Porsche has thoroughly refined its successful luxury SUV. The new Cayenne debuts with a highly digitalised display and control concept, new chassis technology and innovative high-tech features.

Cosmetically you will notice Matrix Design LED headlights which are now standard and are actually a little sharper in shape than before. There is also a new hood and some resculpted fenders. Around the back, new taillights have a uniform height across the rear and you can now choose from three new colours; Algarve Blue Metallic, Montego Blue Metallic and Arctic Grey.

Inside sees some of the more dramatic changes and upgrades as you will now get a freestanding, curved 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster. The centre console has been redesigned and now includes a standard 12.3-inch infotainment display. An angled section of the console holds a panel with a mix of switches and capacitive buttons for the HVAC controls. Porsche also adds a tray for a smartphone with 15 watts of inductive charging.

A 10.9-inch screen on the passenger side of the dashboard is a new option. It lets a person sitting there operate the navigation system. Or, that occupant can stream videos because a layer on the display prevents the driver from seeing what’s playing there.

The entry-level Cayenne continues to use the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 but it has been optimised to develop 348 hp (260 kW) and 500 Nm (368 lb-ft), which is 13 hp and 50 Nm (36 lb-ft) more than previously.

The Cayenne E-Hybrid makes use of the same turbocharged V6 but also gains a more powerful electric motor that now produces 174 hp (130 kW) resulting in a new output of 463 hp (346 kW). The battery capacity grows to 25.9 kilowatt-hours, versus 17.9 kWh currently. No range estimates are available yet. In addition, a new 11-kilowatt AC charger allows for plugging in at home to recharge in less than two and a half hours.

What will excite a lot of fans and customers is the fact that the refreshed Cayenne S reverts back to a V8. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo delivers 468 hp (349 kW) and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque. This grunt means both SUV and Coupé models can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds (with optional Sport Chrono Package).

The range-topping Super SUV we know as the Cayenne Turbo GT also gets a power hike to the tune of 650 horses (485 kW) allowing it to sprint to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and run to a top speed of 305 km/h. Standard features include rear-wheel steering, air suspension, ceramic-composite brakes, and titanium exhaust pipes. You will still have the option of a Lightweight Sport Package but Porsche isn’t detailing the contents of this pack, yet.

Pricing for the refreshed Cayenne is as follows;

Cayenne – R1,848,000
Cayenne E-Hybrid – R2,194,000
Cayenne S – R2,125,000
Cayenne coupé – R1,933,000
Cayenne E-Hybrid coupé – R2,259,000
Cayenne S Coupé – R2,232,000
Cayenne Turbo GT – R4 128 000