How you name your child will significantly affect who they grow up to be. “Call your kid Colin, and you’re getting a Colin. Call your kid Chet, you’re getting a Chet”. No, this isn’t a quote from a famous philosopher, but a snippet from a meme regarding Tom Hanks’ children. The reason I’m bringing this up is because I’m tasked with talking about the Porsche Cayenne – A Porsche. And it is a Porsche that has just been launched in Malaysia, the 2023 Porsche Cayenne (CKD) facelift.
Let’s get straight to the point. This is a RM599,999 luxury SUV and with its price point, you have some more affordable alternatives. But as I’ve prefaced earlier, this is a Porsche and that’s the first thing you’ll say when someone asks what you’re driving – not a Cayenne, but a Porsche. And that means something. People say, what’s in a name? I say it represents a way of doing things. The original Ferdinand Porsche was a genius – had he been living in our time, he’d pretty much be an Elon Musk, minus the weird tweeting habits.
The original Ferdinand Porsche was an inventor, an engineer, and a man who was tenacious in his pursuit of creating the perfect car. He was also one of the earliest inventors to create the electric car. And this genius, work ethic, quality, and everything that the original Porsche stood for, still stands today. And that’s pretty much a good enough reason to desire a Porsche Cayenne (although it didn’t start as something so desirable). I was given a chance to take it out for a spin. Here’s what I can recall of it.
Before that, here’s a quick overview…
| Engine | 3.0-litre turbo V6 |
| Max. Power | 353 hp |
| Max. Torque | 500 Nm |
| Transmission | 8-Speed automatic with TipTronic |
| Drivetrain | All-Wheel Drive (AWD) |
| 0-100 km/h | 5.7 seconds |
| Top Speed | 248 km/h |
Porsche Cayenne (CKD) Exterior: Classy. Just ignore the base wheels
I’m just going to say it, this is the base Porsche Cayenne and that’s why it fetches a relatively low price. One look at the car is all you need to tell this. Despite being 20 inches in diameter, the Cayenne’s wheels look small and bland, but that’s an easy fix with some optional wheel offerings.
Ignore the base wheels, and the body of the Cayenne is a sleek one. Despite its not-so-good-looking first generation, the Cayenne has now become one of the best-looking luxury SUVs out there. Nothing feels forced and the body lines flow seamlessly. There are no disruptive design elements and the Cayenne keeps things classy.
The door design also doesn’t suggest anything wild for the Cayenne, but it comes with soft-close doors – something its cheaper alternatives don’t offer. No flush door handles here, and no fancy pop-out door handles either, but you wouldn’t be caught slamming your doors as an owner of the Cayenne. Again, keeping things classy.
That classiness flows to the back, and even without the Porsche lettering, you can easily tell that it is a Porsche. From the pre-facelift, some changes include the repositioned rear number plate and the sleeker taillights. The Cayenne doesn’t commit the offence of “fake exhaust tips”, and they sing the tune of the 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine – which we will address now.
Porsche Cayenne (CKD) Driving: No doubt it’s a Porsche, albeit a base one
It is hard to wow people with the driving experience of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, especially in this age of electrified powertrains. The best thing that I can say about the Cayenne’s driving experience is that it is super refined for an ICE car. Its power figures are not impressive by today’s standards, and that’s not a problem as this is in fact, the base variant Cayenne – not a Cayenne S, or a Cayenne Turbo GT.
That matter aside, the Cayenne is a pleasure to drive. Everything feels spot-on despite it being an SUV. It is quite alright in terms of agility and power delivery is smooth. You can also hear the transmission working, so that provides some much-needed engagement that EVs can’t offer just yet. Speaking of that, the V6’s tune is pretty decent as well – it is no flagship powertrain but just enough to be fun.
It is easy to chuck the Cayenne around and that’s probably thanks to the adjustable suspension setup. Put it in Sport+ and set the ride height to its lowest, and you pretty much have an oversized sports car. And there’s a duality with the Cayenne thanks to this suspension as well. You can put it in “Off Road 2” ride height and this allows you to tackle some light off-road terrains with ease. So, buying a Cayenne gets you both an oversized sports car and an over-luxurious off-roader in one car.
Some readers have been quick to point out that the CKD Cayenne doesn’t come with “Lane Change Assistant”. Sure, that is a bit of a bummer, but the car still comes with Adaptive Cruise Control, which is super necessary to provide a complete luxury driving experience.
Oh, and to add a bit more to the driving experience, fuel consumption is not too bad. Not too thirsty for something its size so you can travel quite a distance even with only half a tank of gas left.
Porsche Cayenne Interior: Are screens the way to go for something of its calibre?
Besides the base wheels of the Cayenne CKD, another telltale sign of its baseness is the lack of a screen for the front passenger. There’s just a glossy panel there where you can see a slight reflection of yourself. I’m not complaining, but you must know what you’re paying for.
That aside, you get the spot-on interior of a Porsche in its latest iteration. The ergonomics are spot on and so are the seats, but the screen invasion is questionable. Sure, I pointed out the lack of a screen on the passenger side but the subject of screens in cars is a global debate – some like it and some don’t. I believe that for a car of this calibre to be timeless and classy, more analogue stuff is required to separate itself from its alternatives.
And Porsche has done this with the HVAC controls and the Sport Chrono package which adds an analogue clock on the dashboard’s centre. They are nice touches, and I hope to see more of them. One element of luxury is how it feels to the touch, and we shouldn’t lose that.
Oh by the way, the gear selector has been moved to the dashboard and it isn’t hard to get used to. It is slightly awkward, but not a big deal.
Although this is a base version of the Cayenne, its interior feels superior to its more affordable alternatives in terms of quality, materials, and fit and finish. Sure, there’s no sunroof in here and no screens for the rear passengers (optional), but the materials feel good to the touch. You also get some special luxuries like electric blinds for the rear windows and 4-zone climate control with the Cayenne.
As for practicality, you can’t go wrong with the Cayenne. There’s just a massive amount of space at the back for your daily use – 772 litres with all the seats occupied and 1,708 litres with the second-row seats down. What perhaps separates it from its alternatives is its air suspension which allows you to either raise or lower the tailgate to suit your loading needs.
Verdict
Just be real with yourself, you’re not buying the Porsche Cayenne facelift (CKD) in its base form. You’re going to throw in an upgraded set of wheels and you might as well get the rear seat entertainment package. You’re looking at close to RM700,000 or even more, but you’ll tell the missus it was RM599,999. You’re also buying it because it’s a Porsche that just so happens to be practical.
Want more grunt? You’ll have to get the higher variants of the Cayenne. They just won’t be locally assembled.
GALLERY
