Porsche Cayenne 2023 review

Following its usual model launch cadence, Porsche will add grades like the GTS to the line-up down the track, but for now the core grades are the base Cayenne, E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid, and Cayenne S, all in SUV or swoopy Coupe body styles.

The powerful Turbo GT flagship is only offered in Coupe guise. Due to emissions regulations it's not offered in a lot of markets, including Europe, so we are lucky it still exists at all and is being offered Down Under.

It won't surprise you to learn that the updated Cayenne has gone up in price. Given the changes to the car, that makes sense.

There are new 20-inch wheels on the Cayenne and Cayenne E-Hybrid. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

The price increases range from $2100 for the entry grade - simply dubbed Cayenne - to a whopping $14,300 for the flagship Turbo GT.

The Cayenne starts things off at $140,200, before on-road costs, for the SUV. While it sounds steep - because it is - the Cayenne used to be quite a bit more expensive than its rivals, but they have crept up in price recently.

That starting price is now only a few thousand dollars dearer than the entry-grade BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Additions over the old Cayenne include Matrix LED headlights. (S SUV pictured)

The Coupe attracts a premium of between $5700 to $9000 depending on the grade. But the big bucks are saved for the Turbo GT, which tops out at $366,200 - that's about double the price of a Cayenne S.

Porsche has not revealed full specification yet. Expect that closer to launch. You can order one now but deliveries don't start until the third quarter of the year.

Additions over the old Cayenne include Matrix LED headlights, active parking support, inductive smartphone compartment, Porsche Active Suspension Management and new 20-inch wheels on Cayenne and Cayenne E-Hybrid, while the Cayenne Turbo GT gains tinted HD Matrix LED headlights and soft-close doors.

The standard features list isn't super extensive and the options list is long and pricey. So while the pricing now lines up with rivals, you'll have to add more to the total if you want extra goodies.

The rear gains a new apron as well, and new three-dimensional tail-lights running the width of the tailgate. (S SUV pictured)

While a lot of its rivals offer seven seats, the Cayenne makes do with five. Not that people seem to mind - it's the best selling Porsche model globally so far this year.

It's a big SUV and offers decent space up front - loads of headroom, for example. The front seats are ultra supportive and can be adjusted multiple ways. They also feel luxurious and hug the body when cornering.

I like the grab handles on either side of the centre console - a Cayenne signature.

It’s a big SUV and offers decent space up front - loads of headroom, for example. (S SUV pictured)

The updated in-car tech is impressive. It includes a 12.6-inch curved digital instrument cluster, paired with a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, while some grades have the passenger side dash screen that has functionality for streaming movies, among other things.

Cleverly, it has a film so the driver can't see on-screen vision, ensuring fewer distractions.

A very good head-up display is also offered on some grades.

While a lot of its rivals offer seven seats, the Cayenne makes do with five. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

It took a while to adjust to the gear shifter's new location on the dash to the right of the steering wheel, but it makes sense to house it there.

The new instrument cluster has excellent resolution but the top of the wheel can impede vision of some dials.

Storage is good but the central bin is a little shallow.

The second row is also very spacious and I easily sat behind my 183cm (six foot) driving position with about four centimetres between my knees and the rear of the front seats.

It's comfortable enough but the seats are flat. They fold 60/40 and there are ISOFIX points on the outboard seats. Knee and face-level air vents are welcome and there are rear climate controls.

The boot is sizable at 549 litres with all seats in place and 1464L with the second row folded.

New trim choices and colours add some flair to the Cayenne cabin. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

Porsche has changed a few things up with the Cayenne's powertrain line-up.

The 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine from the base grade gains an extra 10kW/50Nm in power and torque for a new output of 260kW/500Nm.

In bigger news, Porsche has swapped out the turbocharged V6 in the Cayenne S for an updated version of the company's 4.0-litre V8.

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) E-Hybrid gets a more powerful electric motor, up 30kW on the outgoing version, and paired with the six-cylinder petrol engine it has a total system output of 346kW and 650Nm. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

Porsche said it had squeezed as much power as it could out of the twin-turbo V6 which is why it optimised the V8 - it pumps out 349kW and 600Nm.

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) E-Hybrid gets a more powerful electric motor, up 30kW on the outgoing version, and paired with the six-cylinder petrol engine it has a total system output of 346kW and 650Nm.

The flagship Turbo GT Coupe gets an extra 14kW of power and so the V8 now pumps out 485kW for a blistering 3.3-second 0-100km/h dash time.

As mentioned, emissions regulations have put an end to the Turbo GT Coupe in a number of markets, including Europe.

New trim choices and colours add some flair to the Cayenne cabin. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a power and torque bump for the Cayenne base grade has seen fuel use increase by 0.9 litres to 10.8 litres per 100 kilometres.

Similarly, no surprise that the Cayenne S now consumes more fuel given it has gone from a V6 to a V8 - it's up by more than two litres to 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres.

The efficiency hero of the range is the E-Hybrid and the tweaks Porsche has introduced have made it more efficient than the outgoing version. The official number is now from 1.5L/100km, compared to 3.5 litres in the superseded model.

The efficiency hero of the range is the E-Hybrid and the tweaks Porsche has introduced have made it more efficient than the outgoing version. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

Battery capacity is up by 8.0kWh to 25.9kWh, ensuring an electric-only driving range of between 66 and 74 kilometres. Charging capacity has also increased and is up to 11kW now, allowing for a full top up in just over two hours.

The Coupe body style is ever so slightly thirstier than the SUV in each respective grade, by just 0.1L/100km.

Porsche has added new functions and improved existing elements of its driver assistance suite as part of the update.

The adaptive cruise control now has an 'Evasive Assist' function that calculates the best evasion route in an emergency steering manoeuvre around another car or truck.

The more significant changes are found inside where the Cayenne gains Porsche’s 'Driver Experience' concept from models like the Taycan. (E-Hybrid Coupe pictured)

It also gains 'Turn Assist' at low speeds, while the lane keeping aid has been improved to stay in the lane more effectively.

The Cayenne has not been crash tested by ANCAP and therefore remains unrated in Australia. It did score a maximum five stars in Euro NCAP testing, however.