Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel

by

Menus

The first Porsche to run on diesel

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

1 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

2 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-first

3 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

4 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-tested

5 out of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-tested

6 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

7 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

8 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-exclusively

9 of 10

Source: Porsche AG

Exclusively tested: the first Porsche to run on diesel-diesel

10 of 10

Source: DDP

This off-road vehicle is tantamount to a revolution. Six years ago it was simply unimaginable, and not just for Porsche boss Wiedeking. But in February 2009 the first diesel car in the company’s history was delivered: a Cayenne that is sometimes even superior to its petrol brother.

E.r parks a few meters from the exit of Stuttgart Airport. Nobody notices the Porsche Cayenne in its paintwork that takes getting used to, a rusty and at the same time golden shimmering brown. The car does not yet have a registration, red license plates are mounted. But why should people crowd around the car? The fact that it marks a profound change at Porsche and is a symbol of a radical rethinking cannot be seen in this Cayenne.

Porsche has refrained from showing it to the outside world: this Cayenne is a diesel, the first diesel passenger car in the company’s history. Now it is ready for the first test drive. For the first trip that anyone who is not employed by Porsche is allowed to take this vehicle. At the same time, it is something like the last practical test, the last acceptance drive before the Cayenne Diesel is officially presented at the beginning of February and delivered a little later.

As always with Porsche, the ignition lock can be found to the left of the steering wheel. The turn of the key is followed by a short burst of throttle – and the engine purrs so softly that you can hardly hear what kind of engine is working under the hood. This comfort is a final concession to the fans of the brand with their affection for high-revving engines, it is a bow from the technicians to their boss Wendelin Wiedeking.

Various statements have been confirmed by Wiedeking that document his aversion to diesel engines in a Porsche. When the first Cayenne was presented in 2003, Wiedeking said there was no driving pleasure below 4000 engine revolutions per minute, and he looked reproachfully around the group. A diesel does not go well with Porsche, it was said at the time. The engine is too heavy, the drive is too clumsy, too humble, too unsporting because of the speed range that ends early.

So now the diesel Cayenne is ready, equipped with a 240 hp six-cylinder that comes from Audi. It is the same engine that powers the VW Touareg, the Audi Q7, the Q5 and other Audi models. The first few meters in this car are almost awe-inspiring at the historical dimension.

A plus point of the diesel: the economical consumption

Klaus-Peter Wolpert, the Cayenne series manager at Porsche, speaks about the internal disputes on the subject of diesel engines as if the decision hadn’t been a problem. “There was considerable discussion as to whether such an engine would fit the brand. But we always said that we had our eye on the diesel engine. ”And a company spokesman added that there had already been resistance in our own ranks, but the arguments in favor of a compression-ignition engine had left no alternative. "And then our colleagues saw that too."

One of the pluses of the diesel is its economical consumption: the Cayenne is now listed with an average of 9.3 liters, its carbon dioxide emissions are limited to 244 grams per kilometer. For comparison: the petrol Cayenne with 290 hp consumes 12.9 liters of fuel and emits 310 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Another argument in favor of diesel: growth is only possible through alternative offers. One had to come to this insight first in Zuffenhausen. "Others like BMW have also managed to do this without damaging the brand," says Wolpert. "Even Porsche cannot stand against the market."

In 2001 the diesel share in off-road vehicles was 42 percent, last year it rose to 84 percent. The trend is clearly recognizable: customers want the fuel-saving engines, Porsche tradition or not.

Nevertheless, the sentences about the new diesel sound unusually modest. When it comes to performance, the car is "on par with the competition", says Wolpert. Until now, Porsche boss Wiedeking saw little point in driving on a par with the competition. Porsche always drove ahead, and that was exactly what they wanted. Suddenly that is no longer the decisive factor with this variant. Porsche can also do something else, namely build economical, frugal cars, is the message now. But of course without losing too much of the typical driving characteristics.

A dynamic, almost playful drive

In fact, the three-liter six-cylinder diesel drives the Porsche very dynamically, almost playfully, and even with strong acceleration, the engine never sounds like a grumpy diesel. This is due to some changes that the developers have made to the engine. A new, very effective acoustic package alone saved 20 kilograms. Overall, the additional weight of the diesel engine compared to the V6 petrol engine has been reduced from 120 to 70 kilograms. The other models from Audi and VW, which will also receive this machine after the introduction of the Cayenne diesel in February, will also benefit from this.

Distinctive differences compared to the Cayenne or Cayenne S are noticeable when accelerating from a standstill, because the speed range of a diesel is typically not as flexible as that of gasoline engines. Just as striking, however, is that there is no longer a turbo hole in the Cayenne Diesel – no delay that occurs in many similarly motorized cars between stepping on the pedal and the onset of acceleration.

As with the gasoline engines, the diesel-powered Cayenne also has a button in the center console to activate the engine’s sport mode. The six-cylinder then reacts more spontaneously and shifts a little later – this could be set up because the car is only available with a six-speed automatic. As usual with Porsche, however, it is possible to change gears yourself: via shift points on the steering wheel or by tapping the selector lever between the front seats.

Once the Cayenne diesel is on the road, it is clearly superior to the petrol Cayenne. The diesel‘s torque is noticeably higher at 550 Newton meters. The diesel handles intermediate accelerations much more easily than the gasoline engine with its 385 Newton meters.

When it comes to the chassis, the Cayenne stands out from other large off-road vehicles: if the VW is comfortably tuned, for example, the Porsche engineers have designed the Cayenne to be more sporty and firm. Its very direct steering fits in well; a similarly good feeling for the road and the car can only be had with BMW. The air suspension, which is available as an option, offers further refinement options: three levels of damping force and six selectable ground clearance are available.

How profound the change in values ​​actually is at Porsche can be seen from the choice of diesel engine. Because Porsche could have chosen the eight- or twelve-cylinder from Audi from the corporate shelves. But that is exactly what did not happen because low fuel consumption was a priority at Porsche. Wendelin Wiedeking is very well aware that the image values ​​of the brand, and especially those of the Cayenne, are in the air. The off-road vehicle as such is considered by many to pollute the environment, models with high-performance engines that are easy to drink are even more guilty. “The economy was decisive,” says Wolpert.

The importance of the image topic is also clear from the way Porsche is now offering the diesel Cayenne in the USA – not at all. The diesel will only come overseas with the new Cayenne generation 2010, because the investments to meet the strict emission standards of the US market today would have been too high. For the time being, Porsche is foregoing the latest technologies, such as those already offered by Mercedes in the USA with the E300 Bluetec, in order to get approval there in all 50 states. This is made possible by urea injection during exhaust gas combustion. This almost completely eliminates the nitrogen oxides. But as ecologically sensible as such a solution is, it means higher consumption. And that had to be reduced for Porsche.

The range of the first Porsche car with diesel drive (price: from 56,436 euros) is around 1000 kilometers with a 100-liter tank. The driver of a Cayenne Turbo often has to drive to a gas station twice on this route. And that costs more than just time.

Related articles

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Leave a Comment