USED BUYER'S GUIDE Porsche Cayenne Mk3

FROM £30,000 With fine handling, the luxurious third-generation Cayenne lives up to its iconic badge

- Richard Dredge

BY definition, there can’t be many class leaders, but over the years Porsche has produced more than its fair share of them. Most have been driver-focused sports cars, but when it turned its hand to an SUV (with the original Cayenne of 2002), it pulled a master stroke, even if many were dismayed by the company’s actions.

The Mk2 of 2010 was even better, and by the time the third-generation model was unveiled in 2017, more than 760,000 Cayennes had been sold around the world.

HISTORY

THE 335bhp Cayenne and 434bhp Cayenne S were unveiled in August 2017, using single-turbo 3.0-litre and twin-turbo 2.9-litre six-cylinder petrol engines respectively. Within weeks there was also a 542bhp Cayenne Turbo with a 4.0-litre V8. In spring 2019, a Coupé option was introduced alongside the regular SUV; all models were offered with the sleeker body.

The 454bhp Cayenne GTS was added to the range in autumn 2020, with a 4.0-litre V8, while the more hardcore 631bhp Cayenne Turbo GT Coupé of autumn 2021 featured the same engine. There was also a series of plug-in hybrids starting with the 455bhp E-Hybrid in 2018; the 670bhp Turbo S E-Hybrid followed in 2019, then the 512bhp S E-Hybrid in 2023.

A facelifted Cayenne arrived in summer 2023, with a heavily updated dashboard, matrix LED headlights, a refreshed nose and extra driver-assistance systems.

WHICH SHOULD I BUY?