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New Cayenne owner seeking advice on aftermarket upgrades
Greetings everyone,
I'm a newcomer to this forum and I just got my 2023 Base Cayenne in white with a black interior yesterday. As a new member, I wanted to ask the experienced folks here if they knew of any aftermarket upgrade options that I could look into. Specifically, I was wondering about the following:
Is it possible to add wireless charging to my vehicle?
Are there any running boards that would be compatible with my Cayenne?
Lastly, I'm interested in changing the black interior to red. I realize this may be complex and expensive, but are there any viable options? Are there any high-quality leather seat covers that I could install?
1) Google "porsche cayenne 9y0 wireless charger" and you'll find aftermarket solutions that fit in the ashtray/cubby. I don't know if the OEM wireless charger can be added to the center console interior. My solution was to stick an iOttie wireless charger to a 3M adhesive pad on the dashboard and run its cable mostly hidden under the console trim edges to the 12V port in the center of the cup holders. The dashtop air vents may help mitigate the increased heat in the phone that wireless charging causes. FYI, the 2024 Cayenne wireless charger has a phone cooling feature.
iOttie wireless phone charger
2) I've been unable to find running boards for the 2022 Cayenne base I bought last summer. The Porsche dealership has been no help. A local Kansas City company that sells and installs running boards checked with its suppliers to no avail. I found a set on Amazon from "Kingcher" but there were no reviews and the seller did not respond when I asked for installation instructions. Recently (12 April 2023) a person who said he was an aircraft mechanic "with skills" posted a review but it wasn't very positive. He said that he broke three panels on the Cayenne during the installation and had to buy new ones. I was particularly concerned that the running boards might not be compatible with the wheel arch extensions which my 2022 has due to its 21 inch wheels. I was also concerned that replacements might not be available in the future should one get damaged. I may revisit this in the future. My 4' 10" tall, handicapped wife has developed techniques that allow her to pull herself into the Cayenne and we'll use a folding step stool if it gets more difficult for her. I've set the Individual mode button in the center console to lower the air suspension to the lowest position and push the button every time I turn off the ignition.
3) Wow. That's a tall order. Getting a black interior was for us a penalty of buying an in-stock Cayenne since most of the Cayenne that the local Porsche dealership orders to carry in-stock have black interiors. I don't particularly care for it but it's OK - first all black interior since I bought a new VW in 1975. BTW, both front and rear seats contain side air bags. I suspect that seat covers won't work well on the optional 14-way or 18-way seats due to the power seat cushion extenders but maybe they would on the standard 8-way seats. Is it too late to trade this Cayenne back to the Porsche dealership for one you like?
I picked the one that was already in inventory and has the most features that I wanted. Unfortunately the red interior is not that common as opposed to black, and I certainly didn’t want to wait and pay more for 2024 model.
Originally Posted by Shuga
Why did you go with a black interior if you wanted red?
Hmm. Is it good quality? Looks expensive for what it "appears" to be, which is a mag safe charger stuck on a 3D printed block of plastic and a 12v plug. Am I off in my observation? Is it nicer than that? Is it actually carbon fiber as it says?
Also, does the phone interfere with the cupholders or the buttons?
I do like this setup, but not so thrilled with the wire plugged into the 12v outlet by the cupholders. I see in the install video that he's got a long cord. Wonder if you can run that through the center console somehow to plug it in elsewhere...
Last edited by Needsdecaf; 05-18-2023 at 09:43 AM.