The Porsche Cayenne is a series of mid-size luxury crossovers manufactured by the German motor company Porsche since 2002. The first generation was known internally within Porsche as the Type 9PA (955/957) or E1. It was the first V8-engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. It is also Porsche's first off-road variant vehicle since its Super and Junior tractors of the 1950s, and the first Porsche with four doors. Since 2014, the Cayenne has been sold alongside a smaller Porsche SUV, the Macan. The word Cayenne used by Porsche comes from the cayenne peppers, a moderately hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes.

The second-generation Cayenne (Type 92A or E2) was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. The Cayenne shares its platform, body frame, doors and electronics with the similar Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. It received a facelift in 2014 with minor external changes, and introduced a new plug-in E-Hybrid version, with its public launch at the Paris Motor Show.[3] Since 2008, all engines have featured direct injection technology. The third generation (Type PO536) was unveiled in 2017 at Stuttgart.

A model with a more rakish roofline called the Cayenne Coupé became available in 2019. It was revealed during the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show in April 2019. At launch, there were two models, the Cayenne Coupé and Cayenne Turbo Coupé.

The Cayenne Coupé is extensively reworked from the standard model, by featuring a shallower front windshield and narrower A-pillar. The roof is lowered by 20 mm (0.8 in), while new rear door panels and updated fenders extended the vehicle width 18 mm (0.7 in). The coefficient of drag is rated at 0.34, which is 0.1 lower than the regular model.[44] Every Cayenne Coupé is equipped with standard 2.16 m2 (23.3 sq ft) fixed-glass panoramic roof, while an optional contoured carbon roof is available as an option.[45]

In August 2019, the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid was released for both regular and Coupé body styles. A plug-in hybrid model, it uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine rated at 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) and a 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) electric motor for a combined total of 680 PS (500 kW; 671 hp) and 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) of torque. A 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery is used, and was said to offer 30 percent more capacity than the battery used in previous generation plug-in hybrid Cayenne models. Charging time is quoted at 2.4 hours when connected to a 240-volt, 50-amp source. Porsche claimed a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration figure of 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph). Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+), and Sport Chrono Package are standard equipment for the model.[49]


In April 2023, the Cayenne was given a mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 model year. Notable changes include a new dashboard layout, similar to that of the Taycan, a fully digital 12.6-inch gauge cluster, and minor exterior restyling modifications for the hood, headlights, bumpers, fenders, and trunk.

Matrix LED headlamps are now equipped as standard equipment across the range, while HD Matrix LED units are optional. The HD Matrix LED features two high-definition modules and more than 32 000 pixels per headlamp, and the pixel accuracy of the headlamp units enables the selective blocking out of parts of the high beam.

The powertrains were also upgraded, with the base 3.0-litre V6 engine power output increasing by 10 kW and 50 N⋅m of torque to produce 260 kW and 500 N⋅m. The Cayenne S gained a V8 engine which it lost since the release of the third-generation Cayenne. It is a 4.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 350 kW and 600 N⋅m of torque, representing an increase of output of 25 kW and 50 N⋅m over the previous Cayenne S that is powered by a 2.9 dm3 twin-turbocharged petrol V6.[52]

The electric motor from the E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid variant was increased from 100 kW to 130 kW, and the battery increased to 93 MJ (up from 64.5 MJ previously), offering a pure electric driving range of up to 90 km on the WLTP test cycle.[53]

Revisions to the chassis for this refreshed model included revised dampers with two-valve technology for separate compression and rebound sections, which Porsche claimed will help offer a wider range of performance between ride comfort and handling.[52]