The 2023 Porsche Cayenne trim line-up is expected to be very similar to the 2022 model year. That said, the line-up will have six trim levels - Base, E-Hybrid, S, GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S E-Hybrid. The Base trim gets a heavy load of features including a wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto setup. The feature line-up also includes dual-zone climate control, forward collision mitigation, and a 10-speaker sound system. The higher trim levels add in a more powerful engine and many other features that make lives easy. 

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The Porsche Cayenne offers a very good mix of performance and luxury in the cabin but the Base trim might not be the best suited for everyone. The Premium Package adds in a lot more and justifies its $6,470 price tag. On top of this, we recommend adding in the panoramic sunroof to be able to enjoy the interior properly. The PDLS LED headlights are just a $960 add-on but offer a lot more visibility than the stock setup. To complete our recommendation, we’d go for the Quartzite Grey Metallic which complements the road presence of the SUV.

Release Date

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne is said to launch in 2022 but no specific date has been released by the German manufacturer. But if we were to talk about a tentative date, we expect the SUV to hit the shelves by the Fall of 2022. 

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne is expected to carry on the same line-up as the 2022 model year. The base engine for the 2022 MY is a turbocharged 3.0L V6 that pumps in 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. All the engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox with AWD present as the only drivetrain option. The line-up includes many other engine options as well, including a twin-turbocharged V8 and a hybrid. 

Needless to say, the Cayenne is a pretty strong weapon off the line. The engine-gearbox combination is optimally tuned to extract the best timings in a drag race. The 0-60 MPH for the Cayenne is achieved in a slither less than 6 seconds, while the quarter-mile is achieved in just 14.2 seconds. Performance aside, the motor gives phenomenal results in everyday driving scenarios as well. There is ample grunt at the lower revs to make city driving easy. The engine remains under-stressed at highway speeds. The gearbox slots the gears in seamlessly, even in the most comfortable settings. Just floor the pedal and the massive SUV is ready to go, for overtaking purposes only. 

All the SUVs make around the same output, with the Mercedes Benz gaining a generous horsepower advantage. The Mercedes’ torque output is matched by the Audi Q8 but the peak is way later in the RPM range. As a result, the GLE 450 is faster than the other midsize luxury SUVs to 60 MPH and to the quarter-mile. Among the rest three, Audi’s extra torque reduces the timings while the Porsche and the BMW fight it out with very similar timings. 

2023 Porsche Cayenne Ride and Handling

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne will be riding on similar hardware as the current MY and is expected to drive pretty similarly as well. Although the newer Cayenne isn’t available yet, the older one had won over our hearts and minds when driving on the road. It is very comfortable to drive in the city because the steering weighs in perfectly and the brakes aren’t grabby. The suspension adds more charm and is tuned perfectly for driving in the urban jungle. The gearbox doesn’t compromise and is very smooth in changing gears as well. The only thing people might find inconvenient is the limited view out of the rear window which makes it a bit difficult to park. 

On the highway, the Cayenne comes to life and the V6 makes it pretty apparent with its smoothness. The SUV feels super stable at highway speeds and incites a lot of confidence in the driver. The only thing causing a racket is the big wheels and the low-profile tires. The gearbox remains very active here as well and makes overtaking a breeze. The Cayenne’s playful nature takes over as the roads start to twist and turn. Switch to the Sport mode and one can feel the suspension stiffening up and the steering wheel gaining some weight. The car’s chassis is perfectly balanced and the body roll is very limited. The SUV has torque vectoring which makes it an even better handler.

2023 Porsche Cayenne Braking Performance

The Cayenne has never disappointed the enthusiasts and has been a perfect track weapon right from the base trim onwards. That said, 2023 Porsche Cayenne will see the same braking setup being carried forward, and hence, we don’t expect any changes to the braking. Even if there is, the SUV will reduce the braking distance further to make for a safe bet. As such, Porsche vehicles are the best-handling ones out there and carry a legacy to maintain. The SUV boasts massive 15.3-inch rotors at the front and 13.0-inch rotors at the rear for the best raking performance out there. 

All the German SUVs carry pretty big brake discs but the Cayenne gets an advantage via its lighter weight and sporty dynamics. It also has the biggest brake discs of all the SUVs, giving it a clear lead over its rivals. On the other hand, the Mercedes-Benz is the heaviest but brakes as well as the BMW X5 despite the latter being nearly 200 lbs lower on the scales. The Q8 falls somewhere in between but is the closest one to stop after the Cayenne. 

Though the 2023 Porsche Cayenne will haul the same setup as the ‘22 MY, the fuel economy will not be the SUV’s highest priority right off the bat. The base V6 is EPA-rated at 17 MPG in the city, 22 MPG on the highway, and 19 MPG combined with the numbers dropping with more powerful units. If you want to go with the most frugal setup, the Cayenne line-up accommodates an E-Hybrid as well, which we’ve covered separately.

The Porsche Cayenne’s setup isn't the fastest, nor is it the most fuel-efficient one out there. The overall MPG figures are nowhere near what the rivals offer, except for the Audi Q8 which is very similar. The BMW X5 takes a comfortable lead over its rivals with class-leading fuel economy figures but loses out on some highway miles because of the smaller fuel tank. 

The interior is where we expect the 2023 Porsche Cayenne to get a massive upgrade. The overall design is expected to remain very similar to what is on offer currently but the instrumentation will see a massive leap with all-digital dials and more telemetry on offer. Apart from this, we also expect the SUV to carry a pretty good level of luxury inside which will also see an upgrade over the current MY. The spy shots don’t reveal much but from what we can see, the dashboard also sees a change in design which is towards the betterment of the driver. There will be no changes made to the interior space and to the boot capacity, both of which ace the practicality brownie points for the German SUV. 

With the trim line-up remaining unchanged, we do expect the Porsche to offer the standard dual-zone climate control and partial leather upholstery in its base trim. A further upgrade in the trims adds in tri-zone climate control, full leather upholstery, massaging seats with heating and ventilation, ambient lighting, and a panoramic sunroof. 

Porsche doesn’t release the dimensions for its cars and the Cayenne is no exception. Although the numbers are unknown, the passenger space isn't compromised and people can easily fit inside without issues. The SUV also has good boot capacity to offer but the sportiness does eat away the practicality. The rivals offer better boot capacity with the Mercedes-Benz overshadowing the rest with a massive 41.4 cubic feet of storage space. The Porsche Cayenne does get a lot of luxury appointments inside, the most highlighting ones being:

• Ambient lighting
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Standard partial leather upholstery
• Panoramic sunroof
• Sports seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Power-adjustable steering wheel

How intuitive is the 2023 Porche Cayenne’s infotainment system?

The 2023 Porche Cayenne gets an upgrade in its infotainment system and is expected to run on Porsche’s latest version of proprietary software. Not much detail is known about the new software but what we have is the one used in the ‘22 MY. As the trend has been, we expect the new software to be a more optimized version and run on a bigger screen. The current system on offer makes use of a 12.4-inch infotainment screen as standard running the latest Porche Communications Management (PCM) software. The 12.4-inch unit is an HD one and has a very clean and logical UI to boast of. Every menu is very easy to navigate and enter. The PCM also lets the owner connect the car to his/her smartphone via an application to make lives easier. Some of the most highlighting features of the system are:

• 12.4-inch high definition touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay 
• Wired Android Auto 
• Navigation system
• Four USB-C ports
• Standard 10-speaker sound system
• Upgradable 14-speaker Bose surround-sound system
• Upgradable 21-speaker Burmester sound system

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne is expected to have a heavy re-design done to it with chiseled curves and more muscular lines. The spy shots have revealed a pretty sporty design character with revamped headlight and taillights. The overall looks are very enticing and do the trick for a Cayenne shopper. The SUV remains true to its roots, though, with the classic Porsche SUV character lines and big wheels on offer. As standard, the 19-inches provide a lot of visual appeals but one can go for bigger rims as the price increases. 

The Porsche Cayenne will, more or less, be very similar to the ‘22 MY and hence the dimensions are rumoured to remain compact. It is the lightest of all which helps a lot with overall handling and maneuverability. With the shortest wheelbase on offer, the Cayenne is a very good city-mile muncher and has a smaller turning radius to make U-turns easy. The Q8 takes a very futuristic approach to how well a car can be designed, while the BMW and the Mercedes are pretty much similar to what a conventional design looks like nowadays. That said, some of the highlighting features setting the Cayenne apart from its competition are:

• 19-/21-inch wheels
• Porsche Dynamic Lighting System (PDLS)
• Power liftgate
• Panoramic sunroof
• Adaptive rear spoiler
• Air suspension 
• Sport exhaust system

Since the Porsche Cayenne is a very high-value low volume car, neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS could get their hands on one to put it to the test. That said, the German SUV has a pretty expansive list of safety features that are designed to keep the occupants safe in case of the worst. As standard, the Cayenne front and rear parking sensors and forward collision mitigation. Adding in some extra $ will lend you:

• Adaptive suspension dampers
• 360-degree camera system 
• Adaptive cruise control 
• Rear steering 
• Lane-keeping assist

2023 Porsche Cayenne Vs. 2022 Audi Q8

Both the Porche Cayenne and the Audi Q8 are based on the same platform and hence share a lot in common despite this, the Porche exhibits better handling characteristics with a precise steering wheel and very responsive chassis. The Cayenne launches strong and has very superior braking performance. The Audi Q8 makes up better fuel economy, a more logically-priced trim hierarchy, and a more affordable price tag. The interior of the Audi is also more modern and boasts a lot of standard features right off the bat. 

2023 Porsche Cayenne Vs. 2022 BMW X5

The Bimmer and the Porsche have a pretty strong competition on which one will be the better handler of them both. The Porsche has a lot of in-house technology to ad with its corner carving while the BMW X5 has a superior steering feel and a well-balanced chassis. It is also faster off the line with its mild-hybrid setup and returns the best fuel economy figures in the segment. It also has a bigger boot to offer to the passengers. The Porsche offers very similar room inside the cabin but has a sportier outlook. It also has a superior sound system with a more intuitive infotainment system software on offer. 

2023 Porsche Cayenne Vs. 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class

The Mercedes-Benz GLE Class has a clear advantage over the Porsche in terms of straight-line acceleration and also in terms of MPG. It also boasts of a very luxurious interior that is massive and has a lot of space to accommodate passengers. The Porsche Cayenne gets a more dynamic chassis which makes its way straight into an enthusiast’s heart. The steering feedback is impressive and the responsive engine makes for a very peppy drive throughout the rev range. 

The 2023 Porsche Cayenne has been snapped in spy shots and has people excited with the new looks and the rumored interior overhaul. Although the trim line-up and mechanical swill be very similar to what’s on offer currently, the 2023 Cayenne is said to have feature re-shuffling among the trims and many chassis improvements to improve drive quality. The SUV has always been the best-handling one in the segment and has lived up to the 911-like handling characteristics it has sprinkled all over itself. The MPGs do take a hit but one wouldn't mind considering the package on offer. The Cayenne makes a perfect choice for someone who wants to get a sports car but has to opt for a more sensible option because of, you know, responsibilities.