Compare the2024 Volvo XC60VS 2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

The XC60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC60 and Cayenne Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Cayenne Coupe’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC60 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Porsche doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Cayenne Coupe. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC60 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC60 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC60’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Cayenne Coupe’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC60’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the XC60 and the Cayenne Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC60 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cayenne Coupe has not been tested, yet.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC60 for 3 years and 30,000 miles longer than Porsche pays for maintenance for the Cayenne Coupe (4/40,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 44 percent more Volvo dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the XC60’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Cayenne Coupe running its gasoline engine:

The XC60 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 36 miles. The Cayenne Coupe can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The XC60 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The XC60 has a standard Emergency Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The XC60’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cayenne Coupe’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better maneuverability, the XC60’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Cayenne Turbo GT’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet). The XC60’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Cayenne Coupe’s (37.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC60 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe (8.5 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the XC60 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Volvo XC60 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 950 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

The XC60 is 8.6 inches shorter than the Cayenne Coupe, making the XC60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volvo XC60 amounts to more than styling. The XC60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Cayenne Coupe (.34 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC60 get better fuel mileage.

The XC60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 20.9 cubic feet). The XC60 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat folded (63.3 vs. 53 cubic feet).

The XC60 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The XC60’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Cayenne Coupe’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC60 has a standard rear wiper. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC60 as the 2018 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Cayenne Coupe has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC60 outsold the Porsche Cayenne by almost two to one during 2023.