2009 Porsche Cayenne - Styling Review

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The Porsche Cayenne received an exterior refresh last year. Editors at TheCarConnection.com report that for 2009, the Cayenne retains the features most buyers want to see.

Kelley Blue Book reviewers note that the 2008 redesign served a "functional sense" as well as a styling one, since the new features bring "an aerodynamic benefit" as "the coefficient of drag has been lowered substantially offering potential fuel economy benefits." The 2009 Porsche Cayenne includes headlights that "are flatter, and the leading edge in front of the hood is more defined than before," according to Cars.com. The Detroit News says, "the subtle changes create a more sophisticated look," thanks to the fact that "the turn signal indicators have been removed from the headlight assembly and lowered onto the grille."

The interior of the 2009 Porsche Cayenne isn't received quite as well as the exterior. Edmunds reviewers say that the Porsche Cayenne's "interior is all Porsche," which, unfortunately, "means that the climate and audio controls are comprised of many small, look-alike buttons that take some getting used to." Motor Trend simply deems the interior of the 2009 Porsche Cayenne "somber," though such strong negative sentiment is rare. For the Porsche Cayenne, ForbesAutos notes that "the Cayenne's interior is identical to the outgoing model's, which is somewhat of a disappointment" because "there are some minor annoyances that could significantly improve" the cabin. On the positive side, ForbesAutos is pleased to find that "Porsche stayed away from any form of multifunction knob-controlled system as seen on virtually every new luxury vehicle from foreign manufacturers," such as BMW's iDrive. Also winning praise are the "large, simple toggles for climate, suspension, [and] transfer-case settings," which ConsumerGuide appreciates.