Porsche Cayenne review
The Porsche Cayenne is a large luxury SUV that brilliantly combines sports car performance with family-friendly practicality and a stunning, high-tech interior.
Author: The Cazoo editorial team
7th Jan 2026 – 9 mins read
When you think of Porsche, you probably picture a sleek 911 sports car. But it was the Cayenne SUV that arguably saved the company, proving you could have a practical, family-sized car that still drove like a true Porsche. It was one of the first SUVs to prove that size and driving fun weren't mutually exclusive, and this latest third-generation model, launched in 2017, is the best yet. It’s a car that somehow manages to do it all. It’s got a beautifully crafted, spacious interior that’s packed with the latest technology. It’s got a huge boot and plenty of room for the family. And, most importantly, it’s incredible to drive, with agility that defies its size. If you want a large SUV but don’t want to compromise on driving enjoyment, the Porsche Cayenne is in a class of its own.
Pros
- Fantastic to drive, with incredible handling for a big SUV
- Stunning, high-quality interior packed with tech
- Very spacious and practical for a family
Cons
- It's a very expensive car to buy and run
- The options list is long and can quickly increase the price
- No diesel option available on the latest generation
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The interior of the Cayenne is simply show-stopping. Porsche has done an amazing job of blending a sporty, driver-focused feel with cutting-edge technology. The dashboard is dominated by a huge 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment system that looks fantastic and works brilliantly. Below it, you’ll find a sleek centre console with glass-like haptic buttons that give a satisfying click when you press them.
The quality is exceptional. Everything you touch feels expensive and beautifully put together. You also sit lower than in many other SUVs, which adds to the sporty feel. It’s a cabin that makes every journey feel like a special occasion.
Comfort
Despite its sporty intentions, the Cayenne is a very comfortable car. The ride is smooth and composed, especially on models with the optional air suspension, which does a fantastic job of soaking up bumps in the road. It’s also incredibly quiet and refined at motorway speeds, making it a brilliant long-distance cruiser.
The seats are supportive and comfortable, with plenty of adjustment to help you find the perfect driving position. It’s a car you could happily spend all day in without feeling tired or achy.
Quality
Build quality is a huge strength for Porsche, and the Cayenne is a perfect example of this. The entire cabin feels incredibly solid and meticulously assembled. The materials used are all top-notch, from the soft leather to the cool metal trim pieces. It feels like a truly premium product that’s been built to last, easily justifying its high-end price tag.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
The Cayenne is a big car, and that translates to a very roomy interior. There’s plenty of space up front, and passengers in the back are treated to generous amounts of head and legroom. Three adults can sit across the rear bench in comfort, making it a genuinely practical five-seater.
Unlike some of its rivals like the BMW X5 or Audi Q7, the Cayenne is not available with a seven-seat option. If you need to carry more than five people, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Boot space
The boot is huge. In the standard SUV model, you get a massive 770 litres of space, which is more than enough for family holidays, golf clubs, or a very big shopping trip. It’s one of the most practical cars in its class.
If you opt for the more stylish Cayenne Coupe, with its sloping roofline, boot space does reduce to 600 litres. While that’s smaller, it’s still a very generous size and more than enough for most people’s needs.
Versatility
The Cayenne is a hugely versatile car that can easily handle the demands of family life while also being an incredibly fun and luxurious vehicle to own. The standard all-wheel-drive system provides excellent grip and confidence in all weather conditions, and it’s a very capable tow car. It truly is a car that can do it all.
Driving
Driving experience
This is where the Cayenne leaves its rivals behind. For such a large and heavy car, the way it drives is simply remarkable. It feels incredibly agile and responsive, with sharp steering and next to no body lean in corners. It genuinely handles more like a sports car than a big SUV.
It’s a car that’s an absolute joy to drive on a winding road, yet it’s also a relaxed and comfortable cruiser on the motorway. It offers a perfect balance of comfort and fun that no other large SUV can quite match.
Performance
Porsche stopped offering diesel engines in 2017, so the latest Cayenne is available with a range of powerful petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Even the entry-level model, which has a 335bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, is seriously quick, getting from 0-60mph in just six seconds.
From there, the performance just gets more and more extreme. The range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid model combines a V8 engine with an electric motor to produce a staggering 671bhp, which is enough to give most supercars a run for their money. All models come with a smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
Being a large, powerful SUV, the Cayenne is never going to be a cheap car to run. The petrol-only models are particularly thirsty, with even the standard version struggling to return more than 25mpg.
If you’re looking to keep running costs down, the plug-in hybrid E-Hybrid models are the ones to go for. They can travel for up to 27 miles on electric power alone, which could cover many people’s daily commute without using any petrol at all. However, you’ll need to charge the battery regularly to get anywhere near the impressive official fuel economy figures.
Value for money
The Cayenne is a premium car with a premium price tag. Standard equipment is decent, but the options list is very long and very expensive, and it’s easy to add tens of thousands of pounds to the price. Things you might expect to be standard, like some advanced safety features, are often optional extras. However, the Cayenne holds its value incredibly well for a large SUV, which is good news when it comes to selling it on.
Reliability & Warranty
The Cayenne is a complex car, but Porsche has a solid reputation for engineering and build quality. As these are high-performance vehicles, it’s crucial to ensure any used example has a full and complete service history from a specialist. From new, all Porsches come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. Given the potential cost of repairs, taking out an extended warranty is a sensible idea for extra peace of mind.
Safety
Safety features
The Porsche Cayenne is a very safe car, packed with strong materials and the latest technology. It was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by the experts at Euro NCAP. All models come with front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, and autonomous emergency braking as standard. However, some advanced driver assistance systems, like lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, were part of an expensive optional extra pack, so you’ll need to check the specification of any used model you’re considering.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
Porsche doesn’t have traditional trim levels. Instead, the model name corresponds to the engine and performance level. All models come with a good level of standard equipment, including 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, and the large touchscreen infotainment system.
The model lineup is as follows:
- Cayenne: The entry-level model with a V6 petrol engine.
- Cayenne E-Hybrid: A plug-in hybrid version of the V6 model.
- Cayenne S: A more powerful V6 petrol model.
- Cayenne GTS: A sportier model with a V8 engine and handling upgrades.
- Cayenne Turbo: A high-performance model with a powerful V8 engine.
- Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid: The range-topping plug-in hybrid V8 model with supercar levels of performance.
Engines
The engine range is based on powerful petrol units, some of which are combined with plug-in hybrid technology.
- 3.0-litre V6 petrol: Found in the Cayenne (335bhp) and Cayenne S (434bhp).
- 3.0-litre V6 plug-in hybrid: Powers the Cayenne E-Hybrid (456bhp).
- 4.0-litre V8 petrol: Used in the GTS (454bhp) and Turbo (542bhp).
- 4.0-litre V8 plug-in hybrid: The powerhouse in the Turbo S E-Hybrid (671bhp).
All models come with an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic gearbox and Porsche Traction Management (PTM) active all-wheel drive as standard.