Porsche rips up rulebook with VW-powered diesel

The updated Porsche Cayman gets more bite by way of a power boost. Photo / Supplied

Porsche's first diesel offering has just arrived in New Zealand under the bonnet of the SUV Cayenne.

The $136,000 variant uses the 3-litre V6 unit from the Volkswagen Touareg, something it would never have imagined when it launched the Cayenne in 2003.

Porsche once said it would never build a diesel-powered vehicle. Its chief executive Dr Wendelin Wiedeking publicly rejected diesel power for the carmaker, often saying there was no life under 4000rpm.

But 75 per cent of SUVs sold in Europe are diesels, a statistic that Porsche obviously could no longer afford to ignore. The V6 diesel comes late in the piece, not long before Porsche unveils its new Cayenne, which spy pictures show is slightly smaller. Porsche is said to be developing its own diesel for the next-generation Cayenne.

The direct-injection VW Group engine develops 178kW/550Nm and drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox with manual mode.

It gets the 2.3-tonne Cayenne up and running without much effort, thanks largely to peak torque between 2000-2200rpm.

It roars a bit here and there and isn't as quiet as some diesels but on the whole it blends pretty well with the Cayenne's impressive on- and off-road manners. Porsche claims town-and-around fuel economy of 9.3 litres/100km.

The obvious gems among the most recent Porsche arrivals are the facelifted Cayman ($130,000) and Cayman S coupe ($155,000). Visually, changes largely run to a restyled front and rear.

The drive-trains get most attention, with power hikes of 15kW and 18kW. The Cayman gets a direct-injection 2.9-litre flat-six putting out 195kW at 7200rpm and 300Nm between 4400-5500rpm. The 3.4-litre unit in the Cayman S produces 235kW at 7200rpm and 370Nm at 4750rpm.

Both engines can be had with a six-speed manual or a ($6000 extra) seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox with optional Launch Control for catapult-like starts.

The Cayman's suspension set-up is largely carried over, although spring and anti-roll bar settings have been tweaked to match the extra oomph.

The two-seater has always been outstanding. A brief drive shows the new model has moved up a notch or two.