Porsche Cayenne 2023 facelift: first-drive review
Porsche’s largest SUV has undergone an extensive mid-life facelift, with new engines and a heavily revised interior. We reveal our first impressions.
Note that this review is based on our initial drive of the Porsche Cayenne 2023 facelift. Our full review and verdict (complete with the car's overall score, plus scores for safety, reliability and more) will be available to Which? members once all our extensive lab and road tests are complete.
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Porsche Cayenne overview
When it first arrived on UK roads in 2002, the Porsche Cayenne re-wrote the rules on how large SUVs should drive. Powerful and with poise and driveability that belied its two-tonne+ kerb weight, it quickly became a template for other luxury manufacturers to emulate, and cemented itself as Porsche’s best-selling model globally.
Now in its third generation (launched in 2018), Porsche has given the Cayenne a comprehensive update, to extend its showroom life before an all-electric replacement arrives (expected in 2025/26).
As well as relatively minor tweaks to the exterior, including a squarer front bumper and the addition of ‘Matrix’ LED headlights as standard across the range, the interior has also been reworked. The traditional gear lever has been replaced with a rocker switch and repositioned to the upper dashboard, freeing up space on the centre console.
The driver’s display is now taken from the Porsche Taycan electric saloon, and features crisp digital dials. Combined with the infotainment display and optional (though rather unnecessary) passenger display, it’s possible to get screens spanning the entire width of the car’s dashboard.
This hasn’t come at the expense of usability, however. Happily, Porsche has had the sense to retain separate physical climate-control functions, while the infotainment system itself benefits from a slick, responsive and easy to navigate touchscreen interface.
The engine range has also been comprehensively revised, though there remains a choice of V6 and V8 petrol models (though the diesels are long gone), as well as a brace of plug-in hybrid editions, with available power ranging from a robust 353hp (in the entry-level Cayenne) to an astonishing 739hp In the range-topping Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid – read our full, lab-tested Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid review to find out more.
This first drive, however, focuses on the mid-range Cayenne S, powered by a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with 479hp.
Regardless of which model you choose, you’ll get an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive as standard. Amongst the myriad tech and performance options are desirable options such as rear-wheel-steer, which greatly reduces the car’s turning circle, as well as air suspension, to give a more comfortable ride than the standard steel springs (which also benefit from upgraded dampers post 2023 facelift), when a more relaxed drive is called for.
Looking for a capacious car? Take a look at our pick of the best large SUVs for 2024.
What's the Porsche Cayenne great at?
The Cayenne has an uncanny ability to feel like a much smaller and lighter car than it actually is, such is its accelerative performance and eagerness to change direction on a challenging road. For those who enjoy driving, there are very few full-size SUVs that will appeal in the same way as a Cayenne.
What's it like to drive?
Despite tipping the scales at over 2.2 tonnes and being nearly five metres in length, the Cayenne does a great job of disguising its enormity on the road. The S model’s big 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 has near instantaneous throttle response, and makes light work of getting the car up to speed; its huge power reserves and the slick automatic transmission mean acceleration is effortless whatever the situation.
Even more impressive is the Cayenne’s superb body control. Even at high speeds or in demanding corners, the Cayenne changes direction keenly, without succumbing to much perceptible body roll – a weird sensation in such a tall vehicle. And with strong brakes that reliably reign in all that mass safely, the overall driving sensation is that of a large hot hatchback, rather than a high-rise off-roader.
In keeping with the Cayenne’s luxury SUV remit, comfort levels are high. The standard steel suspension springs can be upgraded to an adaptive air setup (as tested), which does a very good job of isolating the cabin from the road. There is some slight fidget from the large alloy wheels over some surfaces, but it’s a slight compromise given the car’s rock-solid stability and cornering performance.
Boosting the feeling of luxury is the fit and finish. The cabin might not be as visually interesting as the likes of the opulent Maserati Grecale – and can feel quite gloomy with an all-black colour scheme – but the quality of the materials used and the solidity of the cabin construction are first-rate. The on-board infotainment is well integrated, too, being easily reachable, responsive and easy to read at a glance.
As manoeuvrable as the Cayenne is, its sheer size can make it cumbersome in a tight spot, which isn’t helped by wide roof pillars. Thankfully, the S model is fitted with a very useful 3D surround view camera system and active park assist – which can measure parking spaces and guide the car in with minimal driver input – as standard.
Looking to buy a car? Our guide on where to buy a car shows you the options that are available.
How reliable is the Porsche Cayenne?
We don't have reliability ratings for the Cayenne specifically, but we do have information on Porsche's reliability as a brand.
To find out more, head to our guide on the most reliable car brands.
How comfortable and spacious is it?
The Cayenne sits proudly at the XL end of the SUV spectrum and offers generous accommodation for five adults. The cabin is wide and has a spacious feel, and there’s plenty of head and legroom front and back.
Some passengers might find it’s a bit of a step up to get in, but wide opening doors and relatively unobtrusive – if somewhat wide – door sills make things easier.
The driver’s seat is both comfortable and supportive, holding you in place without feeling restrictive. The seat is electrically adjustable, too, though our test car offered only a basic range of adjustment to the backrest and seat base, with no adjustable lumbar support or side bolsters.
The rear bench is flatter, but still very comfortable even for taller adults, and sufficiently contoured for adequate support in corners. The seats can be individually slid back and forth to improve legroom at the expense of boot space.
Porsche claims total boot space for the Cayenne S to be 772 litres, rising to a cavernous 1,708 litres with the rear seats folded. This is somewhat larger than the plug-in hybrid model’s claimed 627/1,563 litre capacity, due to the latter’s additional large battery pack.
While the big tailgate is electrically powered, lifting luggage in is quite awkward because of the very high load sill. That can be eased somewhat if you order air suspension, as it can lower the car’s rear end by a few centimetres. The load-lip itself is flush with the boot floor, so doesn’t present an obstacle.
How economical is it to run?
Perhaps unexpectedly, fuel economy isn’t the Cayenne’s forte. Even the least powerful V6 model will only manage between 23.3-26.2mpg by Porsche’s own reckoning. This drops to 21.2-22.8mpg in the tested V8 Cayenne S.
Plug-in hybrid models have far more impressive claimed figures, with even the comically high-powered Turbo E-Hybrid model claimed to return between 141.2-166.2mpg. However, as with all PHEVs, getting anywhere near that claim will be dependent on your ability to keep the battery topped up and using its EV range as much as possible.
How safe is it?
The entire Cayenne range was awarded a full five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP when launched in 2017, though this rating has since expired.
All models get autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian recognition as standard, but unfortunately if you want the most desirable safety kit, you’ll have to delve into the car’s extensive options list, where items such as lane-assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control are available – features you’d normally expect to be fitted as standard on a car as expensive as the Cayenne.
Is there anything I should look out for?
Fuel and consumable costs are high and, impressive as it is, the Cayenne’s sporting bent means it doesn’t quite offer the isolated, pillow-soft ride of less extreme performance SUVs, such as the Land Rover Range Rover.
Porsche Cayenne 2023 facelift verdict
Price: from £72,850
Pros: Breathtaking performance and poise, practical with lots of passenger space, superb build quality throughout
Cons: Vehicle width can be annoying in town, high running costs, a lot of kit is optional
For those looking for a full-size five seat SUV that can handle everyday life, make every journey feel like an event and serve up the same adrenaline-soaked driving experience as a low-slung sports car, the Porsche Cayenne will definitely appeal – provided you can stomach the high fuel consumption running costs.
Remember, this is just our assessment based on our initial road tests of the car. For our pick of more conventional family off-roaders, all of which have been through our tough lab testing, head to our guide to the best large SUVs.
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