Porsche Cayenne 2024 review

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.

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)

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.

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)

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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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)