For a vehicle that was unveiled in August 2017, you’d expect the automaker to work on the next generation. However, that’s not the case here as Porsche is giving the Cayenne a facelift for 2024, meaning the third-gen luxury SUV will stick around for a few more years. That’s not surprising since the current version was the company’s best-selling product last year with 95,604 units, outselling the smaller and cheaper Macan by nearly 9,000 units.
Ahead of its confirmed spring debut, the 2024 Cayenne is being teased in official photos and a video. We get to see prototypes testing in rough conditions all over the world to finalize “one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche.” In fact, the work invested in this facelift is comparable to the R&D efforts required for a next-generation vehicle. Important novelties include a semi-active chassis, HD-Matrix LED headlights, and a dual-chamber air suspension featuring rebound and compression control for the dampers.
Prototypes have accumulated over four million kilometers (nearly 2.5M miles) of testing on four different continents. Some of the miles were done in the extreme cold near the Arctic Circle while off-road testing was conducted in Spain. Other locations included the United States and the dunes of Morocco. Porsche is aware owners are unlikely to drive their Cayennes off the beaten path but wants them to know the SUV can handle rough terrain should the opportunity arise.
The new preview doesn’t go deep into details about the technical specifications but an early first-drive event allowed us to learn about the changes coming to the 2024 Cayenne. The base model with its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 will gain 14 horsepower and 37 pound-feet (50 Newton-meters) of torque for a grand total of 349 horsepower and 369 lb-ft (502 Nm).
As for the S, it’ll lose the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 to make room for a 4.0-liter V8 also rocking a pair of turbos. It develops 468 hp and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) in this application, a healthy upgrade of 34 hp and 36 lb-ft (49 Nm) over the old V6-powered Cayenne S.
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Elsewhere, the flagship Turbo GT will remain a Cayenne Coupe-only affair and gain 20 ponies, at 651 hp. The colossal torque figure of 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) is going to be carried over. Aside from extracting a bit more power, Porsche’s engineers have also made tweaks to the suspension.
As for the plug-in hybrid models, all will receive a larger battery pack (from 17.9 to 25.9 kWh) for increased EV range. In addition, the electrified Cayennes will also come with an 11-kilowatt onboard charger to replenish the battery quicker. The E-Hybrid will have 463 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm), representing an extra 8 hp but 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) less torque.
Porsche intends to sell four Cayenne models with a hybrid powertrain, including one for China with a smaller 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine instead of the 3.0-liter V6. A New Turbo S E-Hybrid is coming with an absurd amount of total power.
The mid-cycle update will bring restyled bumpers, hood, fenders, and lights, along with fresh colors and wheel designs. Inside, the 2024 Cayenne gets a curved 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen using the latest infotainment tech borrowed from the 911 and Taycan. At an additional cost, customers will be able to order a 10.9-inch display embedded into the dashboard on the passenger side. Digital climate controls and a larger start/stop button round off the changes.
Porsche intends to unveil the thoroughly revised Cayenne in April.
