Tested: 2026 Porsche Cayenne S Is the Best All-Around Performance SUV

It's the perfect SUV for a certain kind of buyer

written by Cameron Rogers
edited by Kirk Bell
5/29/2026
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What's new: The Porsche Cayenne S offers V8 power without the extreme nature of the Cayenne GTS.
Why it matters: The overall execution is impeccable, but the S is expensive — our test car crested $150K!
Edmunds says: The S is now the sweet spot of the Cayenne lineup.

While most vehicles have a five- to six-year life cycle before they're redesigned, some automakers elect to extend that lifespan with frequent updates and refreshes. Case in point: the Porsche Cayenne. This generation of Porsche's uber-popular sport SUV has been around since 2019, which means it should be past its sell-by date. We brought a 2026 Porsche Cayenne S — the least expensive way to get a Cayenne with a sweet twin-turbocharged V8 — to the Edmunds test track to determine whether the multiple enhancements it has enjoyed over the years have successfully kept the aging Cayenne from feeling stale.

Cayenne S settles on a twin-turbo V8

As in other Porsche models, the Cayenne's S variant sits just above the base model in terms of power output. When it launched in 2019, the Cayenne S was powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 making 434 horsepower. In 2024, when the Cayenne underwent its most recent significant update, Porsche replaced that engine with the current twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. In addition to gaining a pair of cylinders, the Cayenne S' output jumped by 34 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque to 468 hp and 442 lb-ft.

While the Cayenne S trim level has a few features that differentiate it from the base Cayenne — including red brake calipers and a different tailpipe design — the V8 is the most meaningful upgrade. The engine, with its additional 120 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque, is the primary reason you'll pay an extra $18,400 to upgrade from the Cayenne to Cayenne S.

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Even though it's a lot more powerful than the base model (and marginally more potent than the E-Hybrid plug-in), the S is smack in the middle of Cayenne trims. There are three trims above it, culminating in the awesome, 729-hp Turbo E-Hybrid. It's no surprise, then, that its 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds is quick, though not exceptional. An Audi SQ8 — which shares an underlying platform with the Cayenne — has a starting price about $10,000 lower than the Cayenne S, is more powerful, and achieves a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds flat.

Here's how the Cayenne S fared at our test track compared to the sportier Cayenne GTS. Keep in mind that while the GTS is more powerful, our GTS tester had a few choice options that gave it a leg up on the Cayenne S at our track. It was equipped with the Sport Chrono package (the Cayenne S was not), which enables launch control. Our test driver reckons that if the Cayenne S had this option box ticked, it might be good for a couple tenths of a second in our acceleration test. The GTS was also equipped with aggressive Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. This track-focused rubber provided incredible levels of grip for a big, heavy SUV like the Cayenne, but its 80-treadwear compound means you're going to replace the tires more frequently than the more street-friendly P Zeros worn by the Cayenne S. The GTS also had Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active anti-roll bars, which actively work to counteract body roll in corners. A few choice options from the Porsche catalog — including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, rear-axle steering, and an adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management adaptive dampers— were present in both vehicles.

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2026 Porsche Cayenne pricing in Ashburn, VA

Edmunds suggests you pay

	2026 Porsche Cayenne S	2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS
Engine	4.0-liter turbo V8	4.0-liter turbo V8
Power	468 hp	493 hp
Torque	442 lb-ft	487 lb-ft
Transmission	eight-speed automatic	eight-speed automatic
Driveline	AWD	AWD
Weight	5,049 pounds	5,148 pounds
Tires	Pirelli P Zero	Pirelli P Zero Corsa
0-60 mph	4.7 seconds	4.1 seconds
Quarter mile	12.8 seconds @ 108.2 mph	12.4 seconds @ 109.6 mph
60-0 mph braking	111 feet	110 feet
Lateral grip (200-foot skidpad)	0.93 g	1.03 g
Base price	$108,450	$126,895
Price as tested	$151,830	$145,185

2026 Porsche Cayenne S rear 3/4, on the track

Not a track star, and that's OK

So the Cayenne S probably isn't the choice if you're looking for a performance SUV for Laguna Seca track days (cue the Arrested Development "There are dozens of us!" GIF). But ultimate performance is not this model's raison d'être. And that's fine. Preferable, even. Because while the GTS absolutely mops the floor with the Cayenne S at our testing facility, it's not the most comfortable SUV in real-world driving. The suspension is quite stiff, the exhaust is comically loud (even in the everyday Normal driving mode), and the steering feels unnecessarily heavy. You're not a 911 GT3, buddy — stop acting like it!

In contrast, the Cayenne S is a perfectly drivable everyday performance SUV. The ride is comfortable, engine noise is muted unless you're in Sport mode or flooring the throttle, and the steering is pleasantly weighted, without feeling stiff. And while the GTS' P Zero Corsa tires post unbelievable grip numbers, the 80-treadwear compound means they'll do one round trip between LA and Vegas before needing to be replaced. The price for those, according to Tire Rack at the time of publication, is a cool $3,600 per set. The Cayenne S' 220-treadwear P Zeros are about $1,000 less and will drive a lot farther before you have to replace them.

Typical Porsche price silliness

Speaking of pricing, what you see in the table above isn't a typo — our Cayenne S tester was more expensive than the GTS. Part of that is due to the different model years; even though the Cayenne GTS is just a year older, price increases mean that an identically specced 2026 GTS costs roughly $10K more than the 2025 we tested. Wild. Beyond that, the Cayenne S also had more option boxes ticked. Some upgrades undoubtedly increased its performance capabilities, but others — like the $4,280 interior leather package and $3,860 for contrast-color stitching — were purely cosmetic. Our GTS had fewer of these extraneous features.

No matter how you slice it, though, the Cayenne offers poor value for typical SUV shoppers. From a practical point of view, the Cayenne is a midsize SUV with less cargo and passenger space than competitors, and its price tag is unjustifiably high. A base Cayenne with no options is more expensive than a similarly sized BMW X5 xDrive40 with nearly every available extra. Our Cayenne S with $43,380 in options is closer to the base price of a Bentley Bentayga than it is to a similarly equipped Mercedes-Benz GLE 580.

So you're paying a lot more and getting a lot less. Why buy a Cayenne at all? Because, if ultimate practicality isn't a factor, the Porsche offers a driving experience no rival can match. The Cayenne S feels sublime from behind the wheel. Our test driver Gabe notes:

"Porsche can't keep getting away with this. I simply refuse to believe that its family SUV is this intuitive, agile and performant. The steering calibration is phenomenal, with just enough feedback to sense when you're approaching the limit of grip, and a rack that's quick enough to let this massive machine turn without making it twitchy. It walks a fine line beautifully. Switching through drive modes is pretty much pointless; it seems to want to perform well regardless of how you dial it in, with a traction control system that isn't overly intrusive but won't let things get out of hand at any point. It's a fine-tuning master class."

For most buyers, the Cayenne is simply too pricey for what it is. However, for discerning shoppers who prioritize the driving experience — and have deep pockets that can support the eye-watering expense — there is simply no substitute for a well-optioned Cayenne.

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by Cameron Rogers

Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. As a manager of written content, he writes and edits the reviews that help consumers find their perfect car. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at Edmunds include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

edited by Kirk Bell

Cars have been an important part of his life since Kirk learned to identify them by their headlights as a toddler. He grew up helping pit crew for his dad’s highly unsuccessful drag racing escapades, and he turned his knowledge of the car culture into a career when he became an editor at Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine starting in college. Kirk has been writing about full-scale cars for more than 20 years and was named to the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury in 2014. He was most recently senior editor at Motor Authority, where he specialized in luxury and performance cars. Kirk also authored and edited several car books, including the award-winning Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and NASCAR Chronicle when was managing editor at Consumer Guide Automotive. Kirk enjoys nothing more than a track day, but he’s also a Wisconsin sport fan and he enjoys spirited drives in his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

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