It’s not a dashboard. Not in Porsche speak. It’s a Porsche Driver Experience, and it’s making its debut on the new Cayenne.
Porsche says it’s shorthand for “a fully digital display, versatile individualisation and intuitive operation.” The dashboard panel is almost entirely digital, stretching across the full width of the Cayenne’s cabin.
It’s impressive but judging by the response to the customisable displays in the VW ID. 2all concept, it will delight and infuriate in equal measure.
There are some neat touches that are worth highlighting. Take the instrument cluster, which is now a fully digital, free-standing 12.6-inch curved display. Note the absence of a hood, which would have been unthinkable when manufacturers were playing with digital displays in the 1980s. More on that soon.
Depending on the trim level, the driver can choose from up to seven views on the instrument cluster, including a greatly reduced setting and what Porsche is calling “a classic mode”. Yep, an authentic five-tube instrument cluster for the digital age.
You’ll also notice that the gear selector is now located to the right of the steering wheel, freeing up space on the centre console for a new, large air conditioning control panel. In a victory for common sense, Porsche has given us proper analogue controls for the heating and ventilation.
The 12.3-inch central display is standard fare in 2023, but for the first time, a Cayenne buyer can opt for a 10.9-inch passenger display. If you like your other half enough, you can treat them to a screen that gives them control of the navigation and audio functions, along with the opportunity to watch a video on the move.
A special foil ensures the display cannot be seen from the driver’s seat.
The cockpit – sorry, Porsche Driver Experience – takes the architecture from the Taycan electric sports car and the steering wheel from a 911, and sticks them in a new SUV, which will be unveiled on April 18 at the Auto Shanghai show in China.
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