Porsche Cayenne Diesel On The Way

News today that Porsche would be delivering a diesel Cayenne to the European market was not exactly a ground-breaking revelation. We had previously reported on confirmation of the oil-burning Cayenne's existence. What's new is that we now have confirmed performance and fuel economy figures, and for once they're better than expected.

The Audi sourced 3.0L V6 turbo diesel engine produces 174kWs and a substantial 550Nms of torque. Even more impressive is the combined fuel efficiency figures of 9.3L/100kms (excellent for a vehicle of this size).

Aside from a '3.0 V6 turbo diesel injection' emblazoned engine cover, there's nothing to visually differentiate the diesel Cayenne from its petrol siblings.

While specifics have not been revealed, Porsche has confirmed that it is readying the diesel Cayenne for other markets, so we may well see it in Australian Porsche showrooms in the near future.

February '09 is the scheduled release date for the diesel with Porsche also revealing that late 2010 has been ear-marked for the release of a lithium-ion hybrid Cayenne.

With an SUV - and a diesel one at that - now available from a company who said it would never give us either, we're not sure what to expect from Porsche these days. With the success of the Cayenne though, and the revenues it has delivered to Porsche coffers as a result, we can hardly begrudge Porsche looking to keep ahead of the game.