Test Porsche Cayenne (2023) – Mainly technically tightened

Why is Porsche still updating the Cayenne after six years?

For Porsche, the Cayenne is a lifeline, the SUV has made a serious contribution to the financial health of the car manufacturer since its introduction in 2002. They are now with the third generation and it has already lasted six years, which means that the end of its life cycle seems to be in sight. However, Porsche does not yet have a successor ready. Generation four will be fully electric and they still have some work to do, count on about three years. Anyway, in the meantime slaughtering the goose with the golden eggs because there is no successor ready yet is not smart. That is why Porsche is updating the current Cayenne to keep it current for a few more years, and that means more than just new bumpers and different headlights.

With 16,384 micro-LED pixels per unit (plus a control unit that acts as a graphics card), the headlights almost look like beamers.

Is every change an improvement?

No. The new Cayenne now has a Taycan-like dashboard that is dominated by large screens and shiny black surfaces. The instrument panel still has the contours of the classic Porsches, but is in reality a free-standing screen on which you can arrange the desired information as you see fit. It’s not necessarily better than the analog clocks of the past, but it looks modern. The instrument panel is flanked by a starter button (in Porsche tradition on the left) and a direction of travel switch (on the right). The original gear lever has therefore been discontinued. This provides extra space on the center tunnel for a storage compartment and a black glass panel with which you can operate the basic functions of the air conditioning; physical buttons have been reduced to an absolute minimum, which saves costs, but the user-friendliness does not improve, it just requires too much attention. Although it is nice that the system does not react nervously to the finger movements you make on the panel: you really have to press before something happens, after which you then feel the panel – as a form of feedback – go down slightly, just like a real push button. Fortunately, the most important switch – the driving mode dial – is now standard on the steering wheel and there is also a real dial for adjusting the audio volume, which is nice.

You can control the basic functions of the air conditioner via a special touchpad on the spot where the poker used to be.

Is there a separate screen for the passenger, just like in the Taycan?

Yes, as an option. The new dashboard allows a screen for the co-driver, just like in the Taycan. He can operate the entire multimedia system and even watch videos while driving. For safety, we at Mercedes know the system that monitors the driver’s eyes and stops the film as soon as the system realizes that the driver is watching. Porsche does it differently and provides the screen with a special layer so that you only see something when you are sitting directly in front of it and not when you look at it at an angle (such as from the driver’s seat). The latter also means that the sides of the screen for the co-driver are already somewhat blurry. After all, you look at it from an angle, a small angle, but still.

If the passenger is watching a video, the driver cannot enjoy it.

Is the new Cayenne the same size as before the facelift?

The basic structure of the car remains unchanged, so that the internal dimensions do not change: in the front you have plenty of space, in the back it is slightly less under the sloping coupe roof and the volume of the trunk depends on the chosen body shape and whether there is already if not a battery pack is hidden under the bottom; of the 772 liters in the conventionally powered SUV, only a modest 434 liters remain in the PHEV Coupé.

The content of the trunk of the Coupé E-Hybrid is on the modest side at 434 liters.

Is the renewed Porsche Cayenne also available as a PHEV?

Yes, we even have our first introduction to the plug-in hybrid. Both the system power and the combined maximum torque have increased slightly with the E-Hybrid. This is entirely due to the revised electrical engineering. The maximum power and maximum torque of the V6 have been slightly reduced after the update, while they have increased with the electric motor. The latter is partly thanks to the battery pack with its increased capacity from 17.9 to 25.9 kWh. Due to this larger battery capacity, the WLTP range has increased from 42 to 74 km. The V6 and the electric motor, together with the eight-speed automatic transmission, form a very pleasant drive unit. When you take it easy, it goes very smoothly and you go on sporty, then the powertrain reacts nice and sharp and an abundance of pulling power provides a big push forward, immediately available on demand. At least as long as there are still enough electrons to power the electric motor. With an empty battery, the moment that the V6 has to walk on its toes comes much earlier and the performance lags somewhat behind, which is a pity when we (want to) chase the German autobahn at a solid pace. Anyway, in daily practice you will not be bothered by it on the Dutch road network.

Due to consumption and emissions, the performance of the 3.0-liter V6 has been reduced and the electric motor now plays a greater role.

Does an SUV of this caliber have standard air suspension?

No, in principle the Cayenne gets coil springs, but in combination with renewed shock absorbers. We drive the car with the optional adaptive air suspension. That was already good and has now been further refined, so that there is even less movement in the carriage, without the comfort having to suffer. Although the E-Hybrid weighs almost 2.5 tons according to the registration certificate, the car comes across as a lot more nimble. A great achievement by the Porsche engineers.

Porsche has upgraded the air suspension, making the car even tighter on the asphalt, without compromising comfort.