Porsche Cayenne - TopCarNews

Porsche Cayenne (2017 – present) | Expert Rating

Summary

The Porsche Cayenne SUV was first launched in 2002 and shocked many as Porsche in those days was only known for various versions of the 911 sports car – but very soon it was selling more Cayennes than anything else.

The third generation was launched in late 2017 before arriving in the UK in Spring 2018. It was a total redesign that includes a body that looks a bit more related to the 911. The Cayenne has maintained its popularity, Evo stating in 2021 “if you’ve got to go SUV, this is the one.” Many testers see the car as defining the premium SUV. As of November 2021, the Cayenne holds an Expert Rating of 71% based on 34 UK reviews.

In 2019 the Cayenne range gained a coupe sister with a more rakish roofline. Some reviewers struggle to see the point of this version, while others rate it more highly than the original version. Also added in recent times have been hybrid models, again to mixed reviews, Auto Express finding such versions “hard to justify”, inferior to both Porsche’s combustion-engined and fully electric cars.

Cayenne engines are all petrol – diesel offerings were dropped with the third generation, as the Volkswagen Group continues to hope that you’ve all forgotten its Dieselgate disgrace. The three options are a 3.0-litre V6, a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 and a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the first and last also available with hybrids. Power and resultant pace ranges from 340 to a remarkable 680hp.

Petrol models earn praise for their on-road refinement, typical of the comments “it’s not just good to drive for an SUV, it’s good to drive full stop.” But compared to their petrol siblings, the heavier hybrids feel more cumbersome.

The interior is adapted from the latest Panamera saloon and reviewers love its combination of technology and exceptional build. “The materials, quality and attention to detail are almost beyond reproach,” says Top Gear. Technology available impresses but choosing much of it adds quite a lot to the purchase bill.

Cayenne highlights

Exceptional build quality
Plenty of engine options
Petrol versions handle very well
Top-quality interior in design and equipment

Cayenne lowlights

Hybrid versions heavier and cumbersome
Coupe costs more for less practicality
Technology options add a lot of cost
There are better-looking rivals

Key specifications

Body style: Large SUV/crossoverPowertrain: petrol, petrol-electric hybrid
Price: From £60,930 on-road

Launched: Spring 2018Last updated: Summer 2019
Update due: TBA

Image gallery

autos, cars, porsche, porsche cayenne, android, porsche cayenne

Cayenne Turbo

Cayenne Coupé GTS

Cayenne Coupé

Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid

Cayenne S

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol/electric hybrid E-Hybrid Coupé“The Porsche Cayenne Coupé is a stunning car to look at. The E-Hybrid itself is a mixed bag, though. The increased weight of the batteries numbs the driving experience somewhat, and while still impressing, driven back-to-back with a regular Cayenne Coupé you’ll soon feel the difference.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe 2021Score: 7 / 10“As polished as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe is, the standard Cayennes are even sharper to drive, and those who care about the clean air or financial benefits of a PHEV are unlikely to be the same people willing to sink £125,000-plus into one of the fastest large SUVs on the market.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“Sports car performance and full-size SUV practicality meet in the physics-defying Porsche Cayenne.”
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Model reviewed: 4.0-litre petrol automatic GTS CoupéScore: 9 / 10“A huge SUV may seem an odd thing to recommend these days, but if you’re in the market for a non-electrified Porsche Cayenne, this is the one we’d go for. It has that great duality that you find in the best performance SUVs, being able to perform as a comfortable cruiser and an entertainer.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol automatic V6 CoupeScore: 6 / 10“The base-spec Porsche Cayenne Coupe lacks character in a way the top-spec Turbo does not. It gets the same luxurious cabin, refined ride and sharp steering, but it feels heavy and short on sparkle. The Turbo offers a sense of occasion that cars such as this simply can’t do without.”
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Model reviewed: Coupe 4.0 V8 TurboScore: 8 / 10“It remains one of the sharpest SUVs on sale, and now comes in a package some customers will find impossible to resist.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne has always been the car every manufacturer of large, luxury SUVs has tried to emulate. Lighter, leaner and faster, with a posher cabin that’s been stuffed with the latest driving, safety, and infotainment tech, the latest model has simply blown the opposition clean out of the water.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Turbo S E-HybridScore: 7 / 10“As an engineering showcase, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid ranks alongside supercars such as the 911 GT2 RS. However, its freakish breadth of capability on paper results in a less than perfectly rounded product on the road and ultimately consigns this wild Porsche to curiosity status.”
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Model reviewed: CoupeScore: 7 / 10“It’s a relatively stylish, relatively uncompromised take on the well-proven Cayenne formula. It’s a good cruiser that also happens to handle more tidily than its rivals, too.”
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Model reviewed: Coupe rangeScore: 8 / 10“Costs more than the standard car and is little different to drive, but restyled Cayenne certainly has an appeal all of its own.”
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Model reviewed: CoupeScore: 8 / 10 “It’s got the eye-catching looks and the perceived exclusivity; it’s fast and refined; and it boasts a cosseting and luxurious interior.”
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Model reviewed: E-HybridScore: 8 / 10“The Cayenne E-Hybrid is just about the least dynamically engaging Porsche on sale, but its combination of performance, comfort and usability means it’s no longer a Porsche to be avoided.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“Porsche’s flagship SUV is now far more technologically sophisticated and brutally quick. However, where the Cayenne once distinguished itself against its immediate rivals with its heightened ability to truly engage and enthral keen drivers, the same isn’t necessarily true of this new one.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Turbo S E-HybridScore: 8 / 10“The V8 is good for 542bhp, the battery 14.1kWh and the e-motor 128bhp, giving an unholy combined output of 670bhp and 664lb ft.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Coupé rangeScore: 7.6 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is more stylish than the standard car but slightly less practical too.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 7.8 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne offers the brand’s expected driving appeal, packaged as a practical, comfortable SUV.”
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Model reviewed: E-Hybrid SUVScore: 8.4 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is almost the perfect package for luxury SUV buyers who want performance as well as space, practicality and reasonable economy”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Coupé rangeScore: 8 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is fantastic to drive, has a high-quality interior and a surprising amount of space and practicality. A standard Cayenne is cheaper and even more spacious, though.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne offers powerful engines, keen handling and spacious, luxurious cabin. It’s five-seat only, though, you can’t have a diesel engine and Android Auto doesn’t feature.”
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Eurekar

Model reviewed: 2.9-litre petrol automatic Cayenne S SUV“On the road, the Porsche Cayenne S handles beautifully, especially when you slip it into sport mode, one of three options available, and adjust the suspension. There’s surprisingly little wallowing on corners and occupants as well protected from road, wind and engine noise intrusion.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“The third-generation Porsche Cayenne has the goods as an SUV, but talent is not spread evenly across the range.”
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Model reviewed: Turbo S E-HybridScore: 6 / 10“The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid combines both the 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the current Turbo model with a small electric motor and battery pack to create the most powerful Cayenne yet.”
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Model reviewed: Coupe range reviewScore: 8 / 10“Two-ton ‘coupe’ SUVs are difficult to like, but there’s little faulting the Cayenne Coupe’s performance or dynamics.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Coupé rangeScore: 10 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne Coupe is great to drive and has a beautiful interior.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“The Cayenne is arguably a bit too big for Britain’s congested city streets and narrow country lanes, but this hasn’t stopped it from being a huge success for Porsche. It helps that it’s brilliant to drive.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Coupé rangeScore: 8.6 / 10“One of the more successful coupe-shaped SUVs”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8.4 / 10“Third-generation Porsche Cayenne SUV moves the game on”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: E-HybridScore: 8 / 10“The ‘everything’ eco-Porsche … just don’t expect the taxman to care”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol V6 automaticScore: 6 / 10“If you like this sort of thing, you’ll love the Porsche Cayenne Coupé. It does a better job of being a sports car and an SUV at the same time than any of its rivals – though it still does neither job as well as a dedicated example of each type of car, of course.”
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Model reviewed: Turbo S E-HybridScore: 6 / 10“A mass of contradictions, the Turbo S E-Hybrid powers its way to the top of the Cayenne range with plug-in power, yet its towering performance robs it of some poise. There are more sensible options available, but sense rarely drives purchases like this, even ones where there’s a plug involved.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol automatic Cayenne SScore: 8 / 10“What at first glance seems a subtle makeover for Porsche’s big SUV turns out to be a comprehensive revisit to the concept, with tangible improvements in terms of interior quality and refinement.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“The Porsche Cayenne remains the king of driver-friendly SUVs. A very complete machine.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Coupé rangeScore: 10 / 10“As with the regular Porsche Cayenne, the biggest strengths of the Coupé are its handling and performance. In fact, the GTS, which is the sweet spot in the range, offers about as much fun as you can have with a car that’s this tall and heavy.”
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Model reviewed: SUV rangeScore: 8 / 10“Fine handling and strong performance are the Porsche Cayenne’s big strengths, but it’s also a practical SUV capable of meeting the family’s needs. The best version is the Cayenne S, because the Turbo and hybrid models are a little less nimble. It’s not that well equipped, though.”
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Safety rating

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2017

95%

ADULT OCCUPANT

80%

CHILD OCCUPANT

73%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

62%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Notes on safety
The Porsche Cayenne was last tested by Euro NCAP in 2017, gaining a top-level five-star rating. Autonomous emergency braking is standard, as is an active bonnet that cushions a pedestrian’s head in a collision.

The Cayenne’s safety rating does not apply to the Cayenne Coupé. The Coupé version was launched more than a year after the original Cayenne SUV was tested, and the rating is not automatically extended. Either the Cayenne Coupé would have to be tested separately or Porsche would have to supply proof to Euro NCAP that shows the Coupé would behave identically to the original SUV in the same situations.

As of June 2021, it appears that neither of these things have happened. So while the Cayenne Coupé is probably just as safe as the Cayenne SUV, it hasn’t been confirmed.

Eco rating

No eco rating

The Porsche Cayenne has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and inevitably the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic before resuming later in the year.

Given that the Cayenne is a high-performance, petrol-engined SUV that weighs in excess of two tonnes before adding any passengers or luggage, it’s pretty safe to assume that it won’t be winning any environmental awards…

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