- The 2024 Porsche Cayenne is much changed from last year’s model, even though this is nominally only a mid-cycle refresh.
- Among the changes are upgraded screens and the addition of the Porsche Driver Experience, which optimizes the driver’s control of frequently used functions. The engine lineup is fresh, too, including a turbo V-8 in the midlevel Cayenne S and a new 174-hp electric motor in the E-Hybrid that increases total power to 463 hp.
- The 2024 Cayenne will start arriving at U.S. dealerships this summer.
Some mid-cycle refreshes arrive with a whimper instead of a bang, throwing new paint colors or wheel designs into the mix but generally avoiding alterations to the core formula. The 2024 Porsche Cayenne does not fall into this class. In this case, Porsche saw fit to throw everything but the kitchen sink at its mid-size SUV’s update, and the result is mighty compelling.
Fresh to Death, Inside and Out
The Cayenne’s cabin receives quite the raft of changes for 2024. The old dashboard layout has been swapped out in favor of a slicker, more screen-heavy arrangement, like what’s in the Taycan. The gear selector has been moved up to the dashboard itself, giving the physical climate controls atop the transmission tunnel a little more breathing room.
The semi-analog gauge cluster is now a fully digital, 12.6-inch affair, and a head-up display is optional. A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, running the latest version of the automaker’s Porsche Communication Management software, which includes built-in Spotify and Apple Music connectivity. An optional 10.9-inch touchscreen gives the passenger their own special place to leave fingerprint smudges; it can stream video while in motion, but according to Porsche, a special layer on the display prevents the driver from taking a peek.
The 2024 Cayenne’s exterior tweaks aren’t as dramatic. Up front, a new hood runs between redesigned headlights, all of which rests atop a revised bumper with more dramatic air inlets. The front fenders are a little angrier now, too. Out back, the longroof gets a revised rear fascia that places the license plate lower, better aligning it with the coupe variant. Both models pick up mildly revised taillights, as well. Three new paint colors round out the tweaks: Algarve Blue Metallic, Montego Blue Metallic, and Arctic Grey.
Peppier Powertrains
As we mentioned in our January prototype drive, the 2024 Cayenne’s powertrains receive a whole lot of massaging. The base Cayenne’s turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 now makes 348 horsepower and 368 pound-feet, a 13-hp and 36-lb-ft improvement over last year. The midlevel Cayenne S ditches the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 in favor of a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 producing 468 horses and 442 pound-feet; with the optional Sport Chrono package, that’s enough for a Porsche-estimated 4.4-second blast to 60 mph. A twin-turbo V-8 also forms the basis for the coupe-only Cayenne Turbo GT, which sees a 19-hp bump for 2024, settling in at a meaty 650 horsepower and only asking 3.1 seconds to reach 60 mph. As before, an eight-speed automatic transmission remains standard fare.
For those thinking greener, the Cayenne E-Hybrid plug-in wasn’t spared a revision either. The electric motor now provides 174 horsepower, versus the outgoing model’s 134. The battery has grown from roughly 14.3 kWh of usable capacity to an estimated 20.6 kWh. This should give the current model’s EPA-estimated 17-mile EV range a solid boost, but the feds’ 2024 figures have yet to be announced. A new 11.0-kW onboard charger will be a welcome change over the sad 3.6-kW unit that’s standard on 2023 models. Overall, the E-Hybrid’s net output rises from 455 to 464 horsepower.
Chassis Tweaks
But wait, there’s more! The Cayenne’s base wheels grow from 19 inches in diameter to 20, increasing the contact patch and thus boosting mechanical grip. “The prototypes stuck like Velcro yet largely filtered out the worst [road] textures,” we noted in our January spin. Porsche’s PASM adaptive dampers are now standard on the base Cayenne, too, featuring specific valves for both rebound and compression. Adaptive air suspension is optional, but standard on the Turbo GT. Porsche also adjusted the rear-axle steering and rear torque-vectoring systems to further improve handling.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2024 Porsche Cayenne will be available in both coupe and longroof variants when it goes on sale this summer, but order books are open now if you enjoy a head start. Stick with the traditional body style, and you can expect to spend $80,850 for the base Cayenne, $93,350 for the Cayenne E-Hybrid, and $97,350 for the Cayenne S.
For coupe variants, the base Cayenne starts at $85,950, rising to $97,350 for the E-Hybrid, and settling at $103,750 for the Cayenne S. The coupe-only Cayenne Turbo GT is priced a bit dearer at $197,950.
Senior Editor
Cars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
