When the very first Porsche Cayenne SUV was unveiled, the competition stood up and stared. Why? Well it carried the design language of the iconic 911 sports car. Many scoffed and blew negative comments that this product will be lost in the showroom. They were all wrong as the Cayenne went to become Porsches most successful product to date.
Part of its success lied in its design and today after a few models the Cayenne remains very popular as it still carries the 911 sports car design language.
The current Porsche Cayenne is clear and convincing from the very beginning: even more sporting, even more dynamic, even more Porsche at very first sight.
The objectives set in designing the new generation were diverse and challenging from the start. To offer more space within the interior and enhance the level of variability, wheelbase was extended by 40 millimeters or 1.6″, with overall length increasing by 48 millimeters/1.9″. At the same time the new models are 6 millimeters/0.24″ higher and 11 millimeters/0.43″ wider.
This new design gives the Porsche Cayenne an even more muscular and powerful stance on the road, the new model looking much more compact and dynamic despite its larger dimensions. The particular character of a very sporting and dynamic performer car comes out even more clearly from all angles, and the shape and design themes so typical of Porsche are even clearer than before.
From the front the Cayenne is absolutely unmistakable at very first sight, characterized by the larger centre air scoop at the front further accentuated by two smaller air intakes at the side. The newly designed air scoops underline the sporting elegance of the new model and at the same time confirm the superior power and performance the Porsche Cayenne has to offer.
The same self-confident look is conveyed by the wings of the car contoured much more strongly than before and rising up above the engine compartment lid. The greater emphasis given to the engine lid from the front is also borne out by the Powerdome and the new V-shape of the lid again so typical of Porsche.
The front end tapering out low down on the car serves furthermore to lower the visual center of gravity. And last but not least, the outer air intakes extending far to the outside give even greater emphasis to the special look of the Cayenne reminiscent of a sports car.
All new models share the new headlight graphics with additional lights at the inside so unmistakably Porsche. The darker panels within the headlight units and the silver-coloured rings on the headlights create even greater presence and, together with the positioning lights on the side air intakes, give the Porsche Cayenne an even more striking look of power and performance.
The exterior mirrors on the new Cayenne come in brand-new design flatter than before. With the mirror base positioned on the doorsill – and no longer in the mirror triangle – the new mirrors offer several benefits all in one: In their new position and design, they take up the lines of the front end and form one unit with the overall design of the car. At the same time wind noise is reduced by improved aerodynamics and visibility in tight bends is enhanced by an additional window in the former mirror triangle.
Seen from the front, the various models clearly differ from one another. The V8 models and the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid are characterized by black air intakes at the side as opposed to the intake louvers finished in body colour on the Cayenne and Cayenne Diesel. The Cayenne Turbo, in turn, stands out clearly from the other models through the unique design of its center air intake and the more distinctive Powerdome.
The night design of the new models is also new. Accordingly, all new models in the Porsche Cayenne range now come with LED daytime driving lights integrated as one unit in the sidelights positioned on the upper edge of the outer air intakes on the Cayenne, the Cayenne Diesel, the Cayenne S, and the Cayenne S Hybrid. Again to provide a clear contrast, the Cayenne Turbo stands out clearly through its sidelights extending into the outer air intakes as well as the four LED spots providing the daytime light function in the main headlights.
Side view: long, sleek and dynamic
Seen from the side, the new generation of the Porsche Cayenne stands out particularly through its long, sleek and dynamic look. The new design of the car emphasizes above all the long and stretched engine compartment lid as well as the flat rear roof pillar with its dynamic sweep towards the rear of the car.
Extending far to the front, the engine compartment lid is reminiscent of Porsche’s racing cars back in the ’60s, clearly emphasizing the superior power and performance of the Cayenne and thus creating a direct link between the engine at the front and the road beneath the car. In all, the new design line gives the new Cayenne a truly sweeping, dynamic and coupé-like character.
The particularly slender D-pillar and the new window graphics at the rear create a fast, sweeping motion from the roofline to the clearly contoured and accentuated rear end of the new Porsche Cayenne, thus contributing to the vehicle’s compact and dynamic appearance. The design line of the wings extends above the rear light clusters all the way to the rear end of the car. Completely new in their design and featuring LED technology, the rear light clusters now stretch further to the front and, through their tapered design, emphasize the sheer length of the car.
The window graphics make a decisive contribution to the new look of the Cayenne, the windows following in their shape the elegant roofline all the way from the A-pillar to the D-pillar rapidly sweeping out at the rear.
The clearly contoured wings and doors, in turn, give even greater emphasis to the wheel arches. And last but not least, a discreet model designation in chrome look at the side on the front wings highlights the Cayenne Diesel and the Cayenne S Hybrid.
Rear view: powerful and with broad shoulders
The rear-end design of the new Porsche Cayenne now also shows even more clearly that these are fully-fledged members of the Porsche family. This is ensured by the D-pillars tapering out at a lower angle at the rear, the consistent implementation of emotional design with round design lines reminiscent of Porsche’s sports cars, and horizontal styling elements such as the chrome trim bar at the transition point from the tailgate to the rear bumper.
The clearly contoured rear wings emphasize the car’s proximity to the road also at the rear, again giving the new Cayenne a powerful stance on its wheels. The wings flow further back to the rear, enhancing the typical shoulder effect so characteristic of every Porsche. Positioned far to the outside at the rear, the rear light clusters take up the dynamic joint from the side, extending this sweeping line through the tailgate into the roof spoiler.
The newly designed tailpipes form the rear end of the car in visual terms – two rectangular single tailpipes on the Cayenne, the Cayenne Diesel, the Cayenne S, and the Cayenne S Hybrid, while the Cayenne Turbo comes with two round dual tailpipes.
In addition to their model designation, all new versions of the Porsche Cayenne come with Porsche’s new aluminum colour brand name above the number plate.
It is time for you to take a closer look at the all new Porsche Cayenne and test drive it.
