It is 10 years now since Porsche launched the Cayenne and although it has never been regarded as the prettiest SUV on the market it has maintained a hardcore following who appreciate the trademark Porsche build quality and powerful engine derivatives.
The diesel version has been with us for a while now and has proven to be a favourite choice for those looking to get into Cayenne ownership. The engine is torquey and frugal and you can spec the car up to look like a million dollars.
In order to keep up with the flurry of new SUV’s appearing on the market over the coming year or so , including the new Range Rover, Porsche have breathed a bit of fire into the diesel version and have launched the Cayenne S Diesel.
The S Diesel is fitted with a 4.2 litre V8 twin-turbo power unit that produces 382 hp but more importantly a tree-stump-pulling 850 Nm of torque which gives it more grunt than any other Cayenne in the range. Performance figures from Porsche indicate that the car will take 5.7 seconds to reach 62 mph on to a maximum speed of 157 mph. The fuel consumption is claimed to average 34 mpg so it looks like you get close to having the best of everything in this version of the Cayenne. It is also supposed to make a nice noise too but we will reserve judgement until we have driven the car for ourselves before we comment.
What else extra do you get over a ‘standard’ diesel? An auto start/stop function (sorry, hate those things), Porsche Traction Management, Porsche Vectoring Plus, 100 litre fuel tank (giving a range of 745 miles), Silver brake calipers, Black front intake grilles and nice ‘Diesel’ badges on the front wings to remind you what engine is under the bonnet. Think I would go for a de-badged option personally.
Prices in the UK will start at £58243 and standard equipment will include a Leather interior, Dual-zone climate control, Front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, Audio system with 7″ touch-screen, 8-way powered front seats and 18″ alloy wheels.
As usual Porsche will be offering a complimentary driving course at the Porsche Experience Centre in Silverstone which is well worth a visit.
For more information on the new Cayenne S Diesel or any other Porsche model give The Car Spy a call on 01732 760699 or email sales@thecarspy.net
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