Porsche Cayenne facelift India review, test drive

The launch of the brilliantly capable but smaller Macan for a shade under Rs 1 crore in mid-2014 more or less also set up the big and popular Cayenne for an imminent (and significant) price revision. This, of course, to reflect the Cayenne’s higher position in Porsche’s hierarchy of models. Porsche has used the arrival of the facelifted Cayenne as its opportunity to jack up prices and the range now starts at Rs 1.04 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Cayenne Diesel you see here. That, for comparison, is a full Rs 25 lakh more than what it used to cost just a few months ago. I can sense the skeptics among you narrowing your eyes. But let’s give Porsche a fair hearing here and see what you get for the additional outlay.

Identifiable by its larger grille and side inlets with pronounced ‘airblades’, the refreshed Cayenne also gets a flatter bonnet and features Porsche’s new signature – a quartet of LED daytime-running lights in the headlamp clusters, à la the 918. At the rear, the revised tail-lamps are your biggest giveaway of this being the updated Cayenne, though the tail gate is also more contoured. While still not the most beautiful SUV around, you can tell with each round of updates that it’s getting closer.

As for the cabin, the cockpit-like layout remains unchanged from before. There’s a dedicated button for almost everything in here and it’s quite a relief to not have to rely on a screen to make simple adjustments. Of note in the cabin is the inclusion of the sporty 918-like three-spoke steering wheel. Thankfully, steering-mounted infotainment controls and paddle shifters are also part of standard kit this time around. It’s important to highlight that India-bound Cayennes also get keyless go, four-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof and air suspension (with adjustable damper control) as standard, all of which were options on the earlier car. Sure, the price hike more than covers their cost, but it’s nice to know the Cayenne doesn’t need to be specially specced with luxury car essentials. You can, however, still personalise the car endlessly (and at great cost) and opt for items such as Alcantara trim and ventilated rear seats. The last one might be of interest to the chauffeur-driven, because the Cayenne’s rear seat has been reworked to make it more comfortable. It’s genuinely supportive and spacious enough in the back to keep you content even away from the wheel.