been mapped out by the brand. An all-electric Cayenne will appear around 2025. It will then enter the lineup alongside the regular Cayenne. There will also be an all-electric SUV above the Cayenne. In particular, the automaker is doing so for markets such as China and the United States. Now first up: the Porsche Cayenne 2023.

Porsche Cayenne 2023

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Because even the current generation Porsche Cayenne is still a very relevant car. With this upgrade, even more than ever. Currently, the brand delivers its third-generation Cayenne, but it will receive a thorough facelift before 2023, with the interior in particular undergoing a major metamorphosis. Still, on the outside, adjustments can also be detected. Will you take a look?

Design exterior

Compared to the outgoing type, the updated Cayenne has a new nose with rounder front wings, a modified hood and new headlights that emphasize the width of the car. This applies to both the Cayenne SUV and Cayenne Coupe. The rear has new three-dimensional taillights and a new lower rear section with an integrated license plate holder. A hefty LED strip also runs the entire width of the car. Of course, the Cayenne Coupe has a sloping roofline. Nice detail: with optional lightweight sport packages, weight savings of up to 33 kilograms are possible for the Cayenne Coupe. There is also a choice of 20, 21 and 22-inch wheels.

Porsche Cayenne 2023: explained from A to Z – AutoRAI TV

HD matrix LED headlights

Absolutely noteworthy are the Matrix LED headlights. These have a new design with, of course, the four lights typical of Porsche here as well. Optionally, Porsche provides HD matrix LED headlights. Those headlights are smarter than most smartphones. With two high-definition modules and more than 32,000 pixels per headlight, the technology picks up other users and dims the high beam with pixel precision so as not to dazzle them. Ingenious technology whose operation is especially easy to see in the dark. The brightness of the modules can be controlled in more than a thousand steps depending on the driving situation. Replacing the light units is bound to be a pricey affair.

Interior Porsche Cayenne 2023

Then the interior. That has been greatly revised. Where should we start? With a fully digital 12.6-inch instrument cluster, for example. This is the so-called Porsche Driver Experience, first used in the electric Porsche Taycan. So as a driver, you look out on a curved display. What is shown on the display is fully customizable. Choices include a navigational map, three clocks, the historically accurate setup with five clocks or a simplified view. The display has razor-sharp graphics and excellent readability. The optional head-up display has been optimized and complements the instrument cluster.

New infotainment

Porsche further applies a 12.3-inch central touchscreen with Porsche Communication Management (PCM) software and support for Spotify and Apple Music. This display provides access to all relevant vehicle functions. Fortunately, functions such as temperature and seat heating can be controlled with a button module centrally located on the center console. This “glass plate” has a high-gloss black finish. On the plate are some switches and buttons. You get haptic feedback when pressing, which is nice. Because of this glass plate, the transmission lever had to move. The control lever for the automatic transmission is now located on the dashboard, as in the Taycan. The car now also has an induction charging function for smartphones. This module is cooled so smartphones can charge faster, clever!

Display for co-driver

Optionally, Porsche provides a 10.9-inch passenger screen. As in the Taycan, the front passenger can use the additional touchscreen to make the driver’s life easier, such as by controlling the navigation system or selecting a media service. A special feature of the display is a special film that ensures that the screen is not visible from the driver’s seat. This allows, for example, video content to be streamed on the passenger screen, even while driving. The film provides a limited viewing angle, even for the passenger. Who must hold his or her head at a certain angle to see the display properly. But cool it certainly is. So from now on, the dashboard has three displays, should you check the options.

Take a breath

Also new in the Porsche Cayenne 2023 is an air quality system. This system detects particulate matter levels in the air and filters the particles several times if necessary. In addition, an ionizer filters many germs and pollutants from the air. Suffering from hay fever? Buy a Cayenne!

Driver assistance systems

Of course, Porsche has also taken the range of driver assistance systems to the next level. The car now eheft an active speed limit assistant, an evasion assistant, a turn-off assistant and the improved Porsche InnoDrive as part of the adaptive cruise control. Not all systems work equally pleasantly. In our case, lane assist is quickly disabled by a nasty resistance in the steering wheel around the center position. Those who disable this system only notice how direct a Cayenne steers.

Driving behaviour

In terms of driving, the Porsche Cayenne is one of the better choices in its segment. It is particularly clever how Porsche manages to mask all those kilograms. You are instinctively driving a sports car, not an SUV. The steering feel is phenomenally good, sometimes even too direct which may make the car seem a little too nervous in the eyes of some. But the mate or wife feasts on it. By the way, the character of the car can be adjusted in every detail. Steering, throttle response, shifting, engine character and also chassis are all adjustable.

Modified chassis for Porsche Cayenne 2023

The Porsche Cayenne gets a chassis with steel springs including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard. New shock absorbers with two-valve technology and separate rebound and compression stages provide increased comfort and dynamics. Optionally, Porsche provides air suspension and an active co-steering rear axle for even more control and comfort. The new optional adaptive air suspension with dual-chamber and dual-valve technology also has even greater character differences in Normal, Sport and Sport Plus driving modes. Almost a shame not to order the system, then, because it will make your car even more versatile.

Because there is so much to say about the updated Porsche Cayenne, we haven’t even covered the powertrains yet. During its market introduction in July 2023 in the Netherlands, there will be a choice of three powertrains, the Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid and Cayenne S. First of all, let’s mention the prices, because then it will immediately become clear how the lineup is structured in the Netherlands.

• Cayenne E-Hybrid 470 hp: €110,000 (Coupe € 113,200)
• Cayenne 353 hp: € 146,200 (Coupe € 151,000)
• Cayenne S 474 hp: € 182,600 (Coupe € 189,100)

You see: the plug-in hybrid Cayenne E-Hybrid is the most economical in the Netherlands. That’s because of the Dutch tax system where lower CO2 emissions are rewarded with a lower BPM penalty. This makes the plug-in hybrid E-Hybrid extra affordably priced.

Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid

Curious about the specs of the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid? Coming up! The SUV has a 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged gasoline engine with an output of 224 kW (304 hp), coupled to an electric motor with 130 kW (176 hp) and 460 Nm. The electric motor has thus become 30 kW stronger compared to the outgoing type. The system output of the E-Hybrid comes out to 470 hp with 650 Nm of torque. Also nice: the car now has an 11 kW onboard charger. Charging the battery now takes less than 2.5 hours. Speaking of that battery. That grew from 17.9 kWh to 25.9 kWh. As a result, the electric range is almost doubled. The EV range is now 77 to 90 kilometers, depending on equipment.

Porsche Cayenne V6

Porsche also uses the 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged engine in the regular Cayenne. It now delivers 260 kW (353 hp) and 500 Nm, or 10 kW (13 hp) and 50 Nm more than before. In countries outside the Netherlands, that powertrain is the entry-level vehicle. With us, that’s the PHEV. Of course, not everyone is ready to “plug in,” so for those buyers, this V6 variant may be an interesting choice. Although we personally would be upset that for forty grand less you could have had about 120 horsepower extra.

Porsche Cayenne S

The price differential between the Cayenne E-Hybrid and Cayenne S is completely huge. Thick 70,000 euros! While the engine power of the Cayenne S is almost equal to that of the PHEV. Still, there is a good reason to buy the Cayenne S after all. Indeed, the previously used V6 engine has been replaced by a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine. A V8! Yummy! The block produces up to 349 kW (474 hp) and 600 Nm of torque – an increase of 25 kW (34 hp) and 50 Nm over its predecessor. The 0-100 sprint time of this S variant comes out to 4.7 seconds. The maximum speed is 273 km/h. The PHEV takes 4.9 seconds and tops out at 254 mph.

Conclusion

When it comes to driving, the 2023 Porsche Cayenne is more versatile than ever. There is an even greater difference between the driving modes present that makes you feel like you are out and about with a car with multiple faces. Above all very comfortable, but on request also super sporty and dynamic, with a steering behavior that will make you particularly happy as a helmsman or woman. The feeling says to choose the Cayenne S, because of that delicious V8. But to be honest, we were also impressed with the V6 soundtrack in the Cayenne E-Hybrid. Then you have the same power for less money. A battle between feeling and reason. That remains tricky. By the way, much more Cayenne violence is coming, such as a Turbo or an extra powerful PHEV. Prefer 100% electric Cayenne? Then wait until the middle of this decade. In any case, the Porsche Cayenne remains a desirable SUV, now and in the future.