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James Batchelor takes a look at the updated version of last year’s Towcar of the Year winner
Porsche’s Cayenne E-Hybrid was named Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year in 2024. So, ahead of the 2025 awards (published next month), we thought it was a good time to put the updated model through its paces.
Comfort – 83%
Gallery
Porsche likes to improve on a formula. Take the 911 sports car for instance – no other car of its type has been in production for quite so long. And while the current model is a world away from the first generation from 1963, the Stuttgart-based car maker has improved the recipe when necessary.
The same is true for the brand’s largest SUV, the Cayenne. It was the first SUV to wear the fabled shield badge over two decades ago, and just as nearly every other performance car maker has followed suit in producing a high-riding SUV, Porsche has carried on improving its own. While the new model carries over a lot of what went before, it also boasts some major new improvements both in terms of engineering and comfort.
The exterior design is much the same as its predecessor but the front end has been sharpened up slightly, while the rear boasts a new light bar and more prominent Porsche lettering. Inside is where the bulk of the styling changes are as there’s a revised dashboard with a new 12.6in screen for the main instruments, while a third touchscreen for the passenger can be fitted for just over £1,100. The centre console has been tidied up, the gear selector is now on the dashboard and, with the hood-less driver’s display and simpler air vent design, there’s a look of the Porsche Taycan electric saloon inside.
The rest of the interior remains the same so there’s decent space at the back, with sliding and reclining seats, and the boot is of a modest 627 litres (down 140 litres on the normal petrol Cayennes) which can be extended to 1,563 litres when the seats are folded. If you intend to carry the car’s charging cables – a good idea if you want to get the best efficiency – then the bag that hosts them takes up a large chunk of boot space.
Prices start at £84,800 and there’s a strong kit list as standard. However, the goodies – which you will want – are reserved for the options list; our car had a whole heap of extra stuff including rear-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension, 14-way electric and massaging front seats, a head-up display, panoramic roof, and a Bose surround sound system that nudged the price up to just shy of £102,000. An electrically folding towbar costs £945 while adaptive cruise control is £1,000 to fit.
The interior quality is exquisite, outshining many similarly priced SUVs.
Driving – 93%
The interior may add a little sparkle but it’s what’s underneath that really matters, and Porsche – surprise, surprise – has moved the Cayenne on from the previous version. The super-smooth 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine remains, but there’s a new electric motor and far larger 25.9kWh battery pack.
It means total power output is a substantial 463bhp and 650Nm/479lb ft of torque, while the electric motor – itself 176bhp – has more than enough shove to give decent performance even without the petrol engine engaged. The larger battery yields a longer electric range; at 46 miles, you can travel nearly twice as far on electric power as before.
While the electric range has doubled, the charging times are good too. Plug into 11kW three-phase electricity and the battery will take around two hours to top up; a massive 75-litre petrol tank means with a full battery and fuel tank a range of over 400 miles is possible. Real-life economy figures of 35mpg when driving solo and 24mpg when hitched are likely.
Every generation of Cayenne has been fantastic to drive, and the latest version is no different – it’s without doubt one of the sharpest big SUVs around. From the delicious steering feel to the agile chassis, it’s a sheer joy – the only slight black mark is the inconsistent feel through the brake pedal, but the regenerative brakes are to blame here.
We would recommend specifying the adaptive air suspension and four-wheel steering to give the Cayenne extra on-road agility – and also both, particularly the suspension (as it raises the ride height by either 15mm or 45mm) are a must if you intend to go off-road. The more sophisticated suspension also gives greater options when towing.
Towing – 88%
Of course, the fact the Porsche won the overall Towcar of the Year 2024 award means its excellent towing credentials are far from a surprise. And yet, for this test, when we hitched up to a 2023 Bailey Alicanto Grande Porto kindly supplied by Chichester Caravans, the car’s capability was still a delightful shock. For the most part, it feels as though it isn’t towing anything at all.
Part of this sensation is due to how well the car transitions between petrol and electric power – leave the car in ‘Hybrid Auto’ mode, and the Cayenne flits between the power sources imperceptibly. But plaudits are also necessary for that air suspension; it keeps the car and output so beautiful level. The Cayenne’s accurate steering and reactive chassis means it really does take control of the caravan in a balanced, confident fashion.
Verdict – 88%
The improvements Porsche has made to the Cayenne boost its useability and update the car’s modernity, but crucially haven’t altered how the car drives or tows. The Cayenne E-Hybrid is one outstanding towcar.
