When the original Cayenne arrived in 2002, it was a world away from what we’d come to expect of Porsche, and that was precisely what was so clever about it. Until the Cayenne made its debut, Porsche had only ever built dedicated sports cars. It had been doing so for more than 50 years, long enough for it to become recognised around the world as a maker of some of the best such machines ever produced.
But seemingly from out of nowhere, Porsche announced it was getting into the sports utility market. It was a bold move for a sports car company, and one that didn’t exactly meet with widespread approval, at least not to begin with. But as the idea of a four-wheel drive Porsche SUV grew more familiar, it also seemed less daft.
The enormous, convention-busting leap that the Porsche Cayenne SUV was, it effectively gave the company licence to manufacture whatever kind of passenger vehicle it wanted to. In the years that followed, the Macan compact SUV, the Panamera executive car and the all-electric Taycan saloon all slotted into the Porsche model line-up alongside the conventional sports cars, almost without friction.
But the really clever thing about the Cayenne was what it ultimately meant for Porsche’s bottom line. Nowadays almost 70% of the company’s output is made up of SUVs; the Cayenne and Macan comprehensively outsell even the most iconic and enduring Porsche of them all, the 911. Shifting 280,000 units globally in 2019, Porsche generated more than €20bn in revenue, while recording some of the highest profit margins in the entire automotive sector.
Business is booming, largely thanks to the Cayenne models. And to think, many of us reckoned Porsche was mad to get involved in the SUV game in the first place. Here’s our potted history of the various Porsche Cayenne models, and their evolution through the years.
Porsche Cayenne Generations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Porsche Cayenne Pros and Cons
- Porsche Cayenne mk3 (2017-)
- Porsche Cayenne mk2 (2010-2017)
- Porsche Cayenne mk1 (2002-2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Porsche Cayenne years are the best?
As is usually the case, each generation of the Porsche Cayenne was an improvement on the last, with the car's technology evolving in all areas. With that being said, buy the latest example you can afford, while also making sure that the version you choose has the right blend of power, performance and fuel consumption for you.
Which Porsche Cayenne years are the worst?
Using the same logic as before, you'd have to say that the first-generation Cayenne was inferior to the ones that succeeded it, but it was still the finest car of its type in its day, and is still a lovely thing now. It is a bit ugly, mind...
Is a used Porsche Cayenne a good deal?
Absolutely. Regardless of which generation of Cayenne you choose, there isn't a bad choice to be made, although some did have their reliability issues, so make sure the example you buy has been looked after. Demand a full service history and as many receipts as you can lay your hands on.
Porsche Cayenne Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Class-leading handling and comfortable ride
- Stunning interior quality
- Huge desirability
Cons:
- Far from cheap
- High running costs
- Some had expensive reliability issues
Porsche Cayenne mk3 (2017-)
Bodystyles:
- Five-door SUV
- Five-door coupe-SUV
Notable features and facelifts of the Porsche Cayenne mk3:
- Handling and comfort upgraded to all-new levels
- Diesel models dropped, as was manual gearbox option
- Petrol and plug-in hybrid models available
- Rakish Cayenne Coupe model introduced in 2019
- Innovative HD Matrix LED headlights introduced in 2023
- From 2025, menacing-looking Cayenne Black Edition model offered with Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid and S E-Hybrid powertrains
If you've got a Porsche badge on your bonnet, you'd better be outstanding to drive. The original Cayenne was remarkably athletic for such a large, high vehicle, and that’s what characterises the third-generation model even now.
Its handling capability is class-leading; steering response, body control and agility remain a step ahead even of the likes of the BMW X6, giving Porsche’s full-size SUV a very compelling USP. Throughout its life, the Cayenne has shared a mechanical platform with the Volkswagen Touareg, and while that remains the case with the latest model, its underpinnings are now also shared by the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Audi Q8.
As well as being unusually agile, the Cayenne also has supreme ride comfort. Its cabin is exceptional, with high-grade materials and a sense of solidity about the build quality. The diesel variants went the way of the second-generation Cayenne, meaning the current model is petrol- or petrol-electric-hybrid only. The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid – the fastest Cayenne ever – uses both a twin-turbo petrol V8 engine and a sizeable electric motor to generate a total power output of 671bhp. That’s enough to shove the Cayenne to 62mph from a standstill in just 3.8 seconds. It can also run on electric power only, which has the potential to bring dramatic reductions in both real-world MPG and WLTP emissions figures.
Fans of manual gearboxes were out of luck with this generation of Cayenne, though, as you could only specify it with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic.
The Porsche Cayenne Coupe – so-called because it has a more rakish roofline, though the door count remains at five – arrived in 2019 as Porsche’s response to sportier-looking SUVs like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. There are some mechanical changes beneath the skin, such as a slightly wider rear track, but the Cayenne Coupe fundamentally adheres to the same blueprint that proved so popular back in 2002: space for the family, that desirable Porsche crest on the nose, a fine interior, plenty of performance and best-in-class handling. Don’t bet on the Cayenne deserting that basic recipe any time soon.
Porsche Cayenne mk3 review
