2024 Porsche Cayenne to induct new plug-in hybrid variants [Update]

Update: ‘Release Date’ section updated.

Introduced in August 2017, the third-generation Porsche Cayenne is well over five years old. An improved version that is to come out this year is road-testing, and the family will include new Porsche Cayenne PHEV variants. Here’s what we know about the 2024 Porsche Cayenne PHEV:

Exterior

Source: Youtube/CarSpyMedia

Sticking to its new-formed traditions, Porsche was (and still is) disguising Cayenne test mules with masking and faux plastic panels, but changes can be made out with keen eyes. The 2024 Porsche Cayenne appears to have narrower headlamps with slimmer light modules inspired by those of the Taycan. The air intakes look new, and the same goes for the bumper.

Porsche has equipped the 2024 Cayenne with new high-res LED headlights with HD matrix beam. These headlights feature 32,768 individually controllable pixels each and have a different beam setting for different situations, including roadworks, narrow lanes, highways, etc.

Changes at the rear will likely be noticeable, with the license plate repositioned to the portion below the tailgate in a style similar to that of the current Cayenne Coupe. The new tailgate may carry a clean design with fewer cutouts and a smoother surface, and the tail lamps will feature new clusters.

Some spy images have shown a new Cayenne prototype with what looked like redesigned tail lamps. Porsche’s team at the factory has masked the rear lights with tape for the most part. So it isn’t possible to make out the design of the new cluster, but the size appeared larger, with a broader inward extension.

The 2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupe will also feature a refreshed design that looks similar to its updated donor model. Spy pictures have shown it with the same design details for the most part, including the Taycan-inspired headlamps.

Interior

Fully-digital cluster

Inside, a big change in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne could be the shift to a fully-digital instrument cluster, a feature Porsche has been prolonging on traditional vehicles. The company has conceded that customers are demanding a switch to a fully digital instrument cluster, explaining why it designed the Taycan with that feature from the outset. There’s no doubt that the next-gen Porsche Macan (EV) will also come with a fully digital display.

In 2021, pro spy photographer Andreas Mau/CarPix (Instagram: @race356) snapped a test mule of a 2024 Cayenne prototype that featured a fully digital instrument cluster. We can’t tell if it’s the same curved 16.8-inch screen as the Taycan, but it has similar rounded gauges. A spy shot Instagram user dererlkoenigpaparazzi posted on January 6, 2022, shows the fully-digital instrument cluster, and a closer look at the virtual speedometer.

Expect multiple layouts for the new cluster, including but not limited to one that gives a full map view, one that reduces the information to the essentials, and one designed for performance sprints like lap runs and drag races. There could be small, touch-control fields at the edges of the display for the light and chassis functions.

New center console

Porsche has designed a new rising center console for the 2024 Cayenne. The spy shot from Instagram user dererlkoenigpaparazzi showed that change, plus a glimpse of the infotainment system’s UI. The new console appears to have five toggle switches, a 992-generation Porsche 911-style rotary dial, and just a few buttons. The glass panel on which the toggle switches and rotary dial are there could be a touch panel.

Another bit borrowed from the latest 911 is the electric shaver-like gear selector, which we were hoping Porsche was done with when it released the all-new 911 GT3. On May 6, 2021, Autocar released a report saying that Porsche plans to replace Cayenne’s gear selector with the 911’s smaller unit, which some may find confusing during initial use, as pointed out by Motor Authority.

PCM 6.0

Porsche kickstarted 2022 with the introduction of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM 6.0) infotainment system. The company subsequently confirmed the availability of the enhanced infotainment system in the current Cayenne. It would introduce the PCM 6.0 infotainment system in the Cayenne from the factory with the upcoming facelift.

The latest update to the PCM infotainment system has brought a revised UI, native Spotify integration, revised Voice Pilot voice assistant, and wireless Android Auto support. Moreover, the new system allows improved planning for charging stops for EVs.

New, colored icons have made the functions easier to recognize. With native Spotify integration, customers can link their Spotify account to the vehicle and directly listen to their favorite Spotify songs and podcasts. The Spotify app offers the Like function and the new Go to Radio option.

Lastly, Porsche says that it has improved the calculation of charging sessions in the Charging Planner. The Charging Planner prioritizes high-power charging stations and plans charging stops more efficiently. Moreover, the updated Charging Planner considers the time required to begin and finish the charging process when estimating the total driving time.

New variants & performance

The current Porsche Cayenne PHEV is available in two flavors: E-Hybrid (455 hp/516 lb.-ft.) and Turbo S E-Hybrid (670 hp/663 lb.-ft.). The 2024 Porsche Cayenne PHEV will have a wider line-up.

Porsche invited select journalists to a 2024 Cayenne prototype drive event in the U.S. in 2022. One of them was Motor1.com‘s Steven Ewing, who said in a report on January 16, 2023, that there will be four plug-in hybrid variants in the refreshed Cayenne:

1. New variant with a 2.0-liter single-turbo in-line four-cylinder engine (China-only)
2. E-Hybrid with a 3.0-liter single-turbo V6 engine (global)
3. New variant (global)
4. Turbo S E-Hybrid with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine (global)

Motor1.com and Autocar expect the new global plug-in hybrid variant to slot between the E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid variants. In the report published on May 6, 2021, the British publication said its powertrain could produce 552 hp.

Motor1 reports that the 2024 Cayenne E-Hybrid will produce 463 hp and 479 lb.-ft. Compared to the outgoing Cayenne E-Hybrid, that is 8 hp higher, but the torque is 37 lb.-ft lower. However, Ewing says the instant torque of the electric motor makes the new model “perfectly quick” and also that the transitions between pure-electric and hybrid drive modes are smooth.

Porsche has tried to make the transitions between regenerative braking and friction braking feel seamless, but there’s room for improvement, per Motor1.com. As for the Turbo S E-Hybrid, there’s no word on the performance improvements, but that need not necessarily mean there won’t be any upgrades.

The new Cayenne will feature a dual-chamber air-spring suspension with rebound and compression control for the dampers. We expect the new suspension, a semi-active system, on the new Cayenne PHEV as well.

Longer electric range in the PHEV

Like Motor1.com, Autocar was part of the media contingent that got to experience the 2024 Porsche Cayenne early on. On January 16, 2023, the British publication published a report claiming the plug-in hybrid variants will have a bigger, 25.9 kWh battery pack. This will be the second time Porsche upsizes the battery pack of the second-gen Cayenne PHEV.

Initially, the second-gen Cayenne PHEV used a 14.1 kWh battery pack. In October 2020, Porsche swapped it with a 17.9 kWh battery pack. The U.S.-spec version embraced this change with the MY2021 update. As a result, the Cayenne E-Hybrid’s EPA-est. electric range increased from 14 miles to 17 miles and the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s EPA-est. electric range increased from 12 miles to 15 miles.

Porsche says the incoming 25.9 kWh battery pack should improve the Cayenne PHEV’s electric range by up to 80%. So, in the best-case scenario, the 2024 Cayenne E-Hybrid and 2024 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid could deliver an EPA-est. range of 30.6 miles and 27 miles, respectively. That would be truly impressive considering the performance and weight of the SUV.

Faster charging

The 2024 Porsche Cayenne PHEV with the 25.9 kWh battery pack will feature an 11 kW AC charger. However, that could be part of the optional equipment. The outgoing model comes with a 3.6 kW onboard charger, but customers can opt for a 7.2 kW onboard charger.

Release Date

The new Cayenne and new Cayenne Coupe should reach U.S. showrooms as an MY2024 car in mid-2023. Expect prices to start at around USD 88,000 and around USD 93,000, respectively. The refreshed Porsches will face a new challenger in the form of the 2023 Range Rover Sport.

Currently, prototypes and pre-production units of the 2024 Cayenne are undergoing endurance testing for well over 200,000 km. From the cold areas of the Arctic circle to the off-road terrain in Spain, and the punishing sand dunes of Morocco, Porsche engineers are driving them in all possible conditions, before it reaches production.

Cayenne EV expected to release in 2026

Porsche fans would also be thrilled when they find out that the company has confirmed a Cayenne Electric launch. Like the gas-powered SUV, the pure-electric, fourth-gen Cayenne will roll out of Volkswagen’s factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Cayenne EV is expected to break cover in 2025 and reach dealers in 2026. The Range Rover Sport Electric rival will likely be much pricier than the gasoline model.

Porsche Cayenne sales

Porsche sold 21,194 units of the Cayenne and Cayenne Coupe combined in the U.S. in 2022. Compared to 2021 (17,299 units), that’s a 22.5% improvement in sales. The facelift with the upgraded specifications, and the gradual restoration of the automotive supply chain, could further increase sales.

Speaking to Yahoo Finance in February 2023, Dr. Kjell Gruner, President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America, said that the new Cayenne “will be super important” for the company’s business. Cayenne is the second most popular Porsche model line in the U.S. Nearly a quarter of Cayennes shipped worldwide sail to American dealerships. In 2022, worldwide deliveries stood at 95,604 units, and the U.S. contributed 22% to global sales.

TopElectricSUV says

In addition to subtle design changes, the 2024 Porsche Cayenne would receive a few much-awaited technology upgrades, as well as an efficiency-related powertrain upgrade. Those who aren’t ready to switch to EVs yet may find the new Cayenne plug-in hybrid even more appealing, but we have to wait to see if it is better than the new Range Rover Sport PHEV.

2024 Porsche Cayenne PHEV FAQs

Featured Image Source: Porsche