Porsche are poised to offer greater performance and better fuel efficiency to their customers with the new Cayenne S Diesel, which has a 4.2 TDI engine. We experienced this in Austria recently
The Cayenne is the best-selling automobile in the Porsche family and the diesel variant accounts for a majority of the Cayennes sold. Until now there was only one diesel option in the entire range and that is going to change with the introduction of the new 4.2 TDI engine.
The Cayenne is an SUV that is focused more on road use and it is more like a sport luxury sedan with a high ground clearance. The diesel engine makes a lot of sense as today’s oil burners deliver very good performance and are extremely refined with the extra bonus of up to 40 per cent more fuel efficiency compared to the petrol engines. It is not that people who buy these cars cannot afford petrol; it is the inconvenience of making frequent visits to the petrol pump. I remember once going to Mahabaleshwar with a friend and he had to re-fuel before coming back and the distance was a mere 125 kilometres from Pune.
The first drive of the new Porsche Cayenne S Diesel was in Graz, Austria, and the weather just right to test a four-wheel drive car as they had early snow. In fact, the trees had not even shed their leaves.
From the outside the 4.2 TDI looks the same as the 3.0 TDI and the petrol engine. The interior is top of the line and easily sets a benchmark. The high driving position with fully adjustable steering and the well-supported seats are also adjustable in every possible way to give the driver a relaxed and comfortable driving position, so that one can spend long hours driving without fatigue.
The 4.2-litre biturbo V8 engine produces a massive 382 PS of power and a humongous 850 Nm of torque and, thanks to this power and torque, the 2.2-tonne SUV propels itself from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds and attains a top speed of 252 km/h. All you need is a light tap on the throttle pedal and the Cayenne surges forward as if it were catapulted out of a canon.
The V8 engine is mated to a close-ratio, eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox and the power is put down on to the road via the Porsche Traction Management with active all-wheel drive.
The steering is light, yet communicative and the ride quality is very good and, at the same time, the Cayenne handles like a sports car rather than an SUV. In the ‘Comfort’ mode it behaves like a luxury sedan. The wet icy conditions brought the best out of the Cayenne as the four-wheel drive system made sure that even under slippery conditions the big SUV was fun to drive and always under control.
After the drive I was speaking to one of the Porsche engineers, who specialises in suspension, and, according to him, gone are the days when we had to have a heavy steering and bone-jarring ride quality to make it handle well and exciting to drive. Today with all the electronics available you can tailor the same suspension and steering at the flick of a button.
The new 4.20 TDI has all the performance you will need and keep you safe and in comfort.
The steering is light, yet communicative and the ride quality is very good and, at the same time, the Cayenne handles like a sports car rather than an SUV. In the ‘Comfort’ mode it behaves like a luxury sedan
Story & Photography: Aspi Bhathena
