But in the grand scheme of things, the V-6 Cayenne diesel doesn’t quite mesh with Porsche’s position as an eminently sporty brand. The 500-hp Cayenne Turbo and the 550-hp Turbo S do a better job of that, but they’re gas-powered. VW once offered a V-10 Touareg TDI and Audi a monstrous V-12 Q7 TDI, and both currently offer to customers on the Continent a 340-hp, 4.1-liter V-8 diesel with 590 lb-ft of torque. The Cayenne, however, has been conspicuously absent from the big-torque party—until now.
With the Cayenne S diesel, Porsche has not only caught up but also taken the lead with its own variation of the Audi-designed 4.1, strengthened to 382 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. This most welcome enhancement is achieved by an extra 3 psi of boost, an intercooler taken from the Cayenne Turbo, and a new, lower-restriction exhaust system. For durability, the piston heads are modified and laser-treated. This Porsche's exhaust growl is not artificially enhanced with resonators or active flaps but is the genuine article.
It’s too bad, then, that you can barely hear the powertrain inside, but you can definitely feel it. Mated to an eight-speed automatic, the two-and-a-half-ton SUV accelerates with vigor. We estimate 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 13.8. Top speed is an ungoverned 155 mph, reached in seventh gear. In comparison, the V-6 diesel’s estimates are 7.2 and 25.4. Top speed for the V-6 is 135 mph. So, yeah, the V-8 delivers huge improvements. The difference between the diesels is noticeable at all speeds, but it is especially remarkable north of 80 mph.
The immense amount of low-end torque is addictive, but the most significant benefit of this diesel might be the incredible driving range; you can go nearly twice as far on a tank of fuel compared with the gas V-8s. In the optimistic European cycle, the Cayenne S diesel is rated at a combined 28 mpg, and 25 mpg in real-world driving seems quite plausible. The latter isn’t easy to achieve in a Cayenne gasoline hybrid, especially during the prolonged high-speed runs typical in Europe. And driving this diesel is a much simpler and more natural experience. No high-pitch whine, no artificial brake feel, no sudden surges of the internal-combustion engine—just sheer output that’s easy to control and modulate.
Complementing the powertrain, Porsche has done an extraordinary job on the chassis, particularly with the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management system. PASM active damping uses the same hardware as in the V-6 diesel but gets an improved control unit common with the Cayenne GTS. It not only takes into account roll and pitch but also now considers vehicle speed. This increases the number of data points by a claimed factor of 40, and the spread in feel over the entire range (Comfort, Normal, Sport) is larger than before. But in any of the settings, this Cayenne is more sure-footed and predictable than ever. Our favorite is Sport, which is supremely balanced yet avoids excessive harshness. Small wonder this setup soon will migrate to Volkswagen brand vehicles. Finally, unlike the V-6 diesel with its permanent all-wheel-drive system, the V-8 diesel gets active all-wheel drive, which distributes torque seamlessly to the front and rear axles according to driving style and available grip.
