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The Porsche Cayenne is
one of the success stories of the automotive world. To date, over a
quarter of a million examples have been sold since its launch six years
ago.
The new Cayenne Diesel
As is self evident, the desire to constantly improve is a hallmark of
Porsche, and the company is used to exploring new territory. The most
significant addition to the Cayenne range – the Cayenne Diesel – is a
perfect demonstration of this ethos. However, while the Cayenne Diesel
may use a different fuel, it certainly shares the same spirit as its
petrol-engined relatives.
The introduction of
the Cayenne Diesel extends customer choice more widely. The Porsche
stake in Volkswagen Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of modern
diesel engines for passenger cars, has opened up new opportunities to
utilise sporty compression-ignition technology under the bonnet of the
Cayenne.
The Cayenne Diesel
offers a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine with 240bhp, an average
consumption of 30.4mpg Combined (9.3 litres/100km) and emissions of
244g/km CO2. The spontaneous throttle response and high
torque characteristics of this common rail direct fuel injection diesel
engine ensure high performance levels that are appropriate for an
athletic, all-terrain vehicle such as the Cayenne. The substantial peak
torque of 550 Nm between 2,000 – 2,400rpm complements the proven
sports-oriented chassis dynamics and provides a high degree of control
to offer driving enjoyment typical of Porsche.
With its
combination of a sporting drive and efficient, high performance
drivetrain, the new Cayenne Diesel complements the rest of the range
perfectly. The Cayenne Diesel is on sale now at the 34 Porsche Centres
across the UK and Ireland.
With the
introduction of the Cayenne Diesel, Porsche is consistently continuing
its commitment to reduce fuel consumption in all its cars. As early as
spring 2007, Porsche equipped the new generation of the Cayenne with
engines featuring petrol direct-injection that consume up to 15 per
cent less fuel in real-world driving conditions. Since summer 2008,
Porsche has also offered the most recent generation of the 911 sports
car with direct-injection petrol engines. A more significant step-change
will take place with the introduction of a Cayenne variant with hybrid
drive that will exceed 31 mpg, and which will be launched onto the
market in the next two years.
The Cayenne Hybrid
Hybrid drive by Porsche has a long tradition, with company founder
Ferdinand Porsche being acknowledged as the inventor of this drive
system. As early as 1900, Ferdinand Porsche developed the Lohner-Porsche
Mixte as a serial hybrid vehicle, to use today’s terminology, with the
car’s 15bhp four-cylinder connected directly to an 80 volt dynamo. The
electricity generated in this way went either to wheel hub electric
motors integrated in the front wheels or to a battery. This vehicle is
acknowledged as the world’s first hybrid car built in standard
production.
Now, joining forces
with Volkswagen, Porsche has once again developed a production vehicle
with a parallel full hybrid drive for introduction later to the market.
Drive power in the Cayenne S Hybrid will come primarily from a
supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with Direct Fuel Injection interacting with a
38kW/52bhp electric motor used either as an additional source of power
to boost the output of the petrol engine or as the sole drive unit
operating on its own. Indeed, a unique function of the Cayenne Hybrid is
its ability to smoothly cruise or ‘roll along’ with the combustion
engine switched off and disengaged at high speeds in the so-called
‘sailing’ mode. This practice allows the driver to save fuel at speeds
up to 86mph (138km/h), for example when driving on the Autobahn at a
relatively consistent speed.
The Cayenne S
Hybrid showcases a power-train at the cutting-edge of technology. With
forced induction via an engine-driven supercharger, the 2,995cc engine
develops 333bhp (245kW) between 5,500 – 7,000rpm. Maximum torque of
440Nm is produced at 2,900rpm and sustained consistently through to
5,300rpm.
In conjunction with
the combustion engine, the electric motor serves as a booster for extra
power; maximum combined output is 374bhp (275kW) and peak torque of
550Nm at 1,500rpm. Accelerating from rest to 62mph (100km/h) in 6.8secs,
the Cayenne S Hybrid thus offers the same sprinting qualities as its
sister models with a ‘regular’ V8 – hence it proudly bearing the same
‘S’ designation.
Masterminded by the
powerful Hybrid Manager, the Cayenne S Hybrid will consume less than
nine litres per 100km in the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) equal to CO2
emissions of less than 210g/km – some 20 per cent less than on a
conventional vehicle comparable to a Cayenne and with the same kind of
power. Based on a six cylinder engine, the Cayenne S Hybrid combines
the output of an eight cylinder with the fuel consumption of a four
cylinder.
The Cayenne S
Hybrid will arrive at Porsche Centres by 2010. |
