The Porsche Cayenne Is Still the Gold Standard for Luxury SUVs

Like other luxury vehicle brands, 2021 was a stellar year for Porsche: a total of 301,915 units were delivered to their new owners worldwide last year, more than any other year in its history, and 11 percent more than 2020. 

And the bestselling models? The SUVs. The Macan slightly edged out the Cayenne—88,362 to 83,071. (The all-electric Taycan is already making its mark, with 41,296 units sold, coming in at number three). 

All this would have been unthinkable just over 20 years ago, when Porsche was known primarily for its fast and flashy sports cars, led by the iconic 911. But times change, and the brand has never been afraid to innovate and respond to what it feels like the market wants.

Photo by PJ Cana.

This was exactly what was on my mind the moment I slid into the 2022 edition of the Cayenne. Porsche introduced its midsize SUV in 2002, and there’s no question that the nameplate has only gotten better with age.

The last time I drove a Cayenne was two years ago. Back then I took note of improvements made versus the previous model: 2.5 inches longer, two inches wider and 45 kilograms lighter. Under the hood, the 2022 version’s base model is powered by a 355-horsepower turbo V6 engine. 

At this level of premium cars, you’d have to look extremely hard to find anything that needs improvement, but clearly Porsche engineers and designers never stop aiming for perfection. One new feature this time is a 360-degree surround-view camera that lets you see all around the car when engaged. This is especially useful when parking in tight spots, or when there’s somebody in the vehicle’s immediate vicinity. 

Photo by PJ Cana.

Another thing added to the 2022 model is adjustable ambient interior lights, which isn’t exactly useful other than if you’re extremely particular about the color of illumination that you see inside while you’re driving. They’re just pretty to look at.

Except for one tiny hiccup, the infotainment is still topnotch. The 12.3-inch touchscreen dashboard is almost HD-quality and there’s a 10-speaker sound system. Unfortunately, the music I played sounded like it was coming from an ancient transistor radio, with horrific noise and static, but I was told this was because that unit I was driving needed a software update. I believed them, of course. I never had this problem when I drove the Cayenne the last time. A Porsche rep said Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available although it isn’t wireless. 

Everything else inside the Cayenne was just how I remembered it: leather seats (albeit covered by a stretchy fabric for safety), quiet interiors, and ample space both in the second row and the trunk.

As expected, the drive was nothing short of dreamlike. Porsche’s idea for the Cayenne, after all, is to translate the experience of driving its superfast and powerful sports cars into an SUV, and it doesn’t disappoint in this regard. Even at normal driving mode, power is not an issue (it’s a frickin’ Porsche, after all), but toggle Sport mode and it’s like Popeye after he gets his helping of spinach. It accelerates dizzyingly fast (zero to 100 in about six seconds) but demonstrated agility in the stretch of twisty roads I passed in Carmona. Adjustable air suspension lets you choose how high you want the vehicle to go depending on road conditions.

Photo by Porsche.

I was told there’s already a hybrid model for the Cayenne, which would be the safest bet if you’re looking to save on fuel in the long run. But even the base variant gives you more bang for your buck: you get luxurious space for yourself and your closest cohorts, unequivocal power when you need it, a head-turning exterior, and the prestige and satisfaction of owning a Porsche. There might be other pretenders to the throne, but 20 years after it was unveiled, the Cayenne is still the gold standard in luxury SUVs.