Porsche Cayenne 2023 Review: The classic, epic story of a fast and nimble SUV, retold

Before there were prancing horses and raging bulls in the form of fast SUVs, it was Porsche who made and defined the concept that we know today as the super-fast SUV. It was in 2002-03 that Porche first introduced the Cayenne.

Since then, they have shown that SUVs, apart from going into ungodly terrain and taking on unforgiving surfaces, can also be properly quick, and exhilaratingly fast.

Seventy years after they first started making cars, Porsche has given the third generation of the Cayenne, a facelift, and that too a major one. The 3rd Generation of the Cayenne has been around for a good five years and is due for an update in 2026 when it will ditch its petrol-powered drivetrain and go completely electric instead.

So as part of their 70th Anniversary celebrations, Porsche gave the third-gen Cayenne a major facelift. But does it work for one of the best sellers Porsche has in its roster?

Porsche Cayenne 2023 Review: Styling
At first glance, you still get the classic Cayenne shape. However, the changes, as subtle as they are, add up to a whole new experience. Cayennes always had that sporty vibe, but the 2023 facelift takes it up a notch.

You can customize the Cayenne with almost 12 colors and 24 wheel options. The slanting roof and fresh tail-lamp pattern bring a new flair. Size-wise, the Cayenne is still a pretty big SUV and really stands out on the Indian roads.

Up front, we get a set of new Matrix LED headlights that look awesome. The bumper and bonnet got a makeover too. From the front, as well as the rear, the Cayenne seems to have a sleek and minimal look that’ll stay fresh for a long time.

The side view hasn’t changed much, rocking that simple rounded glass and straightforward body. You do get some fresh wheel designs in 20 to 22-inch options. The one in our test unit, the Cayenne Exclusive Design 21-inch wheels is one of the best of the bunch in our opinion. it looks just right and is very comfortable on Indian roads.

The Matrix LED headlights are a dead giveaway that you’re looking at the new 2023 Cayenne, The headlights are more angular and inspired by the all-electric Taycan. They sit at the flanks of a simpler grille with straight lines and bigger openings, giving this big SUV a slightly tight, and aggressive look.

The flatter bonnet adds to this aggressive vibe. They’ve toned the flares and bulges down and made the bonnet more angular, but it all fits the look.

The windshield’s got more edge, and the full-width lighting at the back is slimmer and more detailed, adding a touch of sharpness. The new boot lid has a cool deep indent, and shifting the number plate to the bumper. And let’s not forget those squarish chrome-tipped exhausts – always turning heads.

Porsche Cayenne 2023 Review: Interiors
Inside the updated Porsche Cayenne, we see some major changes, the first of which are the swanky new screens. You can get up to a total of three screens – a curved 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster a 12.3-inch touchscreen in the centre, and a new 10.9-inch passenger display, which is an optional extra.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen is a breeze to use, along with the haptic control and clear menus. Because the display is so big, most functions are now placed there, clearing out the centre console of buttons. Plus, Porsche had the foresight to not keep the controls of the air conditioning and the vents through the display, but using physical buttons.

You also get some cool chamfered toggles for climate control. The gear selector is now this stubby toggle lever on the dash, which is in a new position. It feels great but can be a little difficult to locate when you’re getting used to the car for the first couple of drives.

You also get a new push button to start and shut the car.

The dash layout mirrors the Cayenne’s outer style – simple, and clean, with a flat top, an upright panel, and sleek air vents. The air vents not only operate smoothly but have this cool intricate adjustment mechanism. You also get the signature Cayenne grab handles along the centre console.

For those in the back, the seating is pretty good. The seats are roomy, the backrest is solid and great, and it even reclines to make things quite comfortable. Thigh support is on point, and there’s ample leg and headroom, even if you’re freakishly tall. Even with that sloping roofline, the Cayenne surprises with its generous headroom at the back. It’s a practical setup overall.

The panoramic sunroof adds a sense of openness. Plus you might want to tick off those powered rear sunshades from the options list. Our unit also came with the handy four-zone climate function as a fitted option.

What’s really great about the third-generation Cayenne is the options. Although it is a bit on the expensive side, the customisation options are endless. You get tons to choose from — four-zone climate control, heated/cooled seats, a 360-degree camera, soft-close doors, a thumping Bose audio system, and a whole lot more.

With Cayennes you are not be cocooned in a world of luxury, in general. Nonetheless, you are sitting in one of the best and most well-put-together interiors out there, and the same holds true for the 2023 facelift. You will be surprised to know just how barebones most premium SUVs are, especially when you’re dropping some serious money on them. You get some really good seats, a decent infotainment system, maybe a sunroof, and that’s it. The Cayenne, in comparison, feels like you’re sitting in an expensive and posh club.

Porsche Cayenne 2023 Review: Drive
Porsche equipped the latest Cayenne with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that churns out 353 bhp and 500 Nm of torque. This is paired up with an 8-speed torque converter automatic.

The engine is very refined, and the ride is dialled up on the comfort side in Normal mode — a major plus in our books. When you rev it up over the 2000 rpm mark you get the engine’s sporty kick, though the sound is a tad muted.

In Normal mode, the gearbox is very smooth. The Sport and Sport Plus modes give the gearbox a slightly more raw character, but it’s subtle. The gear changes continue to be smooth and linear, with no jarring upshifts or downshifts.

You can flip through drive modes with the nifty steering wheel switch and see that the 2023 Cayenne is no slouch even for a big, bulky SUV. If you opt for the optional Sport Chrono Package, you’ll hit 0-100 kmph in 5.7s; without it, it’s still a cool 6.0s. The top speed? A cool 248 kmph.

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show – the ride and handling. Cayennes already have a reputation for their impressive ride comfort, and the 2023 version takes it up a notch. The air suspension makes low-speed rides more forgiving on our roads. You can even jack up the ground clearance in case you do decide to take the Cayenne off the road.

With that being said, the Cayenne still has that firm feel to it, sticking to its sporty vibes, but it’s softer over rough patches. It glides on the road and feels surprisingly nimble for its size. Moreover, the AWD system keeps the traction game strong.

The steering feel is on point. It is precise and will not leave you second-guessing yourself. Our only complaint would be with how thin the steering wheel is. We feel that maybe a slightly beefier steering wheel for an SUV this big and fast would have worked better. But then again, that’s just personal preference.

Even though you have a ton of power at your disposal under your right foot, the car doesn’t force you to trample the accelerator to go fast — it is, very simply, quick by its nature. Moreover, the car doesn’t compel you to drive the car fast, all the time. Instead, it lets you enjoy the experience of the drive, and not just the speed.

When you come across a twisted section of the road, the car handles itself beautifully. You can’t beauty physics, so there is just a hint of a body roll, which, given the size and bulk of the car, shows how cleverly engineered it is.

Porsche Cayenne 2023 Review: Verdict
The Cayenne is where the idea of the super-fast SUV came into the zeitgeist. My first proper encounter with the Cayenne was on a road trip from Gurugam to Ajmer, Udaipur and back to Gurugram, where I was travelling with a close friend’s family, in 2018.

Mr M*, who was my host, was really proud of the performance of his 2014 Cayenne Turbo S, and would frequently just smash the throttle to the floor, whenever he saw an empty stretch of a highway. The result was, that we would often zoom past the speed limit in the blink of an eye. During one of our very few tea breaks, I asked him, why would you want such a big, bulky SUV that can almost touch 290kmph, and that too in the blink of an eye?

Mr M* had a very simple answer. “Because you can, and it’s great fun.”

The 2023 Cayenne follows the same philosophy. It may not have the top speed of the Cayenne Turbo S, and it isn’t the fastest Cayenne to have ever been made. At its core though it still is a proper Porsche — a practical, quick, beast of a machine that can be your daily car if you have the money to spare.

The Cayenne 2023 draws attention. Our Carmine Red coloured test unit certainly did. During our test drive in and around Noida, there were times when people stopped in their tracks and made way for us, looking at the car with awe. That’s something that you can’t put a price on.