Porsche Cayenne review

With the entry-level eight-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, there's no lumbar support adjustment. This comes with the 14-way upgraded seat, which, in conjunction with a steering wheel that offers plenty of range, means no one should have any difficulty getting comfortable. You don't sit as high as you do in a Range Rover Sport, though.

All the major controls, including temperature and fan speed, are easy to find, but the cruise control buttons are tucked away behind the steering wheel. Some of the minor controls are operated by touch-sensitive buttons on the central console, and because you can’t use them by feel, like physical buttons, you have to look away from the road to find them.

Porsche’s semi-digital instrument cluster is clever at putting information such as the sat-nav map directly below your field of vision, but the steering wheel intrudes on your view of the two outer dials. In the hybrid models, the display also shows your remaining electric range and diagrams of the current energy flow.

The windscreen pillars aren’t too thick, making it easy enough to see out of the front. The rear pillars are pretty chunky, though, so you have to rely heavily on the standard front and rear parking sensors. Should you need a little more help, rear-view and 360deg cameras are optional.

Bright LED headlights are standard, for more relaxing night driving. These can be upgraded to 'matrix' adaptive LED headlights that keep the main beams on even with cars in front, automatically shaping their light pattern to avoid dazzling other road users. 

All Cayennes get a giant 12.0in touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. It has sharp graphics and proves responsive to touches and swipes, rarely lagging unless you’re zooming in and out of maps quickly. Most icons are a decent size, although the layers of menus and sheer number of functions can require lots of practice. It's fine to use when you’re stationary but can prove troublesome on the move; that's why we much prefer BMW's rotary iDrive controller.

Sat-nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth are standard, as is smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay; there’s no Android Auto. There's also a Porsche-designed app available that, among other things, lets you send destinations to the car from your smartphone. 

The standard stereo has 10 speakers but a fairly puny 150 watts. Audio lovers might want to upgrade to the optional Bose 14-speaker system for a reasonable cost (standard on the Turbo and Turbo S E-Hybrid models), or there's a mega-expensive Burmester upgrade above that.

Once you step inside, there’s no doubting that you’re sitting in a Porsche. There’s plenty of dense and squidgy plastic, supple leather and switches that operate with slick precision. If you want even more luxury, you can get an extended leather pack for the dash and doors, provided you're willing to pay for it. 

It's let down only by some 'Poundland chrome' plastics dotted around, such as those on the steering wheel. Arguably, it also feels a little dour inside compared with the glitzy X5 or the wacky styling of the Lamborghini Urus, but that's for you to ponder, not us.