Major interior revamp revealed for Porsche’s facelifted large SUV arriving in late 2023
The upgraded 2024 Porsche Cayenne will debut an all-new digital interior concept, as revealed this morning ahead of the vehicle’s world premiere at the Shanghai motor show in China on April 18.
Set to roll into Australian dealerships late in the third quarter of this year (by September), the facelifted Porsche Cayenne will also introduce a range of new chassis features and an updated exterior design as part of one of the most significant mid-life updates Porsche says it has ever undertaken.
Camouflaged versions of the updated third-generation Porsche Cayenne were officially teased undergoing development testing in snow, mud and sand last month and now their new cockpit design has been confirmed to incorporate a trio of digital dashboard screen that stretch almost door-to-door, totalling nearly 36 inches of digital real-estate.
Taking many of the elements that made their debut in Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan, the new dashboard design – dubbed the Porsche Driver Experience – features a curved and customisable digital instrument cluster and also adds a large passenger-side infotainment display.
In addition, Porsche has restyled the lower console-mounted climate control unit to create a cleaner look and added a shrunken, repositioned gear shifter, as well as a high-output 15-Watt wireless phone charging pad with cooling functionality to stop smartphones overheating.
The central and outboard air-vents have also been redesigned and a new engine start button has been integrated into the new-look dash.
The headline act of the new cockpit design is the new driver’s display, a 12.6-inch free-standing curved screen that replaces the current Cayenne’s traditional set-up, which echoed Porsche sports cars by featuring a central analogue tachometer flanked by smaller circular dials with digital screens.
Porsche says it offers up to seven different viewing modes, including a classic setting that mimics the traditional ‘five-tube’ layout dominated by a large central rev-counter. Safety functions such as the night vision and 3D driver assistance systems can also be activated via the new instrument cluster.
An updated head-up display is also part of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne’s renewed cabin, which also adds an updated steering wheel that Porsche says “originates from the 911 and has been completely reworked compared to the previous model”. It continues to offer a small drive mode dial with four settings (normal, offroad, sport, sport plus).
Meantime, the central infotainment touch-screen is a 12.3-inch unit that harbours all the entertainment, driving and comfort controls, and below that is a new climate control panel that retains physical controls for major functions, plus a mechanical dial for volume control.
Porsche will also offer an optional 10.9-inch multimedia display for the front passenger to indulge in various entertainment features, such as streaming TV shows and movies – but the German performance car brand is quick to point out that a special film on the screen means the display can’t be seen from the driver’s seat.
Front passengers can also help the driver out by entering navigation instructions or selecting music.
Four USB-C ports are now also integrated into the vehicle – two up front and two out back for rear-seat occupants – and improved smartphone connectivity allows occupants to pair smartphones via QR code. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are part of the deal too.
Thanks to the redesigned dashboard and repositioned gear shifter, Porsche says the updated Cayenne delivers a sporty ambience “combined with dynamic functionality, luxurious comfort and typical Cayenne design features”.
The new Cayenne will introduce a number of chassis upgrades too, including a new semi-active dual-chamber air suspension system combined with adaptive dampers, not to mention a host of updated powertrains spanning V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid.
The latter is set to introduce a higher-density battery pack to improve electric-only driving range and Porsche has stated that the first all-electric Cayenne will make its debut in 2026.
Australian orders for the 2024 Porsche Cayenne will open in conjunction with the model’s global launch in mid-April, ahead of first deliveries later this year.
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Keyword: 2024 Porsche Cayenne to debut new digital dashboard