Porsche is known for its V8, flat six and sometimes four cylinder powerplants, but the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer has now adopted a V6, from Volkswagen, for its Cayenne SUV.
Porsche is known for its V8, flat six and sometimes four cylinder powerplants, but the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer has now adopted a V6, from Volkswagen, for its Cayenne SUV.
Porsche will reveal a lower-priced, lower-powered version of the Cayenne at the upcoming Frankfurt. Motor Show. It’ll be powered by a lightly tuned version of Volkswagen’s 3,2-litre V6 engine and the Wolfsburg-built powerplant is set to be the first ever V6 of any kind to be slotted in a Porsche factory product.
The V6 offering comes after disappointing sales of the V8 edition of the German off-roader in Europe. The Cayenne drew much attention at last year’s Auto Africa Motor Show and some examples have been spotted on South Africa’s roads, but in Europe buyers have shied away from the more powerful but notoriously thirsty Cayenne S and Turbo in favour of more fuel-efficient luxury offerings such as the Volkswagen Touareg.
While the forthcoming Cayenne may be a step down in power, it will be the only Cayenne model to be offered with a manual gearbox. The V6, which develops 162 kW in the Touareg, is uprated to produce 184 kW at 6 000 r/min in the Cayenne, thanks to engine controller and exhaust system changes.
Torque is rated at 309 N.m at 2 500 to 5 500 r/min. The V6 Cayenne is claimed to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9,1 seconds, compared with the Turbo’s estimated 5,6-second run.
