Porsche Cayenne review

Our opinion on the Porsche Cayenne

The original Porsche Cayenne kicked off the craze for ultra-sporty SUVs way back in 2002, and the latest iteration continues that tradition of being genuinely engaging to drive, while offering impressive levels of comfort and refinement. Throw in excellent build quality and the kudos of the Porsche badge, and you have a prestige set of wheels that covers every base – including being able to put your family in it. To buyers who can afford to buy and run a Cayenne, we'd say go for it.

About the Porsche Cayenne

It’s easy to forget the significance of the Cayenne because of how ubiquitous it is on our roads, but the original car caused a massive furore amongst enthusiasts at the time who hated the idea, fearing that Porsche had gone soft. However, if it hadn’t been for this model, those same enthusiasts wouldn’t have enjoyed the raft of new Porsche sports cars built upon the profits of the Cayenne. 

This latest version of the petrol- or plug-in hybrid powered Porsche 4x4 was introduced in late 2017, and is the third generation in the Cayenne series. It now sits alongside the much newer Porsche Cayenne Electric in the line-up, so be sure to check out our dedicated review of that model, too.

Used - available now

2023 Porsche

Cayenne

60,750 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L

Cash £44,995

View Cayenne

2023 Porsche

Cayenne

23,000 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L

Cash £73,995

View Cayenne

2014 Porsche

Cayenne

111,350 milesAutomaticDiesel4.1L

Cash £14,750

View Cayenne

2023 Porsche

Cayenne

60,000 milesAutomaticPetrol3.0L

Cash £34,989

View Cayenne

With the growing popularity of SUV coupes, you can also choose the Porsche Cayenne Coupe, which omits a bit of practicality for a more svelte coupe-like body. It’s available with the same selection of engines and trim levels as the standard SUV, but adds a range-topping Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe with GT Package, and that’s one of the fastest SUVs money can buy.

We’ve driven the Cayenne in a number of guises over the years, with our most recent experience being the E-Hybrid variant, which we put up against 15 competitor plug-in SUVs in a PHEV megatest to find out what efficiency it could achieve in the real world.

Porsche Cayenne prices and latest deals

In its most basic form, this performance SUV will set you back by at least £77,500. Prices rise as you make your way through the line-up, and at the absolute top of the Cayenne tree you’ll find the Turbo E-Hybrid Coupe with the GT Package, and you’ll need at least £166,000 to get into one of those.  

If those prices are a bit strong for your liking, there are a number of used Cayenne models available via the Auto Express Buy A Car service.

22

​We’ll get to the mega acceleration numbers further down this review, but the first thing to mention are the upgrades the suspension and chassis of the Cayenne received as part of a midlife facelift.

The majority of the line-up comes with a steel-spring set-up and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). This firms things up in Sport mode, and softens things down in Comfort. However, we still noted a degree of patter coming through to the cabin from whatever road we happened to be on, along with a fair amount of road noise. 

The optional air suspension (standard on the Turbo E-Hybrid model) does a much better job of isolating you from bumps and potholes. In fact, it performs very similarly to a Range Rover Sport. 

Speaking of Land Rover, you can make your Cayenne more off-road worth with a dedicated off-road pack. It gives you increased underbody protection from impacts with rocks, and when paired with air suspension, you have a similar degree of ability to its Bentley Bentayga sister model, and pairs with various different driving settings based on the terrain you’re driving on, from gravel, mud, sand and rock crawl. But let’s face it, this is a car that’ll spend most of its time on the tarmac, where most owners wouldn’t even think of getting its standard 20-22in wheels muddy. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

Set against its high-performance stablemates, the standard Cayenne’s 348bhp 3.0 turbocharged V6 engine looks weedy until you remember Sport Chrono-equipped versions will crack the 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds and top 154mph. The Cayenne S sports a 468bhp, twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and knocks the 0-62mph time down to 5.0 seconds, while its top speed touches 170mph.

Opt for the Cayenne E-Hybrid, and you'll get a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, together with an electric motor and battery combo. Total power is 464bhp, providing a 0-62mph takes just 4.9 seconds, top speed is 158mph, and you can travel at up to 83mph in battery-only mode. There’s also a more powerful 512bhp version found in the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which shaves 0.2 seconds off the 0-62mph time and adds an extra 5mph to the top speed.

The range-topping Turbo E-Hybrid is the quickest Cayenne, and so 0-62mph takes just 3.7 seconds. The hybrid system is made up of the Turbo’s normal 591bhp V8 and adds an additional 174bhp electric motor. However, because of the unique way the combined power output is calculated, it isn’t as simple as adding both numbers together. 

Still, 729bhp is a huge amount of power that’ll firmly put your head into the headrest when launch control is activated (a feature that comes as part of the Sport Chrono package), and the top speed is a licence-losing 183mph. Buyers of the Cayenne Coupe, reviewed separately, can also specify a Turbo GT model, which is faster still: 0-62mph takes just 3.3 seconds with the Sport Chrono package, and the top speed is 186mph.

Town driving, visibility and parking

The Cayenne is a big car, so this comes with the usual big car pitfalls when navigating the tighter urban sprawl. However, you can add rear-wheel steering to your Cayenne, and this is something that we recommend doing. 

This helps to make the car far more manoeuvrable when parking, and the standard-fit reversing camera also boosts visibility.

22

Country road driving and handling

It’s very clear that Porsche’s engineers have worked very hard to inject the brand’s sporting expertise into this bulky family SUV. Regardless of the chosen suspension, one area we are particularly impressed with is the Cayenne’s direct steering. This offers the responsiveness, accuracy and weight of a serious sporting saloon, as well as the uncanny ability to handle in the manner of something with much smaller exterior dimensions. 

For something this tall and heavy, the Cayenne has a surprising amount of agility, and you feel much more connected with what’s going on beneath you than many of its rivals. It’s a notch above the BMW X5, which is already one of the sportier large SUVs, with a distinctly sharper edge to its handling. 

The optional rear axle steering goes even further towards boosting the Cayenne’s handling prowess, and even helps towards mitigating the impact of the E-Hybrid’s additional weight in terms of the cars agility. It helps make the Cayenne even more balanced in the corners, with a sharper turn-in and a rear that follows the front perfectly. It maybe expensive, but we can’t recommend it highly enough. 

One option we’re not so sure of are the optional carbon ceramic composite brakes. Based on our experience of them in the GTS, we found them to be a little grabby. That’s a shame given how expensive they are. 

We’d stick with the standard steel brakes because they offer plenty of well-modulated stopping power. Most models come with sizable brake hardware, but the top-of-the-range Turbo E-Hybrid comes with enormous 420mm front discs and 10-piston callipers. To put that into context, most normal cars only need 200mm discs and single-piston callipers, so it is fair to say that the Cayenne has little difficulty shedding speed.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort 

While the Cayenne is much firmer than rivals like the Range Rover, it still offers up enough comfort for a longer-haul trip. However, road noise is present within the cabin. It’s certainly not enough to give you a headache, nor is it even particularly annoying, but it is still quite pronounced for a car in this class.  

If you opt for the E-Hybrid, this can drive on purely electric power at speeds of up to 84mph.

22

For the lowest possible running costs associated with a Cayenne, you’ll want to look towards the newer Porsche Cayenne Electric. However, in some instances, the combustion cars aren’t quite as thirsty as they once were thanks to a bit of engine size reduction.

The standard, twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol Cayenne delivers claimed economy figures of 26.5mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 265g/km, which is less than the almost 30mpg from a Range Rover Sport P400. Move up to the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 Cayenne S, and the figures drop to 23.6mpg and 286g/km.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The 25.9kWh battery (21.8kWh usable) used in E-Hybrid models can return up to 52 miles of electric range on the WLTP combined cycle. However, that falls some way short of the 70-mile range that Range Rover Sport P460e offers.

The official weighted fuel economy figure stands at up to 71.3mpg, and this is much more than most equivalent diesels would manage. Considering the performance on offer, this is all the more impressive. 

When we drove the Cayenne E-Hybrid alongside 15 other plug-in SUVs in our PHEV megatest, we saw a real-world average of 32.9mpg. This is quite some way off of the figure than promised, but our testing did involve some very spirited driving (because this is a Porsche).

All E-Hybrid models received an upgraded battery charging speed as part of the Cayenne’s facelift, climbing from 7kWh to 11kW to compensate for having a greater battery capacity to charge up. In theory, an 11kW charger would top up a flat battery in just over two hours, but a more typical 7.4kW home wallbox charge will take around 3.5 hours to complete a full charge.

Insurance groups

Premiums will be predictably pricey, but insurance is still an area where the Cayenne manages to undermine its rivals, even if only slightly. The base 3.0-litre petrol model starts in group 45 (out of 50), which is several groups lower than the much less powerful Range Rover Sport D300. 

Move up the Cayenne line-up, though, and you’ll soon find yourself in group 50.

Tax

While the plug-in hybrids' pure-electric range brings some tax relief along with it, no combustion Cayenne can top the Cayenne Electric for outright savings. It’s the latter car that’ll suit company car drivers best, but every single Cayenne incurs the luxury car tax thanks to all versions costing more than £40,000 when new.

Depreciation

Although the Cayenne has Porsche’s badge appeal working in its favour, our market data shows that rivals hold on to their value better. Both the coupe and SUV retain between 45 and 49 per cent of their original value after three years or 36,000 miles. The BMW X5 faces a similar outcome, retaining between 41 and 52 per cent over the same period.

In contrast, the Range Rover Sport is expected to still be worth between 50 and 59 per cent of its original value over the same three-year or 36,000-mile period.

To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our valuation tool... 

22

The exterior design of the latest Porsche Cayenne is certainly evolutionary, and some might even call it predictable. The third-generation Cayenne is both longer and lower than its predecessor, but very little has altered during its facelift, save for the new rear light bar treatment that runs across the entire width of the tailgate, and a slightly revised bumper and headlight design. It’s fair to say that the Cayenne’s five-door profile is unmistakable.

The exterior design of the Cayenne Coupe incorporates more sweeping lines, such as the one stretching from the headlights, via the roof spoiler, to the taillight strip and onto the adaptive rear spoiler. The wide body adds to the sporty feel, while a panoramic fixed glass roof ensures passengers don't feel too enclosed, particularly with the lower roof line. A model-specific 21-inch alloy wheel design, quad exhausts and colour-coded wheel arch extensions distinguish Turbo E-Hybrid models from regular Cayenne and Cayenne Coupe models. 

The free white and black paint finishes are a bit boring, so you’ll need to fork out around £950 for metallic paint, or nearly two grand for one of four special colours. If you fancy going berserk, then for around £8,000, you can get Porsche to paint your Cayenne using a colour-matched sample of your favourite shade.

Interior and dashboard design

Whereas the pre-facelift Cayenne’s interior took inspiration from the Porsche Panamera saloon, the revised car uses parts taken from the Porsche Taycan EV such as the 12.6-inch curved digital driver display, a repositioned gear lever from the centre console to just behind the steering wheel, and the option of a third touchscreen infotainment display for the front passenger.

Materials and build quality

The Porsche Cayenne’s interior demonstrates first-class build quality and premium material choices that provide a suitably upmarket experience for both driver and passengers.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The lower part of the dashboard features a glass-effect panel on the centre console with touch-sensitive buttons and some toggle switches to provide quick and easy adjustment to the air-con system. The high-definition 12.3-inch central touchscreen display deals with all the major infotainment controls, and is slick and easy to use, with crystal-clear graphics. As standard, you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The standard Sound Package Plus is a 10-speaker audio system with 150 Watts of power, but you can upgrade to either the 14-speaker, 710-Watt BOSE Surround Sound System, or for real audiophiles, a Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System with 21 speakers and 1,455 Watts of sound output. Both optional sound systems do eat into boot capacity slightly due to the subwoofer taking up space under the boot floor. 

22

You sit relatively low in the Porsche Cayenne, in cosseting sports car style seats. The seats provide plenty of comfort for long journeys thanks to standard electric lumbar adjustment and good side bolster support if you’re cornering hard. Turbo models feature 18-way electrically adjustable sports seats in the front. All models have driver’s side memory settings, which are particularly useful if more than one person drives the car.

There’s a wide range of steering wheel adjustment (Turbo E-Hybrid models have standard electric steering column adjustment), so the cabin can accommodate most people comfortably. 

Dimensions and size

The Cayenne is a big car that takes up a lot of room on the road, making it a little interesting to park in the city. However, it’s not as difficult to park as the larger Range Rover Sport, which is 1,820mm tall and will leave you wincing as you enter a parking garage.

The more rakish Cayenne Coupe shares the same exterior dimensions as the regular model.

Seats & passenger space

Despite a relatively low roofline and the sporty, low driving position (for an SUV, at least) the Cayenne ensures all but the tallest occupants, who are well over six feet, have plenty of space above their heads. 

Legroom is good in both the front and rear seats, but the high transmission tunnel means front-seat occupants don’t get the same sense of spaciousness at their elbows than in more upright SUVs like the Range Rover Sport. The rear seats are comfortable, and the bench slides forward and back to trade legroom against extra luggage space. There’s no seven-seat option, though.

Isofix points are located on the front passenger seat, and in the outer positions on the rear bench.

Boot space

The Porsche Cayenne’s boot space is rated at an impressive 772 litres with the rear bench slid all the way forwards (698 litres with the seats all the way back) for petrol models, expanding to 1,708 litres with the versatile 40:20:40 split folding rear seats down. That’s much bigger than the Range Rover Sport.

However, the tables turn with the plug-in E-Hybrid Cayenne, because the battery pack under the boot floor eats up space and reduces total volume to 627 litres, which is slightly shy of the equivalent Range Rover Sport. The Cayenne still has 1,563 litres of boot space with the seats down, which is more than said rival has. 

Towing

Both the petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the Porsche Cayenne have impressive towing capacities. Every model can pull a hefty 3,500kg braked trailer or caravan, which is on a par with both the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Sport.

22

As we’d expect from a company with the engineering standing of Porsche, the latest Cayenne maintains its hewn-from-rock reputation, and even though this latest version has fewer buttons than before, we think the switchgear it does have feels very solid. 

Safety technology such as autonomous braking (AEB) that automatically applies the brakes at low speeds to help avoid or mitigate collisions with pedestrians (but not cyclists, as more modern systems can), and lane-keeping assistance to nudge you back into your lane on the motorway, come as standard. 

However, if you want blind spot monitoring to warn you of traffic approaching alongside you on the motorway, and rear cross-traffic alert to let you know of vehicles crossing your path when reversing, you’ll need to specify the Lane Change Assist pack. This system will also warn you of vehicles (including bicycles) coming alongside when you’re parked up, and you go to open the door. 

Unfortunately, we think that ‘Lane Change Assist’ is a confusing name, because there are lane change assistance features on other cars (namely Tesla’s), which can actively change lanes for you on a motorway if the car is sure the coast is clear. This Porsche system doesn’t have this feature.

Adaptive cruise to keep you a safe distance from the car in front also isn’t standard and is part of an expensive standalone option. That’s a shame because the Range Rover Sport has this safety assistance feature and many more provided as standard.

• Best buy: Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid

We’d recommend the E-Hybrid as the Cayenne you need to go for because it’s a more sensible prospect as an everyday car, but it still provides a healthy dosage of power when required. We’d definitely invest some extra cash in the rear-wheel steering, too, because it provides benefits in a variety of different driving scenarios.

Porsche Cayenne alternatives

If you want a premium and sporty German SUV, the BMW X5 is one of the Cayenne's closest rivals. Alternatively, the Range Rover Sport and fully-sized Range Rover are two other Cayenne competitors that offer luxury and performance in bulk.

Deals on the Cayenne and alternatives

Porsche Cayenne

New in-stock Porsche Cayenne

New Porsche Cayenne

Configure now

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

New in-stock Land Rover Range Rover SportCash £73,855Avg. savings £4,706

New Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Configure now