Porsche Cayenne vs. Audi Q7

The Cayenne kicks off with a 3L turbocharged 6-cylinder engine producing 348 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. It comes standard with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) with four settings: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and Off-road. Meanwhile, the Q7’s standard 2L turbocharged 4-cylinder produces 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Although its performance is competent, it leans more toward utility than outright sportiness.

But that’s just the beginning. With the Cayenne, Porsche draws on decades of sports car manufacturing to ensure you’ll enjoy a thrilling drive, whether navigating city streets, cruising the highway, or tackling mountain roads. The Audi Q7 also offers an additional engine; although it’s suitable for daily commutes and occasional road trips, it doesn’t offer the thrill of a high-performance vehicle like the Cayenne.

In addition to gasoline engines, the Porsche Cayenne has hybrid options that use an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. While the Audi’s mild hybrid system slightly boosts the engine, the Q7 cannot run solely on electric power as the Cayenne can.

The Cayenne’s hybrid trims combine the 3L turbocharged V6 engine with a new130 kW electric motor. Worth noting, the Turbo E-Hybrid is the most powerful Cayenne to date.

The Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7 provide distinctive standard elements that help you seize the day and everyone’s attention. Athletic fenders, standard Matrix Design LED headlights, and 20-inch wheels help signal your arrival. With its smaller footprint, the Cayenne may be more agile and better able to navigate narrow streets, fit into various parking spaces, and take on corners.

• Porsche Cayenne (Length/Width): 194.1/86.4 inches
• Audi Q7 (Length/Width): 199.3/87.1 inches

The Cayenne GTS’s athletic appearance is enhanced by the available SportDesign Package. This package includes Black logos, High Gloss Black accents, and 21-inch RS Spyder wheels, as well as the GT Sport steering wheel, GTS Sport seats, and a Race-Tex/leather interior. The Q7’s optional S line sport package offers similar exterior and interior details.

Step inside either SUV, and you’ll find a sporty yet luxurious ambiance with a driver-centric cockpit and high-quality materials. They have several similar standard amenities, including:

• Power front seats with heating functionality
• Heated steering wheel
• 40/20/40 folding rear seats
• Multiple-zone climate control

That said, ambient lighting with seven colored light schemes comes standard in the Cayenne. The Q7 offers ambient lighting, although it’s only available with an upgrade.

There’s a primary difference between the cabin interiors of the Cayenne and the Q7: their seating capacity. The Cayenne’s two rows comfortably accommodates five passengers, while the Q7 seats seven in three rows. Still, the limited space of the Audi’s third row is better suited for transporting children or extra cargo.

The Cayenne boasts the Porsche Driver Experience, a customizable digital instrument cluster with a 12.65-inch curved display, plus a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Q7 features an Audi Virtual Cockpit with a smaller, 10.25-inch digital gauge display and an MMI infotainment system, although its central touchscreen is just 10.1 inches. Both models provide wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™.

The Porsche Cayenne also includes standard wireless charging, which is optional in the Audi Q7. Additionally, the Cayenne offers an available 10.9-inch passenger display for access to navigation and infotainment, including in-car video streaming. The Q7 has nothing similar.

Whether you’re flying solo or heading out on a road trip with friends or family in tow, safety is always a priority. With similar brand-specific driver-assistance systems, like Lane Change Assist/Lane Keep Assist, the Cayenne and the Q7 provide peace of mind whenever you get behind the wheel.

Once again, the Porsche offers more standard features that the Audi makes available only in higher trim levels, such as Traffic Sign Recognition, which keeps a watchful eye out for vital information you might otherwise miss. Exclusively offered by the Cayenne is Self Steering ParkAssist, which can detect suitable parallel or perpendicular parking spaces and then take over steering while you control braking and acceleration.