Cayenne Diesel Postponed Until March 2009

Rumors surrounding Porsche's special diesel variant for Cayenne spread on the web a few months ago but ever since then, no officially information has been actually provided by Porsche's representatives. Although it was initially speculated that Cayenne diesel may be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, due to start next week, it may seem like Porsche postponed the model to March 2009.

To be more specific, Porsche decided to present the new Cayenne diesel at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March due to what seems to be a simple, yet efficient market strategy: the German carmaker has announced that its refreshed Cayman will be officially introduced to the general public in Los Angeles so, launching the Cayenne diesel at the same event may not produce the same market response as expected.

Basically, Porsche attempts to bring a new product every once in a while so scheduling the release of Cayenne diesel for March 2009 seems quite an obvious move.

In terms of technical features, Autowereld reports that Cayenne diesel will be powered by the same engine as Audi Q7, a separate model developed on the same platform as Cayenne. The 3.0-liter diesel V6 produces 240 horsepower and 406 lb-ft on Audi Q7, with similar performance likely to reach Cayenne diesel as well.

Obviously, installing the same diesel engine on such a popular Porsche is quite a risky move for Audi, taking into account that Cayenne diesel has the potential to steal the majority of buyers in this segment. But even so, Audi's representatives are confident that Porsche's new models won't affect their sales. “There is a good deal for the price paid,” Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was quoted as saying by the same source.