Porsche Cayenne News

Based on first impressions and the reaction at this week’s Shanghai Motor Show, the latest Porsche, like the Cayenne, is destined for success.And who can remember when Porsche aficionados criticised the Cayenne for not being a true Porsche?The Panamera has also coped some criticism for moving the brand away from its so-called core values but Porsche is moving with the times.We’ll have to wait several months for the first official drive of the sleek V8 but Porsche insiders say it handles as well as a 911, yet provides a luxury car ride through its adaptive suspension.After its official reveal, showgoers six-deep poured over the car, particularly the rear seat and luggage area and throughout the opening day Porsche executives wore smiles a mile wide as the Panamera clearly became everyone’s favourite.In the flesh, the car is best viewed from the front three quarter, where it looks not surprisingly a lot like the 911.Perhaps the least flattering views are in profile and from the rear, where the car’s high shoulder line and rump tend to give the big sedan a bulky feel.But there’s no denying the roomy cabin.As chief designer Michael Mauer says, the car was designed from the inside out.“It needed to be roomy and I think we’ve achieved those objectives,” he says.Porsche has taken great pains to give the car respectable rear seat leg and headroom. It has succeeded.Slide into either of the two comfy leather rear seats and the overall impression is one of excellent quality and surprising amount of space.The centre console reaches from the dashboard right through the centre of the car, running the full length of the cabin, which means this Porsche is not a five seater.Nor will it ever be available with a conventional rear bench seat, according to Mauer.“If you want a five-seater we have the Cayenne,” he says.The centre console controls around the gearshift have a distinct look of modern mobile phone controls yet the dials are distinctly Porsche with a large rev counter directly in front of the driver.Despite the mark down as a five seater, the two rear seat passengers are pampered with individual heating and air conditioning controls and electrically adjustable seatbacks on the Turbo.Both rear seats flip forward to provide an almost flat load area and the luggage area is big enough and deep enough to hold four suitcases. The large rear hatch is wide and deep, which should allow easy access.Like many upper end European wagons, the Panamera can be specified with an automatic opening and closing boot.Most rear seat occupants up to 2m in height will find the space agreeable and even with a tall person in the driver’s seat there is still plenty of legroom.However, the car’s high shoulder line, although providing a cocooning feel, reduces visibility and the car’s rear three quarter visibility could be a problem for parking.As with all Porsches, the Panamera feels classy and even a cut above even the 911 and Cayenne.It will need to be as one of the big sedan’s key rivals is the lavishly equipped Maserati Quattroporte.Porsche expects to sell about 20,000 a year.But if first impressions are any guide, the Panamera may well break through this barrier.Recession or no recession, they have another winner on their hands.We can’t wait to drive it.

The difference is that the next new model of the cash-cow Cayenne SUV will be the first Porsche with a diesel engine. The diesel Cayenne will arrive within three months at a starting price of $101,900 and should soon become one of the most popular models in local showrooms. It will need to do well to arrest a sales slide which has seen demand for Porsches drop by more than 40 per cent since the final quarter of 2008. The objective is to stop the rot in the 25-30 per cent by the end of July, meaning a 2009 sales total of around 1000 cars against 1180 last year. "The Cayenne diesel will save the bacon," says the managing director of Porsche Cars Australia, Michael Winkler. "It's recession proofing the company. That's what we said and it's coming true. "In the highly speed-limited environment in Australia, the 0-100km/h time, the torque, says it all. It's a very Porsche driving experience." He expects the diesel to grab 80 per cent of the current sales of the Cayenne V6 while adding a few of its own, but admits "It will cannibalise it, for sure". But the diesel Cayenne is not the only newcomer for '09, as Porsche has just unveiled the updated Cayman and Boxster - more power and torque with better economy, a prices which are up to $12,000 better value - and is planning for the arrival of the updated 911 GT3 and the crucial Panamera. "That car is a very safe bet. We will have it in October," says Winkler. The price is already set from $270,200 for the PDK-equipped Panamera S to $364,900 for the Turbo model, and Porsche is trumpeting five innovations including the operating system for the lift-up rear wing. But there is no word on numbers for Australia. "That is the million-dollar question," say Winkler. He forecasts that as many as 80 per cent of Panamera buyers will be new to Porsche, and expects them to be pushing for something new on all fronts. "The customers will be more demanding. I think the expectations of Panamera customers will transform our organisation." Winkler says the Panamera will join the Cayenne in Porsche's hybrid push, although it is unlikely that the four-door luxury car will get a diesel. At first. "At this point, no plans," he says. And what about the hybrids? "Cayenne will get here first. Before the end of 2010. We might be six weeks later than Europe but we really want it here before the end of 2010. We will get the first right-hand drive cars produced and on a ship before England." The hybrid will be part of an all-new Cayenne model, which Winkler stresses is a pure Porsche and not just a body job on the Volkswagen Touareg with powerful engines. And, for the first time, he emphasises that even the first-generation Touareg was really a Porsche project. "It is a car we did for Volkswagen. So they have taken a Porsche, we have not taken a Volkswagen," Winkler says.  

The Cayenne SUV has been the money machine for Porsche since it was introduced, tapping straight into the worldwide drive for luxury four-wheel drives. It even funded development of the company's core cars, the 911s, and built the base which has ensured the success of the Boxster and Cayman. Now it is heading for its first total model change and prototypes were caught this week in cold weather testing in Europe by photographers from the Carparazzi agency. The pictures show Cayennes which are close to final production specification, pointing to a preview at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October and sales in the first half of 2010. Details of the Cayenne are still a closely-guarded secret but early rumours that Porsche would go its own way, ending the collaboration with Volkswagen that created the Cayenne and Touareg as twins, is wrong. Porsche will still use the basic body of the second-generation Touareg but company chief, Wendelin Wiedeking, is committing to getting his car on the road first. Looking at Volkswagen Group timing, that points to a new Touareg in the second half of 2010 and a replacement for the giant Audi Q7 early in 2011. The new Cayenne is absolutely vital to Porsche. "It is the vehicle that provides the cash for us to create the world's best sports cars," says the spokesman for Porsche Cars Australia, Paul Ellis. "It is the backbone of sales in Australia. Around 40 per cent of our sales are Cayennes." Production of the original Cayenne has just topped 200,000 cars, with the landmark car running down the production line in Germany last week. It has been built since 2002. There are currently five Cayenne models, from the basic V6 to the Turbo S, with a diesel-powered car also in the works. The all-new Cayenne is expected to have a similar lineup but will also be the base for Porsche's first hybrid vehicle.  

The famous German maker of sports cars and race machines makes a big SUV wagon, then it confirms it is making a four-door sporty Porsche and now there's a diesel engine.It just underlines how far diesel has come in penetrating the market, especially in Europe, that even a prestige brand like Porsche now must embrace diesel, albeit at this stage only as one of the engine choices in its Cayenne four-wheel-drive wagons.The entry-level Cayenne is the V6 3.5-litre petrol unit. The diesel version is based on that trim level and, at $101,900 also sells for less than what you can buy any Porsche sports car. The V8 petrol Cayennes are $134,500 to $215,200 so this new Cayenne diesel looms as good value, considering its 550Nm of torque transferring to good performance.As we are learning, a diesel doesn't have to be a slug, especially if it's a German engine. Moving 2.3 tonnes of big 4WD from rest to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds is respectable by any measure. Porsche says it will even run out to 214km/h.The winner is the fuel economy, rated at 9.3 litres/100km, or better than 30 miles a gallon in the old money. The Cayenne's 100-litre tank promises a good touring range at these figures.The diesel engine is a three-litre V6 with variable-geometry turbocharger, giving 176kW at 4000 to 4400rpm while that 500Nm of torque comes on nice and early from 2000 to 2250rpm. If those figures sound familiar, look at the Audi engine range...The only transmission available with the diesel on Cayenne is the Tiptronic S, a six-speed that can be changed manually via rocker switches on the steering wheel. When the wagon is stopped in gear and the foot brake pressed, a clutch automatically disconnects the engine from the driveline, saving a few more drops of oily fuel.This thing is no poseur, either. It has a low-range transfer (2.7:1), decent ground clearance which can be adjusted if the optional air suspension is ordered (tp to 271mm) and the diesel model comes with sensibly sized tyres, not the low-profile jobs just about useless off bitumen as on some prestige SUVs. The transmission also has a hill-holder for smooth uphill starts.Standard is the Porsche traction management in the permanent all-wheel-drive system, distributing the torque to best advantage. It's normally set at 62 rear and 38 front until anything starts to slip.And it wouldn't be a top-brand Euro without a good stability control system, in this case one that also recognises any swaying or pendulum motion of a trailer and dabs appropriate brakes as required. A 3.5-tonne tow rate puts it among the big, tough boys, too. PORSCHE CAYENNE DIESELPrice: $101,900Engine: V6, 2967cc turbo-dieselPower: 176kW @ 4000-44000rpmTorque: 550Nm @ 2000-2250rpmEmissions: 244g/kmTransmission: Tiptronic S six-speed; all-wheel-drive; with low-range transferBrakes: All disc, six-piston calipers on front, four-piston on rearWheels/tyres: 7.5x17in; 235/65Fuel: 9.3 litres/100km; 100-litre tankDimensions: 4788mm long, 1928mm wide, 1699mm tall, 2855mm wheelbase, 218mm ground clearance, 2240kg, tows 3500kgPerformance: (claimed) 0-100km/h 8.3sec. 8-120km/h in fifth gear, 10.1sec. Top speed 214km/h On sale: In Australia, April 

Though it had ruled out a diesel — once saying: "a Porsche that doesn't rev beyond 5000rpm isn't a Porsche" — the change of mind was spurred by new European tax incepntives for diesel vehicles.It was further swayed by its majority shareholding in one of the world's biggest diesel-engine makers, Volkswagen.From next year the Cayenne will be offered with an Audi-derived 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel with 176kW and 550Nm of torque. It is fitted only to a six-speed Tiptronic transmission.Porsche claims 9.3 litres/100km and 244g/km of CO2 emissions.It is the second Audi engine to be fitted to the Cayenne after last year's launch of the 3-litre petrol V6 and now brings to four the SUV's engine options.Porsche will also make the Cayenne with a hybrid powertrain from 2010.In a statement, Porsche revved up the diesel by stating: "The spontaneous throttle response and high torque characteristics of this diesel engine deliver the required performance levels for an athletic all-terrain vehicle such as the Cayenne." 

In a swiftly changing motoring environment carmakers are searching for new ways to cut fuel use and emissions and improve efficiency.Among the hundreds of concepts and new and updated models on display at the Paris motor show over the next 15 days are some definite standouts. Renault has combined gull-wing doors, comfort, refinement and a slippery design with a hybrid diesel engine and plonked it all on massive 23-inch wheels in its range-topping Ondelios concept car (cover picture).It's 4.8m long and has a hybrid 150kW version of the 2.0-litre dCi engine.There are also two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear to provide extra boost recovered during braking.Mercedes is unveiling one of the world's fastest cabriolets. The SLR McLaren Roadster 722S has 478kW of power and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 335km/h.Just 150 of the two-seater supercars will be built. It complements Mercedes' other show star the ConceptFascination, a wild two-door sportswagon. It's a modern version of the old British “shooting-brake” where a wagon tail has been planted on a sporty saloon.Citroen's crossover concept, Hypnos, hasa 150kW engine that boasts miserly fuel efficiency figures of 4.5-litres per 100km.However, it what's inside that is different. An extremely colourful rainbow light show highlights its sleek styling.Honda is using the Paris show to highlight its green commitment. Star of its stand is the new Insight Concept, a dedicated petrol-electric hybrid car in the vein of Toyota's Prius.It is expected to go into production within the next few years.From the US, GM will debut a close to production version of its revolutionary Volt electric car. Chevrolet is showing its new crucial small car the Cruze, plus its first seven-seat multi-purpose family car, the Orlando show car.A form of SUV-family van and wagon crossover, it has a 2.0-litre diesel engine.Alfa Romeo is unveiling its little MiTo compact which is due to come to Australian the middle of next year.Fiat is showing the MiTo's likely competitor in the super-mini category, the 120kW 500 Abarth EsseEsse (SS) plus its PUR-O2 eco-range of cleaner, greener 500s. New technology includes the ability for the engine to turn itself off while idling and back on to continue driving.Mini will show its all-wheel-drive Crossover Concept, while BMW will premiere its X1 wagon. The Mini is intended for adventurous twenty-somethings, while the Concept X1 will go into production as a safe, practical family car.Chasing a similar small, sporty car market is Audi with its new A1. The near-production version will be a feature of its stand.Saab is exhibiting its 9-X Air concept car, while Volvo is debuting its production-ready ultra-safe XC60 crossover which is headed for Australia.Porsche has several new models in the911 range plus the go-anywhere Cayenne S Transsyberia super-4WD.Mazda's all-new Kiyora urban compact four-cylinder concept car will sit alongside the world debut of production cars, the new generation MX-5, the Mazda6 with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine and the Mazda2 1.6-litre diesel.Lamborghini has joined the rush to GT supercars with its four-door Estoque concept.Like Porsche's Panamera, Maserati's Quattroporte and Aston Martin's upcoming four-seater, the Estoque, brings a new versatility to one of the world's most uncompromising sports marques.Lamborghini stresses that although there are no production plans for the AWD Estoque it has been developed as fully production capable.Toyota has three world premiere vehicles ranging from its little four-seater city car, the iQ, to the all-new Avensis sedan and wagon and the 1.4-litre diesel-engined Urban Cruiser All Wheel Drive.Ford is debuting the all-new Ka city car with a choice of 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litrediesel engines, the hot Focus RS and the new economic Fiesta.Volkswagen will show off its latest Golf GTi. The hot hatch for 2009 is cleaner, smoother and much more refined than earlier cars.It will still come with a 155kW turbo petrol engine and the promise of a 7.2-second sprint to 100km/h, but is missing the wild body bits of earlier GTi road runners.Nissan's debuting Nuvu concept is just three-metres long. It only has two normal seats plus a third that folds down for luggage and groceries. The city car has solar panels on the glass roof.Ferrari will debut its chic two-seater V8 California sports car.From Korea will come Hyundai's i20 small car and a 2.4-litre engined hybrid SUV.Kia is showing its Soul range of urban crossover concepts that come with either petrol or diesel engines. There's also a hybrid version. Additional reporting by Kevin Hepworth and Paul Gover. 

It is believed the new diesel engine is based on Audi's single-turbo 3.0-litre V6, enhanced by Porsche for 225kW with an increase to 3.2 litres and two turbochargers.Porsche Cars Australia boss Michael Winkler says the company will look at all options to meet demand for diesels.“When we introduced the Cayenne, the global SUV market was 95 per cent petrol,” he says. “Three years later, in 2007, 80 per cent were six cylinder. Now, 80 per cent of the luxury SUV market are diesel. We would be stupid not to at least look at it.”Winkler acknowledges a changing world.“I was adamant there would never be a six-cylinder Cayenne. Now there is,” he says. “We are in the process of buying a company that makes some of the best diesels in the world.”Meanwhile, flagging sales mean Porsche's delicate Boxster urgently awaits its much-needed 2009 makeover.Clues to the new model, which receives marginal body panel changes, centre on the transfer of technology from the existing 911 series.These changes are expected to include LED lights at nose and tail, aerodynamic aids, new ducting for engine cooling and optional cornering and xenon lighting.“Sales are starting to slide as the car is in run-out mode,” Winkler says.There is no shortage of potential custom so the appeal in the new model will lie in extracting more performance and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.The Boxster is expected to pick up technology just released in the 911. This lightweight, more compact and responsive engine adds direct-petrol injection to maximise power and minimise fuel use.The Boxster may get a bigger capacity — 3.0-litres — for the entry model and 3.6-litres, up from 3.4, for the Boxster S. 

The biggest and ugliest Porsche is about to get two new reincarnations, including a hybrid version which is claimed to run on less than nine litres of fuel per 100km.It will bring the number of these beasts available in Australia to four, joining the V6, V8 and V8 Turbo models. There are some notable differences to the new addition, with improvements all round. First, it has a slightly more powerful V8 engine, as well as exterior enhancements and a sportier performance.The 4.2-litre V8 has an extra 15kW over the current Cayenne S engine, which increases its performance to 298kW at 6500rpm. The torque is unchanged at 500Nm from 3500rpm.While based on the Cayenne S, the new GTS version has undergone some styling changes and is distinguished from the other models by its 21-inch alloy wheels, two new exterior colours, and its lower ride height, which has been reduced by 24mm. It also features some styling from the Turbo model at the front and rear, as well as newly developed 12-way sport seats.Porsche claims the special model has slightly faster acceleration than the Cayenne S, which does the 0 to 100km/h dash in 6.6 seconds.The GTS is said to complete the same task in the mid six-second mark. The new model will come standard with a six-speed Tiptronic S transmission, air suspension and the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). Pricing for the Australian market will not be revealed until closer to launch date.Like many large SUVs and the other Cayenne models, the GTS has a fairly high combined claimed fuel consumption of 13.9 litres per 100km, slightly higher than the 13.7 litres per 100km the Cayenne S produces. But those after a less thirsty Cayenne don't have to wait too much longer, about three years to be precise.Porsche is jumping on the hybrid trend, recently announcing it will introduce a hybrid version of the SUV, which is expected to be revealed to the public in 2010.The more environmentally-friendly large Porsche will be based on the Cayenne's direct fuel injection 3.6-litre V6 engine, and will also feature an electric motor.Porsche is aiming to make the new version of the SUV 25 per cent more fuel efficient. Prototypes are already being tested on the road overseas and are recording fuel consumption figures as low as 9.8 litres per 100km.But Porsche is hoping to go even lower, aiming for about 8.9 litres per 100km by the time the hybrid hits the market at the end of this decade.That's more in line with a medium-to-large car than a giant SUV.The fuel efficient Cayenne will feature electric-powered steering, airconditioning and vacuum pumps for the brakes.And it's not the only hybrid Porsche has on the drawing board.It's believed the company is also planning to develop a hybrid version of the new Panamera four-door Gran Turismo, which is expected in 2009. 

The German company will offer a 3.6-litre V6 hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV by the end of this decade, claiming to cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by at least 25 per cent.To be called Cayenne Hybrid, this new petrol-electric model will feature a parallel full hybrid system where the hybrid's clutch and electric motor are positioned in line between the conventional petrol engine and transmission.Porsche has been struggling to meet strict coming European emissions regulations because of its fleet of high-performance vehicles, but the hybrid Cayenne should help meet these targets.Prototypes have achieved fuel economy of 9.8 litres/100km in New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) testing, with Porsche hoping eventually to reduce fuel consumption to 8.9L/100km by the time the Cayenne Hybrid goes on sale.The current Cayenne with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) 3.6-litre V6 engine returns 12.9L/100km on the NEDC cycle.Porsche favours the parallel full hybrid system instead of the branched or split hybrid concepts used by other manufacturers.It claims the parallel system has superior packaging, improved acceleration and engine flexibility, as well as compatibility to the existing Cayenne platform.Co-ordinating the car's three main components the combustion engine, the electric motor and the battery is the Hybrid Manager, the heart of the Cayenne Hybrid.It oversees some 20,000 data parameters compared with about 6000 data parameters for a conventional engine.Porsche claims it is one of the most powerful technologies found in any hybrid vehicle.Other features of the Cayenne Hybrid designed to decrease fuel consumption include electric power operation of the airconditioning, power steering and the vacuum pump for the brakes.Technical components, such as the oil pump in the Cayenne's automatic transmission, have been replaced by electrically powered units.Porsche plans to introduce similar hybrid technology in a version of its Panamera four-door “coupe”. The Panamera will debut in 2009, with a hybrid to follow later. 

The car industry uses a web of alliances to survive.Lust, affairs, one-night stands, engagements, marriages and divorces — it can be hard sharing your love. It can also be expensive, especially if the human analogy is applied to the car business.DaimlerChrysler's recent divorce cost the now-solo Daimler AG a cool $33 billion.Daimler and its former partner, now known by her maiden name of Chrysler Group, still share the kids.These include shared components and manufacturing, including the Chrysler Crossfire (based on the previous Mercedes-Benz SLK) and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which uses Mercedes' V6 diesel engine and transmission.Daimler-Benz and Chrysler courted in the late 1990s, sealing their association in 1998 with a new name, DaimlerChrysler.The marriage was mutually beneficial. Daimler gained economies of scale and a new customer for engines, transmissions and an outlet for its old platforms. The previous Mercedes E-Class shares the same platform as the Chrysler 300C.Chrysler gained unprecedented, cost-effective access to the drivetrains used to power its distinctively styled cars.Of the divorce, shareholders of Daimler- Chrysler spitefully said “I knew it wouldn't work”.Marriages may be difficult, but alliances are what keep many car companies afloat.All these inter-relationships are spurred by one goal — profit. So competitive is the car industry that every dollar counts.Making cars cheaper improves profits, even if that means relocating factories to countries with low labour costs, non-existent unions and tax-free government incentives.Few would know that 10 models on the Australian market are made in Thailand. South Africa makes five, there's one from the Czech Republic, three from Slovakia, one from Poland, four from Malaysia and one from Indonesia.Build quality in most cases is as good as you'd expect from a country-of-origin factory.The biggest difference is manufacturing costs. Building a Volkswagen Golf in Germany, for example, costs substantially more than building the same car in South Africa. Sharing components such as engines, transmissions, platforms and bodies with a rival company — or at least one perceived as being a rival — is big business.The platform of the Mazda3 is similar to the Volvo S40 and Ford Focus. Ford has a big chunk of Mazda's shares and owns Volvo outright.The Toyota Aygo, a one-litre hatch soon to be sold in Australia, is built in the Czech Republic with the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107. The only differences are interior trim, grilles, head and tail lights. Everything else, except the badge, is identical.General Motors has a giant web of ownership, component sharing and minor shareholdings. It owns Saab and Hummer, and rebadges cars including the Daewoo Matiz as Chevrolets.GM owned 20 per cent of Fiat until it dissolved the relationship in 2005. But retains component sharing deals and owns 50 per cent of Fiat's JTD diesel engine technology.GM also has 3 per cent of Suzuki (it had 20 per cent until selling down in March 2006) and 7.9 per cent of Isuzu.This relationship crosses with Fiat. Suzuki buys Fiat diesel engines for its European cars but also buys diesels from the PSA group (owner of Peugeot and Citroen) and Renault. Fiat this year will also supply diesel engine's to Saab.The Suzuki Splash, to be launched in Europe later this year is based on the Swift/SX4 platform, but will be rebadged the Opel/Vauxhall Agila for European sales.Fiat sells the Suzuki SX4 as the Sedici in Europe.Suzuki also owns 11 per cent of GM-DAT, the Korean-based company that makes the Holden Epica, Captiva, Viva and Barina.GM sold its 20 per cent of Subaru parent, Fuji Heavy Industries, in 2005. Fuji bought back most of the shares, though Toyota bought in and now owns 8.7 per cent of the company.Toyota also owns Daihatsu and has a big stake in Yamaha. Yamaha has an engineering alliance with Toyota — twin-cam engine and multi-valve heads included — and recently created the V8 engine for Ford-owned Volvo.GM also gets its Saab plant in Sweden to make the Cadillac BLS mid-size car, alongside its Saab 9-3 and 9-5.The Hyundai Sonata's 2.4-litre engine is shared with the Jeep Compass, Dodge Caliber, Chrysler Sebring and Mitsubishi Outlander.Renault has an alliance with Nissan and owns Samsung (Korea) and has a joint venture with Mahindra (India).Porsche's Cayenne SUV is built in Volkswagen's factory in Slovakia alongside the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. Porsche's Cayman is built in Finland. That's just the tip of iceberg.Peyton Place has nothing on these guys.