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After years of rumours, Porsche has confirmed that the Cayenne will be available with a diesel engine from March 2009.
The new unit will be sourced from Porsche’s fellow Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi and is likely to be a version of the company’s 3.0-litre V6 TDI – as also found in the Cayenne’s Q7 cousin. It will have around 240bhp and 237lb ft of torque.
Porsche had apparently planned to reveal its diesel Cayenne in January 2009, alongside the facelifted version of the Boxster.
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No, no, no Porsche- what have you done??

What happened to the 'We don't do diesel' mantra!!

Now they've opened the floodgates, I'm sure they'll be a diesel Panamara. Maybe even a 2/7/3.0 TDI Boxster and Caymen as well...

I think it's just another step towards Porsche moving more into the high end BMW, Merc Audi market and further away from the sports car market of Ferrari, Aston et al.

I think a little piece of history will die when we see the new 911 4.2 TDI.....circa 2012!!

Don't sell your soul for a fast buck, Ferdinand Porsche must be crying in his grave....

Yes, and it is still the ugliest car on the road - Boris Johnson should slap a £50 congestion charge on it! :-)))

You are SOOOOOO right on that one.

Oh dear. This makes the rumoured Porsche Hatchback (Golf Rival) not look like such an unbelievable story after all!

I really don't have a problem with Porsche using diesels. My problem lies with the fact that they have just pulled one off the shelf from their sister company, Volkswagen. If Porsche use a diesel then it should be the best, fastest and most powerful diesel on the market whilst STILL putting out the least amount of CO2 and other pollutants. I want and expect the absolute best engineering from Porsche. Petrol and diesel.

Oh dear, Lucifer has walked into Stuttgart!! Having said that, i can see the reason for a diesel in the Cayenne and i can just about cope with that fact and i don't think it will harm Porsche's image if done properly.

What worries me is that the next 'pure' Porsche, the Panamera, may have a diesel engine and that will simply be a step too far!! I still faint at the idea of a diesel Audi R8; some types of cars must not succumb to this fuel.

 

 

Such a sad, sad day for Porsche. A Cayenne with a borrowed Audi diesel engine that musters a mere 231bhp. A Porsche that produces barely 100bhp/tonne. The Cayenne is easy to dislike intensely, but i dont object to Porsche selling them to the morons that will buy them in order to provide the company with financial security to develop the rest of it's range as its pleases.. But a diesel Cayenne that will probably hit 60mph in little under 9 seconds is a step too far. That car displays the Porsche insignia that arguably holds the deepest and most prestigious history in the automotive world. Porsche has been making some really impressive strides in making its engines more environmentally friendly, why release an Audi engined Cayenne-TDI? Sickening. No doubt in that it will be a stunning financial success for Porsche but I really don’t think thats the point.

Some people say that the cayenne TDi won't have the performance to live up to Porsche's fine heritage. Nonsense. Here are some post-it-note calculations:

In the Q7 the 3.0 Tdi is 90 kg more than a 3.6 V6, so we can assume the same for a cayenne. This would give the cayenne a kerb weight of 2.25 metric tonnes, 236 bhp and 406 lb ft torque.

To put that in perspective, that will give it the same power to weight ratio, and the same torque to weight ratio, as a 1.9 litre Vauxhall Astra CDTi 150. So it'll be quite a machine then.

Comparing the power and torque to weight ratios with the existing Q7 Tdi and Cayenne models we can also estimate performance. 0-60 should be around the blink-and-you'll-miss-it 8.1 second mark, topping out at 135 mph. That's a scarcely believeable 0.4 seconds less and 2 Mph more than the already terrifyingly quick Peugeot 308 1.6 THP GT.

Although the Porsche does hold 25% more Luggage (540 lites, vs 430) and can accomodate a whole zero additional people so the £25,000 premium is more than justified.

I wonder how much more it will take before Ferdinand Porsche actually claws his way out of his grave and sets fire to the factory?

I dont think people are putting this into perspective. I believe the sale of the Cayenne was not merely a car produced to display the pedigree of Porsche's performance car manufacturing. However it is a tool in which it can raise revenue to fund research and development into other areas, that will improve the brand overall (such as Direct Injection and PDK).

I therefore think the addition of a diesel to the Cayenne range is a beneficial exercise. There will be a whole new profile of customer that Porsche can target with the new engine (for instance company car buyers). More sales means more income for the firm which can only help the development of their range.

 

Hello Autocar from France! As you say, Porsche Cayenne Diesel is announced!It is very disappointing to arrive there. The Cayenne lorry (!) hasn’t already its place in the Porsche range, then that Cayenne Diesel even less. When you buy Porsche, a car of character, it is in gasoline. I do not deny the efficiency of the Diesel (for the passengers cars or in competition, see Le Mans with Audi and Peugeot).Porsche declared recently and several times the lack of character of the Diesel. Cayenne Diesel will be certainly successful, but a good Diesel engine is far from the enjoyment of a good gasoline engine. It is not a question of performances; it is the way of delivering them. If you want to buy a Diesel SUV, Audi, BMW (regrettably also) and Mercedes makes that very well.It is a door which it’s opened … Later, why not a Diesel Panamera as says Roy. Light is right! To pollute less, make light! Why not a 911 with a small flat 6 2 litres with less than 1000 kg. Kind regards, David, a passionate of Porsche, not a shareholder. PS

1. Bravo for your web site!
2. Excuse me for my English…