2024 Porsche Cayenne S and Cayenne Coupe Review

The whole Porsche Cayenne lineup saw substantial updates for this year, but for me, the focus is squarely on the mid-level Cayenne S.

Call it a return to form. The original Cayenne launched with a V8 in Cayenne S form, and for 2024, it’s back. Don’t get me wrong, the V6 models serve a purpose, especially when hooked up to Porsche’s plug-in hybrid setup. There’s just something intrinsically correct about an eight-cylinder Cayenne though, especially without the associated ballistics of the harder-faster-stronger Turbo.

Porsche obviously thought the upgrade was worth it, or else it wouldn’t have done it. We wanted to find out for ourselves, so managing editor Mike Schlee and I spent a week with both a Cayenne S and V6-powered Cayenne Coupé to figure it out.

No matter the power level or application, Porsche’s current V8 is a peach. Incredibly tractable across its wide rev range—it won’t stop spinning until 6,800 rpm—the 4.0-liter is responsive and effortlessly powerful. With near-zero turbo lag and that snappy eight-speed, no gap is too small for this five-seat SUV. All the while, there’s that delicious eight-cylinder burble.

Well, sort of. The Cayenne is a luxury car, remember, and Porsche has done a fantastic job making the cabin a near-silent sanctuary. But all the acoustic this and insulated that conspire to keep that engine note distant. I roll down the windows for a stronger hit—even if it’s December.

The rest of the package meshes well with the revived V8. This tester features the optional rear-wheel steering, which blesses the big Cayenne with excellent agility for something with a 4,874-pound (2,210-kilogram) curb weight. It’s a must-have option for me, same with the adaptive air suspension. The Cayenne rides with the grace you’d expect of a six-figure luxury car, and this way, it also has the ability to raise or lower by nearly two inches.

This is still a Porsche too, mind you. Even on the chonky winter rubber, this tester can hustle—and enjoys it. Sport mode tightens up the responses, keeping all that mass level through sweepers. The steering is clean and oh-so consistent, making it easy to trust the Cayenne and gauge where its limits lie. While the eight-speed will put in an A+ effort all on its own, I found initiating full-manual control more work than necessary. The shifter—now the odd little toggle found in the Taycan, almost completely hidden from the driver’s view by the steering wheel—offers an M mode, but it only stays that way through an option in the touchscreen.

The Taycan hasn’t only lent its shifter to its high-riding big brother. The Cayenne dashboard is now all but identical to that of the brand’s EV, with a curved, high-resolution screen sitting behind the wheel. It’s an ace setup: sharp and quick to respond, not to mention easily customizable. It takes a little bit of time to figure out that last bit due to design subtlety, but I appreciate Porsche’s clean approach.

Off to the center is the main infotainment screen, which runs the latest operating system. This too is quick and useful, though the simple design can make it seem behind the curve against the flashiness of the other Germans. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included, though there isn’t the same level of integration as you’d find in, say, a BMW. No phone-based navigation beamed to the instrument cluster, for instance.

There’s also a third screen for the front passenger. It functions almost exactly like the central unit, though with a privacy coating to both not distract the driver and allow for video streaming.

The shifter migration opens up the center console for redesigned controls and more storage space. Speaking of, five adults can easily sit in comfort in the Cayenne. The seats in both rows are mega-comfortable, while retaining the sort of support you’d expect of a vehicle wearing the Porsche crest. Umpteen levels of power adjustment, plus heating and ventilation, made the miles melt away.

With 27.3 cubic feet (772 liters) of cargo space, the Cayenne is average in terms of hauling. The power-folding second row can expand that figure out to 60.3 (1,707 L), giving it a useful advantage over the style-focused Coupé.

I expected the Cayenne S to be the heavier drinker of this duo, but I was still surprised at the result. Officially it’ll do 17 mpg (13.5 L/100 km) combined, a figure I struggled to match after over 300 miles (483 km) over driving. It also drinks from the priciest pump. What can I say? The siren song of the V8 was hard to ignore.

Beyond the fuel costs, how much extra does the V8 ask of owners? With a starting price of $97,350 ($110,350 CAD) including destination, you’re looking at around $12k on either side of the border. Porsche is one of the handful of brands to still offer just about every option carte blanche too, so there’s almost nothing you can’t spec on either of these trims. Almost nothing wasn’t on this Cayenne S either, sees a significant number of options including the two-tone interior ($4,180 / $4,770 CAD), Technology package ($3,690 / $4,200 CAD) and the mega-bundle Premium Package Plus ($8,090 / $9,790 CAD). All in, you’re looking at an additional third or so of costs, bringing the as-tested sticker to $131,900 ($149,770 CAD).

Put another way, that’s M or AMG money. How much does that V8 really matter?

For starters, calling the entry-level Cayenne base is a huge stretch. The starting point of the mid-size SUV family comes well equipped and can even be had in Cayenne Coupé form, like our tester. Under the hood is a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that produces 348 hp and 368 lb-ft. of torque. Like the V8, it too features a 48V mild hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Despite a curb weight of 4,740 pounds (2,085 kg), the Cayenne Coupé can still scoot from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 154 mph (248 km/h). That’s impressive for any SUV, never mind one that's the lowest rung of the family ladder.

Seat-of-the-pants feel fully supports those numbers as the Cayenne accelerates with more authority than we expected. By highway speeds things begin to level out, but there’s still all the power one would need for spirited driving. The consistent torque helps create a feeling of there being more power on tap, and the 20-second power boost button is fun to play with, even if an increase in performance can’t really be detected.

The turbo V6 obviously can’t match the sound created by its V8 siblings, so missing the optional sport exhaust on our tester wasn’t an issue. One area the smaller engine doe shine though, in relative terms, is fuel economy. Achieving 17 mpg (13.8 L/100 km) in the city, and 23 mpg (10.2 L/100 km) on the highway aren’t exactly brag-worthy figures. But that does beat the Cayenne S by 2 mpg in each regard.

The Cayenne’s chassis is quite a capable starting point, but as is a long-standing tradition with Porsche, there is a gluttony of options that can be added to the SUV. Our tester came with the adaptive air suspension, Porsche active suspension management, rear axle steering, and upgraded 21-inch alloy wheels wearing grippy 285/45R21 front tires and 315/40R21 at the rear.

Being December, those tires were replaced by a set of narrower winter tires on 20-inch alloy wheels. Even with the rubber downgrade, the Cayenne Coupé is still more engaging than all but a handful of mid-size SUVs. There’s no squishiness or delay in the steering. The vehicle responds to inputs, changing direction with haste not expected in a sizeable people carrier.

Grip levels are obviously down due to the soft winter rubber, but the Cayenne is still wholly tractable through long sweeping corners. A side benefit of the air suspension is the Porsche’s ability to go from 7.5-inches (192 mm) of ground clearance, all the way up to 9.3-inches (237 mm) – handy in large snowstorms.

One more point on capability, even with the entry level V6 engine, the Cayenne Coupé is rated to tow upwards of 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg) with the optional towing package. That’s a decent amount of weight for a performance SUV.

The Cayenne Coupé is the premium, stylish member of the family and we can’t really argue with that. Whereas the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe aren’t as attractive as their regular SUV equivalents in our eyes, Managing Editor Mike Schlee prefers the Coupé profile of the 2024 Cayenne. It gives the vehicle a little bit more presence.

As is the case with most SUV Coupes, utility is sacrificed in the name of fashion and the Cayenne is no exception. The rear seats offer plenty of headroom for most adults, but the roof slopes down around their heads, partially blocking outward visibility. Cargo volume also shrinks to 20.9 cubic feet (592 L) behind the rear seats and 53.0 cubic feet (1,501 L) with those seats folded down. The actual cargo area is deep and wide, just not very tall.

The rest of the interior is not so much trim specific, but rather a reflection of which options packages are selected. Both the Cayenne and Cayenne S could have near identical interiors if the right options are chosen. Equipped with the best (and most) of the comfort features, our tester was a pleasure to spend long periods of time in. For our narrower testers, they appreciated the power adjustable seat and back bolsters. All the materials are top notch as hardly an expense was spared when ordering this particular 2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupé.

The Porsche Cayenne Coupé makes a good case for itself as more than just an entry level vehicle. This is reflected in the SUV’s pricing. The starting MSRP in the United States is $85,950 (all prices include destination charges) or $98,250 in Canada.

In America, that’s a $10,000+ premium compared to the similarly powerful BMW X6 xDrive40i, and within $10,000 of the much more potent X6 M60i xDrive. In Canada, pricing matches up much closer to the X6 xDrive40i though.

The biggest competitor for the Cayenne Coupe may be the vehicle itself. As tested, with a plethora of options tacked on, our tester came in at $122,610 ($139,800 Canadian). That puts it on a similar pricing plain as the 512 hp Cayenne Coupe S E-Hybrid Coupé with an additional $14,000 left over to spend on options. In fairness, even with those upgrades, it still wouldn’t be as well-equipped as the Cayenne Coupé we are driving here though.

To us, that’s what the entry level Cayenne represents. Porsche excels not just at performance, but luxury as well. Unlike many competitors, the brand allows customers to order most options regardless of which trim is chosen. For customers more interested in comfort and the finer things in life, with a bit of performance on the side, optioning up the regular Cayenne Coupé is a great choice. Those of us that would rather performance first and luxury second, there’s no fewer than five more powerful vehicles in the Cayenne Coupé family.

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