After the introduction of the Macan, the Cayenne is now receiving a facelift to keep it looking fresh alongside the lithe Macan. On this refresh also debuts the first plug-in hybrid variant in the Cayenne family, while the Cayenne S loses a couple of cylinders under its bonnet with a twin-turbo V6 in place of a normally-aspirated V8.
Porsche claims that their designers “have given the Cayenne an even sharper design with precise lines and purposefully placed light refracting edges”. Well from what we can see in the pictures it still looks like a Cayenne but certainly looks sharper with crisper lines especially in the nose area.
The front middle air intake now features automatically-controlled active air flaps that open or close to aid the engine cooling or to improve aerodynamics. There are also airblades on the edge of the side intakes to guide air to the intercoolers. All Cayenne will get Bi-Xenon™ headlights with the now-familiar “hovering” four-point LED daytime running lights as standard, except on the Cayenne Turbo which gets the high performance LED headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS).
At the back the tailgate has been slightly redesigned with slimmer LED tail lights, and the exhaust pipes are now integrated into the rear bumper. Changes are very minimal on the inside, the 918 Spyder-inspired steering wheel as seen previously in the Macan is now offered as standard across the range. The rear seats are now said to be more comfortable with optional rear seat ventilation.
One of the highlights on the 2015 Cayenne is the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid. Touted as the first plug-in hybrid in the premium SUV segment, it combines a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 with electric motor to generate a total of 416 hp at 5,500 rpm and 590 Nm of torque from 1,250 to 4,000 rpm. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid sprints from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and the top speed is 243 km/h. The 10.8 kWh lithium-ion battery provides enough energy to power the 95 hp electric motor in the Cayenne S E-Hybrid up to 126 km/h in pure electric mode. The fuel consumption is rated very low at 3.4 l/100km.
Another highlight is the new 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 in the Cayenne S. Even though the new Cayenne S is ditching the old 4.8-litre V8 with a smaller unit, it gains 20 hp and 50 Nm more and 0.4 seconds quicker from standstill to 100 km/h. The new engine sips less fuel at 9.5 l/100km but produces 420 hp at 6,000 rpm and 550 Nm of torque from 1,350 to 4,500 rpm. 0-100 km/h is achieved in 5.2 seconds while the top speed is 259 km/h.
The rest of the Cayenne range consists of the Cayenne Diesel, the Cayenne Diesel S, and the Cayenne Turbo retain the same powerplants as the pre-facelift model but have been tweaked to provide better performance and efficiency. The 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 in the Cayenne Diesel generates 240 hp and 580 Nm, and the 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8 in the Cayenne Diesel S develops 385 hp and a whopping 850 Nm of torque. Meanwhile the 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 in the Cayenne Turbo now produces 520 hp and 750 Nm. Fuel consumption for the Cayenne Diesel, Cayenne Diesel S, and Cayenne Turbo are 6.8 l/100km, 8.0 l/100km, and 11.5 l/100km respectively.
Every Cayenne models are equipped with an updated auto stop-start function plus and optimized thermal management for greater efficiency. Porsche didn’t mention about the base Cayenne model replacement in the new Cayenne range but it will make its public debut at the Paris motor show in October.
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