Fresh from launching the all-new Macan here in Singapore, Porsche has announced that it has given the Macan’s bigger brother, the Cayenne, a mid-life facelift in a bid to keep its current best-seller competitive and up-to-date.

The Cayenne is a key model for Porsche, and its importance is underlined by the fact the current generation version have sold over 303,000 units worldwide since its introduction in 2010, and now forms over half of all Porsche’s sales globally. Porsche insists that the Cayenne’s success helps boost profitable growth for the company, and therefore creates “a solid economic foundation for investments in future generations of sports cars.”

On the outside, the refreshed Cayenne gets a revised front end, with the bonnet, fenders and bumper now redesigned. All models also get bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, except for the Cayenne Turbo, which gets higher spec LED headlamps as standard. There are also new ‘air fins’ integrated into the facelifted Cayenne’s lower front grille, which help direct air into the car’s intercoolers.

The rear end gets some minor changes as well, with new brake lights and redesigned lower bumper section that incorporates the exhaust pipes. Inside, the updates are limited to a new multi-function sport steering wheel that’s based on the design found in the 918 Spyder, as well as the option to specify ventilated rear seats.

Porsche has also taken the opportunity to reshuffle the Cayenne line-up, and the entry-level model is now the Cayenne Diesel. This is followed by the Cayenne S, Cayenne S Diesel, and Cayenne Turbo, and further down the line, Porsche is set to introduce its second plug-in hybrid model, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid. All models carry over the same engines as before, with the exception of the Cayenne S, which now boasts of a new 3.6-litre V6 that’s taken from the Macan Turbo, but tuned to produce 420bhp and 550Nm of torque, an increase of 20bhp and 50Nm respectively over the outgoing Cayenne S.

The Cayenne S E-Hybrid uses the same drivetrain as Porsche’s first plug-in, the Panamera S E-Hybrid. This means that the car uses a 3.0-litre V6 with 333bhp, combined with a 95bhp electric motor, to produce a total of 416bhp, and 590Nm of torque. This enables the Cayenne S E-Hybrid to go from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds, and hit a top speed of 243km/h. The car can also travel on the electric motor alone, at speeds of up to 125km/h, and usable range in EV mode only is around 18 to 36km, according to Porsche.

READ MORE: Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid review

The pricing for the Cayenne S E-Hybrid will be announced at a later date, but for now, you can order the other four models from Porsche’s official distributor in Singapore, Stuttgart Auto. The Cayenne Diesel retails for $297,388, while the Cayenne S goes for $380,588. The Cayenne S Diesel meanwhile costs $390,688, and the Cayenne Turbo carries a price tag of $563,088. All prices exclude COE.

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