Porsche Cayenne Diesel review (2011 onwards)

Model: Porsche Cayenne Diesel (2011)
Bodystyle: five-door SUV
Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel, 245hp, 405lb ft, 39.8mpg, 189g/km CO2
Transmission: eight-speed Tiptronic automatic

Gallery: Porsche Cayenne Diesel 2011
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What is it?

The second-generation Porsche Cayenne only debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, so is now just about 18 months old - yet already the engineers have begun making refinements to the Diesel version's engine.

This has the same 3.0-litre capacity as the previous Diesel engine - which carried over from the first-generation Cayenne - but with a new turbo, revised injection system and reduced mass it now offers more power and improved efficiency.

Even though the results are incremental on paper, they have the potential to make the most frugal example of Porsche's purist-tweaking SUV deliver better results in actual driving. But can they make us love it?

Where does it fit?

The Cayenne is a large luxury SUV, based on the same four-wheel-drive platform as the Volkswagen Touareg. Obvious rivals include the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport, Infiniti FX and perhaps the Mercedes M-Class.

In keeping with the Porsche badge, the Cayenne is intended to offer those who really must have a 4x4 the best possible blend of performance and luxury - in this respect it's the BMW X5 and the Infiniti FX that offer the greatest challenge.

Where does that leave the Diesel model? Well the new engine is just 0.1 seconds slower to 62mph than the entry-level petrol - despite having an automatic gearbox as standard - and actually emits less CO2 than the Hybrid version.

Is it for you?

For many buyers the most important thing is likely to be the badge. As such the Diesel makes plenty of sense, since it offers that Porsche image without the massive fuel bills of petrol Cayennes, or the massive price tag of the Hybrid.

Putting that in real terms, however, the Cayenne Diesel has a theoretical range of over 700 miles - so regardless of whether you can cover the fuel costs of the petrol alternatives, you might just want one because you'll have to fill up less.

The second-generation Cayenne also does a far more elegant - if we can use that word for a two-tonne SUV - job of aligning Porsche design cues with the size and stature of this kind of vehicle, and the interior is far more special.

What does it do well?

This newly distinct cabin style - which is heavily influenced by the Panamera - gives the Cayenne an immediate sense of Porsche-ness that wasn't really there in the previous car. It makes you feel like you've made a discerning choice.

Gladly, the diesel engine does nothing to dissuade you from this perception. It now produces 245hp - 5 more than before - and a considerable 405lb ft of torque. That's more pulling power than the mid-range, 400hp Cayenne S V8 can muster.

So it's decidedly unstressed if you're just strolling around, and able to dig deep for extra punch should overtaking demand it - a feat that's often more impressive if you tell the eight-speed Tiptronic auto to hold onto higher gears.

What doesn't it do well?

There are peaks and troughs. Initial driving impressions are excellent - perhaps because you're expecting bad things from such a big machine, so when it responds with aplomb you start to think actually, yes, this is really very good indeed.

Then you push it harder - maybe engaging the Sport modes for the drivetrain and the (£2,380 optional) air suspension - and it begins to wilt a bit. The ride gets unsettled, and there is no escaping the mass in faster corners. It still leans, just more abruptly, and kind of wants to go straight on.

The throttle response is awfully spikey too. So you quickly get tired of this and try the Comfort setting - at which point the Cayenne begins to make sense again. It seems more natural, less uptight, and as you relax with it the drive improves.

What is it like to live with?

Driving it with moderate day-to-day vigour, you tend to wonder if the brakes couldn't possibly be a little bit more responsive. But when an occasion arises where you have to properly lean on them the feel and power bring decisive results.

Similarly, the curious push-me-pull-me arrangement for changing gears on the steering wheel takes some getting used to - but with time this would happen. The interior is spacious, well appointed and the boot's big, so assuming you've got the room to park it, the Cayenne Diesel is a pleasure to live with.

However, don't be surprised if some members of the general public don't share your enthusiasm. This is a showy car, and if your on-road behaviour isn't impeccable people will not take kindly to it. Expect no one to let you out at junctions. Sad but true.

How green is it?
The Cayenne Diesel is capable of 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and 137mph flat out. It also weighs 2,080kg (which is 20kg less than before, but still...). These things considered, the official claimed combined fuel economy figure of 39.2mpg is highly respectable.

189g/km CO2 isn't bad, either, being 4g/km better than the 34.4mpg Cayenne Hybrid can manage. It also out-greens the 245hp BMW X5 xDrive30d, which achieves 195g/km CO2 and a claimed 38.3mpg. Still the same £245 annual tax band, though.

Near 40mpg on paper isn't a realistic prospect at the pumps, unless you do a lot of steady-speed motorway miles. But the reduced rotating mass of the engine and the refinement of the injection process - with pressure now up to 2,000bar - together with an effective start-stop system should help the new turbo do better than before.

Would we buy it?

The Cayenne Diesel has a great deal going for it - badge prestige that's reflected by the premium cabin ambience, strong economy and emissions performance, and a decent turn of speed.

Do we love it? No. But the current Cayenne earns our respect more completely than the old one, and improvements to the Diesel engine only make a fine SUV even more appealing to its intended audience.

Gallery: Porsche Cayenne Diesel 2011
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