2024 Porsche Cayenne S Coupe Tested: The V-8 Returns (2024)

From the May/June issue of Car and Driver.

Engine downsizing in the name of fuel efficiency has been the order of the day for some time, and the Porsche Cayenne S has not been immune to this trend. The burly 4.8-liter V-8 it once offered was displaced by a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 partway through the second generation, and the shrinkage continued with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 when the third-gen 2019 Cayenne S debuted. Power nevertheless ratcheted up during this progression (as did combined fuel economy), but the S moniker steadily lost mojo and meaning along the way.

The 2024 Cayenne S brings all of that to a halt with the return of a V-8. This time it's a twin- turbo 4.0-liter, a less powerful version of the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid and GT's V-8, yet it makes a still-hefty 468 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That makes this Cayenne S the most powerful to date. But with a rating of 17 mpg combined (15 city/21 highway), it's also the thirstiest—a bit of EPA backsliding that Porsche found tolerable by planning various E-Hybrid range improvements elsewhere in the Cayenne cavalcade.

Our inner child revels in the engine change as the swole V-8 emits the guttural burble and vibratory brap that typically come hours after one consumes the vegetable juice of the same name. The car busts ass at the track too, racing to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, blasting to 100 mph in 10 seconds, and powering through the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 111 mph. Sound registers at 41 decibels at an entertainingly lumpy idle before rising to 77 decibels at full beans and then fading to a 65-decibel background hush during highway cruising, which should allow wee ones to sleep in the back.

HIGHS: V-8 sound and fury, improved ride even on 22s, sleeker design.
LOWS: V-8 thirst, interior collects fingerprints, coupes should have two doors.
VERDICT: A small hit to fuel economy pays dividends everywhere else.

The Cayenne also rides more smoothly than before, even though the basic layout of the suspension is unchanged. Porsche's new dual-adjustable adaptive dampers are standard on even the base model, and 20-inch wheels are the smallest fitment. The bigger news pertains to the larger outer diameter of all Cayenne tires, which now stand approximately 31 inches tall instead of 30 inches. For any given wheel-and-tire combination, raising the aspect ratio increases the sidewall height to improve road isolation, but this also allows for lower tire pressure, which increases the taller sidewall's ride benefit.

Our Cayenne S rolled on optional 22-inch wheels, but the effects of the extra sidewall, lower tire pressure, and optional air springs meant there was no comfort penalty. Road isolation was unexpectedly competent, as the tires smoothed over most cracks as if they were troweling grout into the joints. These were Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 gumballs that were previously kept to the Turbo GT, but they're now on the S options sheet for just $630 if you've already spec'd the 22s. This track-ready rubber delivered 1.03 g's of lateral stick for our 5108-pound SUV, and it teams up with the bigger front and rear brakes (made possible by the standard 20s) to deliver panic stops of just 152 feet from 70 mph and 310 feet from 100 mph. The fun won't last long on account of the PZC4s' paltry 80 treadwear rating, but once they're used up, you can revert to the standard P Zero PZ4 tires.

All of the above comes as part of a mid-cycle facelift that gives all new Cayennes updated front and rear end caps that bring sleek Taycan design language to the head- and taillamps. The structural sheetmetal is all carryover, but Porsche has subtly altered the shape of the hatch frame and the glass within it. In our Coupe, the standard panoramic glass roof gracefully blends into the reshaped hatch glass as if it were one continuous piece, with the spoiler neatly concealing the break at the upper hinge point. The result is a very attractive look we couldn't appreciate during an earlier drive of a camouflaged prototype.

The Taycan influences continue inside, where a curved instrument display sits next to a center touchscreen, which sits next to a piece of trim or an optional screen for the passenger. Dedicated physical climate controls and hand-adjustable HVAC vents are two welcome changes. The prominent central touchscreen is largely the home of the infotainment system, with only lesser-used vehicle settings buried within. For a touchscreen-based setup, it strikes a good balance, but the 911 may represent a better mix of new and old thinking. On the other hand, this Cayenne has a V-8.