Porsche’s big petrol SUV receives major overhaul and will be sold alongside new EV
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The Cayenne, consistently Porsche’s best-selling car, has been radically overhauled in a bid to ensure its sustained appeal as it remains on sale until the end of the decade – alongside an all-new and technically unrelated electric Cayenne due in 2025.
As the Cayenne returns in straight-backed SUV and rakish-roofed Coupé forms, chief among the mechanical upgrades is a swap from V6 to V8 power for the Cayenne S. The new S model’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre unit – familiar from the Porsche Panamera and Lamborghini Urus – pumps out a healthily increased 468bhp and 443lb ft to both axles for a 0-62mph time of 4.8sec and a top speed of 167mph.
The entry-level Cayenne gets a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 (replacing today’s 2.9-litre unit) and power and torque rise to 351bhp and 369lb ft.
The V6 also forms the basis for a heavily upgraded plug-in hybrid drivetrain for the Cayenne E-Hybrid and is mated to a boosted electric motor for a combined 464bhp. It is supplemented by a larger, 25.9kWh battery for a competitive EV-only claimed range of 52 miles and can be charged in just two and a half hours courtesy of a new on-board 11kW charger.
A further two plug-in hybrid variants will be added to the line-up later, including a hotter, V8-toting Turbo S E-Hybrid.
There is a power boost for the top-rung, V8-engined Cayenne Turbo GT too, which now touts 650bhp and clocks 0-62mph slightly quicker than a 911 GT3, in a blistering 3.2sec – but this range-topper has been withdrawn from sale in Europe for emissions compliance reasons. However, Europe is in line to soon receive a stiffened, V8-engined GTS.
Just as significant as the drivetrain revamp is the work Porsche has carried out to give the Cayenne an “increased range between ride comfort and performance”. New two-valve dampers – working in conjunction with a two-chamber air suspension system – with separate rebound and compression stages are said to boost agility in hard corners, enhance ride comfort at low speeds and reduce pitch and roll. In addition, the tyres are bigger, which improves comfort and has the added benefit of both filling the arches more effectively and being able to run at a lower pressure, thereby boosting grip.
The focus on luxury and refinement extends to a dramatic, Taycan-inspired overhaul of the Cayenne’s interior, revealed last month. Aimed at providing an “even more intensive driving experience” while facilitating
