’24 Porsche Cayenne: More power, more screens, more dollars

Don’t call it a facelift. The Porsche Cayenne has had an all-encompassing series of updates to make it faster on the road, more capable off the beaten track, and more comfortable anywhere. “It’s one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche,” says Michael Schätzle, vice president of the Cayenne product line.

The SUV’s metalwork isn’t significantly changed. A new front end features high-definition LED matrix headlamps and a subtly tweaked fascia with reworked intakes. There’s a new hood, more pronounced wheel arches, and the rear gets redesigned taillights, and a revised rear apron with an integrated license-plate holder. Wheels come in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes, and there are three new paint colors added to the palette.

Moving inside, the improvements are dramatic. The whole new cockpit design has shifted to what is now known as the Porsche Driver Experience, which first appeared in the all-electric Taycan. Porsche describes the arrangement as “the right balance between digital and analogue elements,” although the scales definitely tip in favor of the digital with a 12.6-inch instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch center display, and a further 10.9-inch unit in front of the passenger.

This third screen gives the shotgun rider much more of a genuine copilot role, with access to vehicle performance data and infotainment controls. There’s also the option to watch streaming video content, with a special foil on the passenger-side screen preventing the driver from being distracted from the latest viral TikTok or YouTube music video.

There are multiple mechanical modifications as well. Cars equipped with steel-spring (rather than air) suspension now come with Porsche Active Suspension Management, which uses shocks with two valves allowing for separate rebound and compression stages. The company claims this improves comfort at low speeds and also enhances cornering capability by reducing pitch and roll. Adaptive air suspension remains an option and comes with Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus driving modes so the driver can adjust the car’s characteristics to suit mood or road conditions.

Under the hood there’s more power, whether you opt for entry-level V-6 or top-end V-8 engine. The base three-liter six now makes 348 hp, with the E-Hybrid model adding another 174 horses of electric oomph, giving a range of 55 miles on battery power alone (according to the city-centric European WLTP measure). There’s also faster, 11-kW charging so a full top-up takes less than three hours.

The Cayenne S now comes with the V-8 instead of the V-6, enjoying 34-hp hike in power to 468. The king of the hill remains the Turbo GT, which you can only buy in the coupe body style. It gets a 19-hp boost to 650 horsepower, allowing it to reach 62 mph from rest in just 3.3 seconds and go on to almost 190 mph.

Prices start at $80,850, up from $73,650 for the 2023 model, and rise to $197,500 for the Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT.