Porsche ups Cayenne prices

PORSCHE Cars Australia has announced price increases, effective from January 1, for the second-generation Cayenne launched here last July.

Buyers of the range-topping Cayenne Turbo will be the most heavily impacted, with a $5100 price slug taking the top-shelf Porsche SUV’s price to $245,000.

Entry-level V6 petrol and diesel models are now $500 more expensive, bringing the least expensive Cayenne’s price to $104,000, while the Cayenne Diesel retains its $1000 price premium at $105,000.

In between, the V8-powered Cayenne S price increases by $800 to $148,700, while Porsche’s first petrol-electric model – the Cayenne S Hybrid – now costs an extra $900 at $160,800.

Porsche says the price increases, which are not accompanied by an increase in specification but do not affect any other models, come as a result of increased price pressure from Stuttgart.

Sales of the MkII Cayenne were up a healthy 53.8 per cent last month, when PCA sold 100 examples to snare a 5.1 per cent slice of Australia’s luxury SUV segment.

It says sales of the Cayenne Hybrid are on track with its modest forecasts, but customers choosing more popular variants like the diesel and mid-range V8 face delivery delays of up to six months.

PCA is no doubt keen to get its hands on the Cayenne’s upcoming smaller sibling, the Cajun, which Porsche AG confirmed late last year would enter production by 2014 and is almost certain to be based on Volkswagen sister company Audi’s mid-size Q5.

Launched Down Under in March 2009, the Q5 was Australia’s top-selling luxury SUV in January, with 272 sales representing a dominant 14 per cent segment share. Last year the Q5 accounted for 9.6 per cent of all luxury SUV sales in Australia, placing it fourth behind the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-class and Lexus RX.

2011Porsche Cayennepricing:
Cayenne (a)	$104,000 (up $500)
Cayenne Diesel (a)	$105,000 (up $500)
Cayenne S (a)	$148,700 (up $800)
Cayenne S Hybrid (a)	$160,800 (up $900)
Cayenne Turbo (a)	$245,000 (up $5100)