Porsche Cayenne Diesel 2009 Pictures 
Porsche changes tack with Cayenne diesel
If you cringed when Porsche went mainstream with the front-engined 924 in the ’80s, and again when they launched the first non-sports car Porsche in the form of the Cayenne SUV, then close this page now.
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The Germans have just crossed another Rubicon. Meet the Cayenne diesel – the car Porsche said they’d never build. This is the first ever oil-burning Porsche road car and it’s certainly causing quite a stir.
When Porsche first launched the Cayenne 4x4 in 2002, hardcore fans were outraged. They called it a sell-out of a thoroughbred German sports car brand and slated the car for its ungainly looks, spluttering CO2 emissions and consumption figures which required excessive padding of your wallet for its forecourt visits. Yet despite the initial fuss, the Cayenne’s success turned it into a real cash cow for Porsche. It also helped make the company one of the most profitable car manufacturers in the world. And although Cayenne sales have been declining as the model aged, nearly half of all Porsches sold across the world last year were still Cayennes.
But now the company is heading in a whole new direction. Will the break from its all-petrol recipe knock the bottom out of Porsche’s success? It’s unlikely. Diesel technology has taken some huge steps forward in recent years. It is also just about the default choice for 4x4 buyers. Simply put, the Cayenne had to adapt or die. As much as 85 per cent of the current 4x4 market is diesel powered – a massive bulk of sales on which Porsche has been missing out. With that in mind the company expects more than half of all Cayennes sold in the UK this year to be the new diesel version. Most of these will go to ex BMW X5 and Mercedes ML owners, but many will also be petrol Cayenne owners looking for the benefits of a diesel engine.
Given how long it has taken Porsche to join the diesel party, it’s rather disappointing then that the 240bhp 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine under the Cayenne’s bonnet wasn’t developed by Porsche. Instead the Cayenne borrowed its powersource from Volkswagen’s Touareg with minimal changes and with identical power and performance figures as its lesser VW cousin. Porsche sees this approach as a quick, easy and cheap way of testing the diesel waters, but does that warrant a £6,000 price premium over the equivalent Touareg diesel for what essentially amounts to little more than a posh badge?
Although there are brutally powerful V10 and V12 diesel engines in the VW and Audi ranges, Porsche says they won’t be utilising them any time soon. As far as the German firm is concerned the entry level is where the diesel action is at, but it’s hard not to feel short-changed by the little effort made to inject more Porsche-ness into the car. At the same time, the previous entry-level 3.6-litre petrol Cayenne has been reduced to “special order only” status.
The new Cayenne benefits from all the advantages that made diesel engines as popular as they are: improved fuel economy (30.4mpg average compared to 21.9mpg on the 3.6), lower emissions (244g/km compared to 310g/km) and plenty of grunt. A Cayenne diesel will wring 187 miles more from its (admittedly chunky 100-litre) fuel tank than the 3.6-litre petrol version too, though the oil-burning model’s 244g/km emissions figure place it in the highest road tax band, so this behemoth is still far from being a green giant.
The diesel Cayenne also boasts the characteristics that made its petrol counterpart a Porsche success story. Its handling is crisp and precise and even if the engine’s performance isn’t wickedly quick, it feels plenty sporty enough. Step hard on the accelerator and its bulk is thrust from 0 to 60mph mark in a reasonable 8.3 seconds with the help of a standard six-speed Tiptronic S automatic gearbox. To keep any harsh engine sounds from penetrating the cabin, special sound deadening material has been successfully used under the bonnet along with a double-glazed windscreen.
That doesn’t mean you are completely detached from the driving experience. The Cayenne is as engaging a drive as you can expect a 2.2 tonne SUV to be, though there’s hardly any difference in its handling compared to the Touareg and Q7. It also drives as well (or even a touch better) as the marginally quicker BMW X5, but the Cayenne looses points on the CO2-front: At 214g/km, the Beemer’s emissions place it in the significantly less punitive tax Band F.
On the inside you’ll find all the luxury you’d expect from a car that costs more than four superminis combined: reams of leather, soft-touch materials, top-notch finishing and brushed metal accents are all here. There is also a bevy of electronic gadgetry to keep you on the road and out of harm’s way. Some basic equipment like floormats and cruise control could well have been included in the base price though. Add a few basic extras to your wish list and the £39,404 base price quickly pushes over the £50k mark.
It has taken Porsche 78 years to launch its first production car powered by a diesel engine, but as it stands the Cayenne diesel feels like a second-class attempt from a first-class company. That said though, with that coveted badge on the bonnet, it’s unlikely to prevent the new diesel version Cayenne from dominating sales before the next generation model is launched next year.
Tech Spec:
Model: Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Engine: Turbo-diesel - 3.0-litre V6
Power: 240bhp / 550Nm
0 to 60mph in 8.3 seconds, top speed 133mph
Average fuel economy: 30.4mpg
Insurance group: 18
CO2 emissions: 244g/km
Price: £39,404
Rivals: BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML, Audi Q7, VW Touareg, Lexus RX
CAR MAKE & MODEL
Porsche Cayenne Diesel 2009 Pictures
CAR REF NUMBER
21292
CAR COLOUR
White
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TOTAL VIEWS: 3,383
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