AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING9/10
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Safety8/10
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PRACTICALITY8/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES9/10
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POWER10/10
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COMFORT8/10
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DRIVING FEEL9/10
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FUEL ECONOMY8/10
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VALUE8/10
The third-generation Porsche Cayenne has been a heavy hitter since its launch in 2018, especially in terms of performance, but it hasn’t always been the easiest to live with every day.
Sure, its styling and incredibly well-executed powertrains were enough to impress, but if you needed a convenient place to stash your phone or wallet, for example, you were out of luck. With this most popular Porsche model on the receiving end of a refresh intended to address this minor shortcoming, the result is a much more well-rounded – and even more compelling – SUV than it used to be.
Styling: 9/10
You might not notice the 2024 Porsche Cayenne’s facelift from the outside, as the tweaks are subtle. The updated lighting front and rear are the most perceptible, but the changes might go unnoticed unless you’re looking at the new one and the old one side by side.
The headlights look Taycan-inspired, while the taillights look more 911-like with a fancy new 3D design. The grille and intake have been streamlined, the hood’s power dome is slightly larger, and the tweaks add up to make this SUV look more aggressive. All in, the Cayenne remains a handsome vehicle with an unmistakable family resemblance to the rest of the lineup.
Power: 10/10
New for the 2024 Porsche Cayenne S, the 2.9L twin-turbocharged V6 has been dropped for a standard 4.0L twin-turbo V8. This powerhouse outputs 468 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, sending it to all four wheels via a snappy eight-speed automatic transmission. Porsche’s twin-turbo V8 is one of my favourite engines ever, and here it helps the Cayenne S sprint to 100 km/h in just five seconds (4.7 with the optional Sport Chrono package).
Driving Feel: 9/10
All the elements of the Cayenne S’s powertrain work together seamlessly and exhibit almost unnatural smoothness. A punch at the pedal instantly rewards a driver with seemingly endless acceleration, and no matter the situation, it never misses a beat, delivering flawless execution each and every time.
The Cayenne S tested here has two optional features I highly recommend: rear-axle steering, and adaptive air suspension. The former allows the Cayenne to drive and handle like a much smaller vehicle, increasing its agility and manoeuvrability both at high speed and in parking lots.
The air suspension provides the Cayenne incredible duality, making it adept at both mellow cruising and hurling through winding back roads. It irons out any roughness from the road or abrupt movements from the powertrain so that you can barely feel them, while also allowing the Cayenne to remain remarkably flat and composed when thrown into a fast corner.
The new steering wheel is taken directly from the 911. The Cayenne S is far from handling like its iconic sports car sibling, but it’s still more dialled in than anything in its segment. I wish the steering was sharper and heavier, however, as it has a deadzone on-centre that I’ve never experienced before in a Porsche. It’s a bit better in sport mode, but it would benefit from being as sharp as Porsche purists would expect.
This new Cayenne is also eerily quiet from the inside, with no wind, tire, or traffic noise making its way into the cabin. This SUV feels like it’s been hermetically sealed from the racket of the outside world, but there is one downside to this serenity: drivers are barely able to hear the roar of the V8. Knowing that it’s a detuned version of the one powering the monstrous Cayenne Turbo GT that sounds like winning the lottery, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out.
Features: 9/10
Besides the engine, the other most significant change is to the Cayenne’s cabin. This is the first time Porsche’s three-screen setup is available outside the Taycan. The instrument cluster is now curved and fully digital, which might upset purists who want the brand’s signature analog five-gauge setup, but drivers can customize the screen to mimic it using the steering-wheel-mounted controls. This screen no longer needs to have a hood over it to block it from glare, which benefits forward visibility and makes the cabin feel more open.
Front-seat passengers now optionally get their own screen, and its functionality is the same as the central touchscreen (save Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). The passenger’s screen has a privacy film applied so it’s not distracting to the driver and can be used to stream videos.
While Porsche still loves to charge for features, this update brings new standard stuff including a wireless phone charger (finally). The fast-charging wireless phone pad is now located outside the centre console bin, reducing your risk of forgetting it inside, and it’s also cooled, mitigating the risk of your phone overheating. Every occupant also gets a dedicated fast-charging USB-C port. A cabin air ionizer that filters out germs and pollutants is also available.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but I wish they were better integrated into the Cayenne’s systems so that navigation from Google Maps could be shown in the instrument cluster and head-up display, which only works for the native navigation system.
Practicality: 8.5/10
The Cayenne’s gear selector is now a lever that’s been moved to the right of the steering wheel, freeing up space on the centre console for storage space that didn’t exist in the previous model. Now there’s room for the wireless phone charger and a larger bin that can hold keys and a wallet. The door pockets are also now large enough to hold a water bottle and even my handbag, freeing up cup holders for more storage. It’s incredible how these seemingly small changes add up to make the Cayenne way easier to live with on a daily basis.
The trunk holds 772 L of cargo, which expands to 1,707 L with the 40/20/40-split seats folded flat. The seats are folded manually using levers on each side of the bench, but I would love to see levers in the trunk instead, or even a fully automatic setup.
User-Friendliness: 8.5/10
If you’re used to Porsche’s interface, the new setup in the Cayenne builds on an already intuitive system. The touchscreens are crisp and easy to navigate, there are useful shortcuts and a home button on the touchscreen that are always visible, and the mix of touch-capacitive buttons and analog toggles on the centre console all combine to enable an interface that’s not distracting to use.
Comfort: 8/10
The Cayenne S’s sport seats are divine, providing comfort and support for both long cruises and spirited drives. The way the adaptive air suspension is calibrated to do both so well is also impressive – it isolates passengers from choppy roads while also maintaining its performance credentials without any compromise to either. There’s plenty of room in the front and back, even with taller occupants in the front. The front seats come heated and optionally cooled, while a heated steering wheel is standard. The rear seats are optionally heated and ventilated as well.
Safety: 8/10
The Cayenne S comes standard with automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert and safe exit warning, parking sensors front and rear, lane-keep assist, and active speed limit assist. Adaptive cruise control, night vision assistance, automated parking, and surround-view parking cameras are optional.
Fuel Economy: 8/10
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne S is officially rated to burn 93-octane fuel at a rate of 15.3 L/100 km in the city, 11.2 on the highway, and 13.5 combined. After about 650 km of mixed driving, I managed to get 14.5 L/100 km, though if you were more responsible than I was, you could probably do better.
Value: 8/10
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne S is certainly expensive, but it somehow still manages to feel worth its asking price, which starts at $107,500 plus a $2,850 destination fee. The dozens of options add up painfully quickly, however, and it wouldn’t be out of the question to budget an additional $40,000 or more for options, which this tester has, bringing its as-tested total to $149,870.
The Verdict
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne S sits in the middle of the Cayenne lineup, expertly blending performance and comfort. The Cayenne was an excellent SUV before this update, but I was always willing to forgive its shortcomings because its performance and build quality was so exceptional. Now that it’s more convenient, practical, and user-friendly, the Cayenne’s newfound well-roundedness makes it even more compelling than it was before.
| Engine Displacement | 4.0L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | Twin-Turbo V8 |
| Peak Horsepower | 468 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 442 lb-ft @ 2,000–5,000 rpm |
| Fuel Economy | 15.3 / 11.2 / 13.5 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 772 / 1,707 L seats up/down |
| Model Tested | 2024 Porsche Cayenne S |
| Base Price | $107,500 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $2,850 |
| Price as Tested | $149,870 |
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Optional Equipment
$39,420 – Algarve Blue Metallic, $970; Leather Interior in Black/Chalk, $4,770; Rear Axle Steering, $1,470; Sport Tailpipes in Dark Bronze, $1,090; Adaptive Air Suspension incl. Porsche Active Suspension Mana, $2,720; Trailer Hitch without Tow Ball, $750; Locking Wheel Bolts, $70; Air Quality System, $530; Exclusive Design Fuel Cap, $190; Roof Rails in Black Aluminum Finish, $940; Power Sunblind for Rear Side Windows, $740; 22” SportDesign Wheels, $5,100; Heated Windshield, $710; Porsche Crest on Headrests (Front and Rear), $660; Exterior Mirror Lower Trim and Base in Exterior Colour, $750; Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+), $1,700; Soft Close Doors, $820; Technology Package, $4,200; Exterior Package in Gloss Black, $450; Preparation for Porsche Dashcam (Front and Rear), $150; Under Door Puddle Light Projectors, $370; Premium Package Plus (4-zone Climate Control, Panoramic Roof System), $9,790; Adaptive Sports Sets in Front (18-way), $480
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