Porsche’s head up display (HUD) on the Cayenne and Taycan projects important information on the windshield in the driver’s field of vision, making it easy to keep your eyes on the road while checking for key driving details. The biggest drawback? The price.

If you’re buying a Porsche Cayenne or Porsche Taycan from the model year 2021 or newer, your vehicle is eligible for Porshce’s upgraded head-up display package. This special windshield-integrated feature makes for a smoother and safer driving experience, but it could run you a couple extra thousand dollars to have it installed.

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Porsche head up display: what is it and do you need it?

A head-up display, or HUD for short, is a projection system that displays key details onto the windshield where the driver can easily scan information. As the name suggests, HUD is designed to allow drivers to keep their heads up while driving but still be able to check their speed, entertainment system, or other crucial info.

Porsche’s HUD works using a tiny projection that reflects the information off of mirrors and a translucent screen on the windshield, which captures and displays your chosen information.

On the

Porsche Cayenne

and Taycan, you can customize your HUD settings using the Communication Management System (CMP). There are six different available presets, or you can personalize a display. Displayable information includes:

Speed limits

Traffic signs

Road speed

Navigation

Assistance system

Lane-keeping assistance

Phone calls and speech function

Adaptive cruise control

Sport Chrono countdown

Lap time and lap number

Launch control

Instrument cluster

Maneuver information

Intersection assist

Vehicle status and warning messages

You can adjust the height and brightness of the HUD in the display settings, and you can also transition between day and night modes to increase visibility.

Which Porsche models have a head up display (HUD)?

Unlike other luxury car brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Porsche does not offer head-up displays for the majority of their lineup.

Porsche’s head-up display is available in full color, installed around 2.3 meters away from the driver’s direct field of vision, and is only a Porsche-offered option for 2021 and newer models of the Cayenne and Taycan. This option is available to drivers for an additional $1,850, which is slightly more expensive than head-up displays from other car brands.

If you’re interested in adding HUD to another Porsche model, you may have to seek parts and installations from third-party dealers.

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Can you add a head-up display to a Porsche?

If you’re truly interested in adding a head-up display to your

Porsche 911

Porsche Panamera

, or any other Porsche that doesn’t come with a HUD, you’ll have to decide how far you’re willing to go with the upgrade.

The first option is a retrofitted head-up display, which is not built into the windshield but instead reflects driving information from a small screen placed in front of the glass or shows the information on a translucent screen placed on the car’s front dashboard. These retrofitted head-up display kits sell for around $500, and they won’t be as impressive as the real deal, but they get the job done.

If a retrofitted head-up screen won’t do your Porsche justice, you could opt for a genuine HUD installation. This involves replacing your entire windshield with one that has a transparent HUD screen, which could cost around $2,000. These types of installations are not as common for Porsches, but they’re fairly popular for other luxury brands like BMW.

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How to use the Porsche head up display

If it’s your first time using a head-up display in your Porsche, you may feel slightly intimidated by this new-to-Porsche technology. Thankfully, it’s super easy to use. Here’s how to turn on and customize your Porsche’s head-up display:

Go to settings on your Porsche’s infotainment touchscreen

Select “Displays” in the settings

Click “Head Up Display” to turn the display on or off

Select your display categories, or choose “Configure Customization” to create a customized display

Unfortunately, Porsche does not offer features like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with their head-up displays, but there are a number of categories and presets with other practical displayable features.

Is a Porsche head up display worth it?

Head-up displays are new to Porsche, and although it isn’t necessarily essential technology for a smooth ride, it could be worth it for a safer, more efficient driving experience. HUD can help you keep your eyes on the road and improve your driving reaction time while allowing you to keep an eye on important information.

With that said, a head-up display is a pretty expensive add-on for a Porsche, and their systems aren’t as developed as those of other manufacturers. This special feature will also run up your purchase price and may affect your insurance costs.

If you’re opting for a new Cayenne or Taycan, HUD may be an add-on to consider, but if another model without HUD is calling your name, ignore the FOMO (fear of missing out). You’ll be just fine without it.