The Porsche Cayenne is the firm’s most popular model to roll off the production line at Zuffenhausen and while we’ve already had a preview of the Cayenne’s new cabin architecture, the facelifted Cayenne has now been fully revealed at Auto Shanghai.
Apart from the significant interior upgrade, the Cayenne benefits from more power under the bonnet and a chassis upgrade, which according to Michael Schätzle, Vice President Product Line Cayenne, is “one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche”.
The Cayenne Turbo GT sits at the top of the range.
From a styling perspective, the Cayenne boasts a more dynamic appearance with a revised front end including reshaped high-definition HD Matrix LED headlights (optional), a new bonnet and a revised grille with more strongly arched wings. The rear apron has also been reworked and the 3D rear lights provide a distinct look from the rear.
Customers will be able to choose from 3 new colours including Algarve Blue Metallic, Montego Blue Metallic and Arctic Grey. More so, wheel size options include 20-, 21- and 22-inch wheels and lightweight sport packages are also offered, shaving weight by as much 33 kg in the Cayenne Coupe.
The interior of the updated Cayenne represents a significant departure from the outgoing iteration.
Perhaps the most noticeable visual change can be seen inside the Cayenne where you will find the Porsche Driver Experience which first made its debut in the all-electric Porsche Taycan, with controls placed right where the driver would want and need them, balancing digital and analogue controls in an effort to strike the perfect ergonomic balance.
The major interior change is the fitment of a fully-digital 12.6-inch instrument cluster that features a curved, free-standing design. In the central dashboard, a standard 12.3-inch infotainment system is fitted and customers can now also opt for a 10.9-inch front passenger display which is a first for the Cayenne.
The Cayenne gains a power bump across the board.
A total of 3 engine options are offered for the updated Cayenne but the juicy news is that the Cayenne S swops its previous twin-turbocharged V6 engine for a twin-turbocharged V8 which packs a hearty 349 kW and 600 Nm, some 25 kW and 50 Nm more than the outgoing Cayenne S. Both the Cayenne S SUV and Cayenne S Coupe now accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 4.7 seconds and will barrel on to a top speed of 273 kph.
The base Cayenne engine offering is a revised turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine that’s been fettled to produce 260 kW and 500 Nm which is an improvement of 10 kW and 50 Nm.
In the Cayenne E-Hybrid, this 6-cylinder engine combines with an uprated 130kW electric motor (30 kW more) taking the combined power output to 346 kW. Porsche has also fitted a larger capacity 25.9 kWh battery (previously 17.9 kWh). And electric range of about 90 km is now possible with the larger battery while an on-board 11 kW charger reduces charging time to under 2.5 hours.
As for the range-topping Cayenne Turbo GT, its bi-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine gains a 14 kW power bump to 485 kW and will accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 305 kph. An all-electric Cayenne is due in 2026.
Ride and handling performance has also been enhanced with a steel spring suspension and new shock absorbers with 2-valve technology which enhance driving comfort at slower speeds, dynamic ability during cornering as well as improving pitch and roll support. New adaptive air suspension with 2-chamber, 2-valve technology is optional.
The Porsche Cayenne is due to arrive in South Africa in the second half of 2023.
Porsche Cayenne – R1 848 000
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid – R2 194 000
Porsche Cayenne S – R2 125 000
Porsche Cayenne coupé – R1 933 000
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid coupé – R2 259 000
Porsche Cayenne S Coupé – R2 232 000
Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – R4 128 000
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