Porsche shuffles pricing for tweaked Cayenne

PORSCHE has confirmed pricing for its updated Cayenne performance SUV, with prices rising on all variants apart from a hybrid version that falls by more than $10,000.

The 2014 Cayenne range is expected to roll into local Porsche dealerships in early November, starting with the entry-level Diesel priced from $104,400, excluding on-road costs – a $4100 hike over the existing model.

While there are few rivals at this end of the SUV segment, the entry-level diesel-powered Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE undercuts the base Cayenne by $1600.

Porsche’s petrol-electric hybrid now uses a battery-fuelled plug-in system shared with the German sportscar-maker’s Panamera four-door coupe.

Porsche had priced the outgoing Cayenne Hybrid from $149,900, but the updated S E-Hybrid version that can now plug into a 15-amp wall socket has dropped by $10,700 to $139,200, which is also just $700 less than the Cayenne S.

Power for the S E-Hybrid comes from a 10kWh lithium-ion traction battery and a 70kW electric motor matched with a 245kW 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that produce a combined 306kW at 5500rpm and 590Nm of torque from 1250 to 4000rpm.

This gives an official 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 243km/h (125km/h in all-electric mode), while sipping just 3.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle.

The 309kW/550Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol-powered Cayenne S is the next most affordable variant at $139,900, and $1400 dearer than the outgoing version, while the S Diesel also adds $1400 for a new recommended retail price of $143,200.

Topping the range, for the time being at least, is the Cayenne Turbo priced from $230,800, which has been given a $9200 price increase over the outgoing variant.

The 382kW/750Nm 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, completes 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds before reaching the 279km/h top speed, and consumes between 11.2 and 11.5L/100km of fuelIn Diesel guise, the Cayenne is powered by a 193kW/580Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, with a 0-100km/h time of 7.3 seconds and fuel use of 6.6 to 6.8L/100km, while the 283kW/850Nm Diesel S sprints to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds and drinks an average 8.0L/100km.

The 309kW/550Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet of the Cayenne S is good for a 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds, with fuel use sitting between 9.5 and 9.8L/100km.

Australian-spec S variants gain additional features compared with other markets, including metallic paint, electric sunroof, heated front seats, Porsche’s Dynamic Light System and 20-inch wheels.

The Cayenne Diesel also gains a richer equipment list, including auto-dimming rear-view and side-view mirrors, 19-inch wheels on top of the already standard tyre-pressure monitoring system, and bi-Xenon headlights.

Additional features for local Cayenne Turbo variants include 20-inch RS Spyder wheels, integrated wheel arch extensions and LED headlights with Porsche’s Dynamic Light System.

Light styling tweaks to the 2014 Cayenne include new panels and body work from the windscreen forward as well as new “airblades” running through the grille and lower air intakes.

While Porsche has confirmed these variants as the initial launch of the revised Cayenne line-up, other variants that could expand the range in the future include a possible replacement for both the GTS and the flagship Turbo S.

2014 Porsche Cayenne pricing*Porsche Cayenne Diesel $104,700
Porsche Cayenne S $139,900
Porsche Cayenne S Diesel $143,200
Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid $139,200
Porsche Cayenne Turbo $230,800*Excludes on-road costs