Each time I drive a Porsche, I’m instantly annoyed. It’s inconceivable to not sit within the completely thought of cockpit of a automotive from the northern finish of Stuttgart and stew about the way it will get all the pieces good. Like how the steering column generously telescopes the wheel towards you in a rigorously thought of seating place (low, reclined, with loads of thigh assist.) Or how the inside is all the time fashionably austere and timelessly elegant. Then, when you’re on the highway, how effortlessly appropriate all the pieces is relative to virtually each different automotive in its section.
Driving the refreshed and re-V-8’d 2024 Cayenne S is additional proof of that idea. Stuttgart’s engineers might’ve simply phoned it in right here; The Cayenne has been so good for therefore lengthy. As a substitute, Porsche took the E3-generation Cayenne, did a number of thankless and invisible mechanical upgrades, subtly refreshed the inside, and critically, re-installed the V-8 rather than the disliked 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6.
For an SUV, all of this effort appears weird. It’s a runabout, a sensible object. Simply give it some huge screens, possibly some large wheels, and make it spill-proof for the children. So why undergo the difficulty of constructing a really wonderful, luxurious, and shockingly emotional SUV?
It begins with the return of the V-8. Volkswagen Group’s 4.0-liter V-8 is among the most prolifically produced engines on the earth. It goes in nearly each single premium mannequin underneath the group’s huge umbrella: From the Audi A7 to the Lamborghini Urus, and even the Bentley Continental and Bentayga. Not solely does it must work as a strong, considerably environment friendly, emissions-friendly engine, nevertheless it additionally has to match all kinds of name personalities.
Each variant I’ve pushed of the 4.0-liter has felt distinct, related solely within the most interesting of particulars. The place the Audi RS7’s explosive 600-horsepower variant is a mid-range torque monster with a flatulent exhaust, the Bentley permutation is a dignified, muscular athlete. Then, the Urus is only a 657-horsepower knife-wielding assassin.
But the comparatively diminutive 468 hp model that powers the brand new Cayenne S is perhaps the most effective one of many pack. Loopy to say, contemplating it’s down 200 hp on the Urus. Like the remainder of the Cayenne, its V-8 has a sublime one thing that solely Porsche might actually pull off.
As a substitute of prioritizing brutality like its friends, the Cayenne takes a step again and intentionally tones down the shock worth. The exhaust doesn’t thunder with deep bass. As a substitute it has wealthy, filling mid-range tones which can be nearer to a Maserati Quattroporte than a sober German sport SUV. There are genius touches of element work within the synthetic engine sound pumped into the cabin, which leads to one of the vital convincing faux sounds I’ve heard in any automotive.
Execs: Wonderful Inside, Emotional Powertrain, Unbelievable Dealing with
Someway, the Cayenne completely replicates the stank-face-inducing trill of a V-8 at low rpm and heavy throttle. And it soulfully captures the valve-overlapping howl of a high-revving engine regardless of solely revving to six,800. Utilizing (I feel) a mixture of energetic drivetrain mounts and its door-mounted stereo audio system, it completes the impact with vibrations that subtly buzz your ft as you attain the rev limiter as if your foot is immediately related to the engine.
The torque-converted automated transmission shifts as ferociously as a dual-clutch, and the wheel-mounted paddles elicit an on the spot response. And since the engine is so comparatively underpowered and evenly boosted, it’s responsive, making linear energy to redline. Even when it is all a cautious ruse, I don’t care. The phantasm is so genuinely unbelievable that it’s pretty much as good as a naturally aspirated V-8.
Rather than the earlier single-way adaptive suspension is a two-way adaptive damper with unbiased changes for compression and rebound. Mixed with a brand new, extra responsive two-chamber air system (rather than the previous three-chamber system), the precision of the suspension management is commendable.
The up to date suspension feels particularly noticeable in medium-sized, short-duration bumps that will usually jostle passengers out of their seats. Within the Cayenne, the unbiased management of compression and rebound cleanly arrests the upward movement of the bump with out bringing it again down too rapidly. For essentially the most half, it’s a magic carpet journey, save for the harshest of cracks.
However there may be virtually no logical rationalization for the way properly the practically 5,000-pound SUV handles. Set to Sport Plus mode, with its air suspension lowered totally, the hulking factor settles into a pleasant rhythm on a backroad. The load is just not invisible. Reasonably, it’s a part of the dialog. With energetic sway bars, the Cayenne corners largely flatly, which feels weird in one thing so tall. It virtually tips you into considering it might roll extra cornering pace, till it lastly provides up and settles into recoverable understeer. All of the whereas, the digital energy steering is traditional Porsche: An ideal V-shaped effort curve, robust on-center, and a murmur of details about remaining entrance traction.
Cons: Barely Uneven Trip, Annoying Contact-Delicate Buttons, Mild On Normal Tools
A lot as driving the Cayenne is as soul-fulfilling as an excellent plate of BBQ, it nonetheless must function a sensible, modern runabout. Porsche addressed that with a light-weight facelift: A blockier, extra aggressive entrance fascia, and three-dimensional, virtually skeletal tail lights. The inside replaces conventional air vent slats for satisfyingly knurled single air administrators that really feel match for a Ritz Carlton greater than a household SUV. And the brand new gauge cluster is clear and crisp, making it straightforward to overlook the analog cluster of earlier than.
Flip the techniques again into Regular mode and the Cayenne drops the angle. As current because the V-8 was, it disappears upon command. Highway noise is minimal, and the seats are supportive, comfortable, and cozy for passengers back and front, with an particularly respectable quantity of rear legroom.
The trunk is massive sufficient to be thought of a cargo bay, and at a cruise, the V-8 even manages a reasonably astounding 23 miles per gallon in the true world. My complete common, together with a wholesome dose of backroad carving and wanton acceleration, was nonetheless at 18.5 mpg.
It appears, then, that the 2024 Cayenne S can do little incorrect. Positive, it’s steeply priced at $133,910 as examined. And that worth doesn’t embody a panoramic sunroof, which is prison on this class of automotive. However what it lacks in options and flash, it makes up for with dollops of substance.
