2022 Porsche Cayenne

The 2022 Porsche Cayenne has a particular set of skills specifically those that have to do with driving enjoyment. Despite being a two-row luxury SUV with a heavy curb weight, it moves deliberately and gracefully. Every Cayenne has a cohesive powertrain, but their potency and fuel-efficiency vary due to the sheer variety. There's a stout 355-hp turbo V-6, a gutsier 434-hp twin-turbo V-6, and a 460-hp twin-turbo V-8 reserved for the performance-oriented GTS. There's a 455-hp plug-in hybrid, too, that's quick on the street and friendliest to the environment. Inside, every Cayenne is roomy and sturdily built, and Porsche allows extensive personalization thanks to countless individual options. Be careful, though, as they can quickly balloon the bottom line. While its cabin has limited cubby storage, and the ride can be too firm for sensitive types, the 2022 Cayenne cultivates the joy of driving far better than most of its peers.

Engine Performance

If you want more giddy-up than what the base Cayenne's 355-hp turbo V-6 provides, the 434-hp Cayenne S offers an even zestier setup courtesy of its twin-turbo V-6. The plug-in hybrid (called the E-Hybrid) marries an electric motor and a turbocharged V-6 for a combined 455 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The Cayenne GTS boasts a 460-hp twin-turbo V-8 with the great-sounding exhaust note and breathtaking acceleration. All engines pair with an astute eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. While making anything that weighs more than two tons move gracefully is challenging, the engineers in Stuttgart were successful with the Cayenne. The S model that we tested moved quietly and steadily at highway speeds before seamlessly transitioning to twisty sections, where it showcased surprising athleticism for its size. However, the largest rollers diminish its ride quality on uneven roads. Most models have performance options that include adaptive dampers with or without an adjustable air suspension, four-wheel steering for improved maneuverability, and active anti-roll bars for flatter cornering. The Cayenne's brakes can be upgraded to Porsche's tungsten-coated iron rotors (called Porsche Surface Coated Brakes, or PSCB) or costly carbon-ceramic stoppers. The base model we tested had neither setup nor still needed only 159 feet to stop from 70 mph.

Fuel Economy

The Cayenne E-Hybrid is the thriftiest of the bunch, earning a combined city and highway rating of 21 mpg. It also has an all-electric range of 17 miles. The base Cayenne and Cayenne S share a 22-mpg highway rating, but in the city, they're rated at 18 and 17 mpg, respectively. The GTS has estimates of 15 mpg city and 19 highway. The Cayenne S we evaluated on our 75-mph highway route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, earned 25 mpg matching the E-Hybrid we tested. Despite its unimpressive highway number, the plug-in hybrid is the most eco-friendly option for folks who live in urban areas.

Interior Design

Porsche essentially provides a blank canvas inside the Cayenne for customers to outfit as they see fit. Everything from the interior trim to the seatbelt colors to the surface materials can be individually selected. The driver faces a snazzy gauge cluster with an analog tachometer flanked by two 7.0-inch screens that display selectable information. In addition to traditional options such as heated and ventilated front and rear seats, the Cayenne offers desirable upgrades, including more supportive seats, massaging front seats, four-zone climate control, and more. Whereas the rival Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90 have three rows, the Porsche has only two. Still, its back seat is adjustable and provides plenty of stretch-out space. The Cayenne entices Porsche enthusiasts with ample passenger capacity and cargo volume, which are obviously far greater than any 911's. It's the largest Porsche SUV and provides 27 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats and up to 60 cubes with the seats folded flat. Interior cubby storage is unremarkable, with most small items seeking refuge in the door pockets or the shallow center-console bin.