Touareg and Cayenne dilemma

Porsche AG recently secured a major slice of Volkswagen AG in a move designed to ensure the future of the diminutive sports car manufacturer who has shared a close relationship and many synergies with VW and Audi.

Recent reports out of Wolfsburg Germany suggest that Porsches CEO Wendelin Wiedeking is said to be getting a little pushy when it comes to the shared development of the next gen Cayenne and Touareg SUV. Wendo wants the whole process sped up a little so that the new Porsche Cayenne can be launched in the first half of 2010 while VW don’t plan to introduce the Touareg until late 2010.

It is said that Porsche are concerned about the impact that environmental issues are having on the average person’s perception of SUV owners and they want to be able to offer the new more efficient Cayenne before buyers begin to look at other alternatives.

VW are concerned that allowing the Cayenne to debut before the Touareg will disadvantage the Touareg referring to it as a “significantly longer model life” that the Touareg will have to endure (6 mths or so). Life at the top of the luxury/performance vehicle food-chain must be tough for the various executives at Porsche and VW squabbling over this little dilemma.

Heres an idea…why not speed the development process up enough to allow Porsche to have their new Cayenne ready to debut in early 2010 and do the same for the Touareg…they are the same platform and nobody else really gives a rats backside if they are released simultaneously…do they? After all the original Cayenne and Touareg were released at much the same time back in 2002. There we go…problem solved.