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Introduced in August 2017, the third-generation Porsche Cayenne (Porsche E3) turned four this year. An improved version is in the works, and the family will reportedly include a new Porsche Cayenne PHEV variant.
Spy photos Motor1 published in May 2021 showed the 2022 Porsche Cayenne featuring different design bits. Sticking to its new-formed traditions, Porsche is disguising Cayenne test mules with masking and faux plastic panels, but changes can be made out with keen eyes.
The 2022 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. Changes at the rear will likely be more noticeable, with spy shots revealing the repositioning of the license plate to the portion below the tailgate in style similar to that of the present-day Cayenne Coupe. The new tailgate may carry a cleaner design with fewer cutouts and a smoother surface, and the tail lamps will feature new clusters.
Spy images Motor1 published on November 11, 2021, showed a new Cayenne prototype with what looked like redesigned tail lamps. Porsche had masked the rear lights with red tape on the most part and also black tape in some places. So it wasn’t possible to make out the design of the new cluster, but the size appeared to be larger, with a broader extension inwards.
Inside, a big change in the 2022 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 even the next-gen Porsche Macan (EV) due next year is getting a fully digital display.
Pro spy photographer Andreas Mau/CarPix (Instagram: @race356) snapped a test mule of a 2022 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, typical of Porsche. Expect multiple layouts for this display, 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.
Spy shots Motor1 published in September 2021 had revealed that Porsche has designed a new rising center console for the 2022 Cayenne. 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. Autocar had reported in May 2021 that Porsche plans to replace Cayenne’s gear selector with the 911’s smaller unit, which some may find more confusing during initial use, as pointed out by Motor Authority.
Currently, the Porsche Cayenne PHEV is available in two flavors, E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid. Porsche upgraded both the plug-in hybrid models with a bigger battery pack in October 2020. From a 14.1 kWh, the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid moved up to the 17.9 kWh battery. The bigger unit increased the Cayenne PHEV’s range by up to 30%. The Cayenne E-Hybrid can now cover up to 48 km (30 miles)* using only electric power. The Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid’s range is now 42 km or (29 miles)*.
*WLTP rating
Porsche could expand the Cayenne PHEV line-up with the upcoming mid-cycle refresh. Autocar reports that there could be a new S E-Hybrid variant positioned between the E-Hybrid and Turbo S E-Hybrid variants. The new variant could offer 552 hp of system power and around 30 miles of EV range (WLTP).
In addition to public roads, engineers are testing the new Cayenne on the Nurburgring race track. While improvements in the performance and driving dynamics could be in tow, it’s not uncommon to see a performance brand like Porsche put all its car on the limit around the Green Hell. You can view pictures of the new Cayenne flexing its muscles on the German Rennstrecke over at autoevolution. For the updated model’s plug-in hybrid variant, efficiency improvements could be the company’s absolute focus.
The Porsche Cayenne PHEV would be able to travel much longer solely on electric power in the future, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume hinted at the company’s annual press conference held in March 2021. He said that Porsche would offer hybrid models with a range of over 50 miles without announcing a deadline.
**Assumed to be a WLTP target
The new Cayenne should reach U.S. showrooms as an MY2023 car next year. It will face a new challenger in the form of the next-gen Range Rover Sport, which could hit the U.S. market by early 2023. The improved Cayenne E-Hybrid unveiled last year is currently available in the U.S. market.
Other interesting developments at Stuttgart that caught our eye earlier this year is that the next-gen 2025 Porsche Cayenne will reportedly be all-electric, and that Porsche could be planning a three-row flagship SUV with PHEV.
Featured Image Source: Porsche
