Hybrid to quench Cayenne's thirst
Porsche developing petrol-electric powertrain to help its SUV shed the 'enviro-bandit' tagIt's no secret that Porsche has been developing a hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV, but the company has just announced the petrol-electric models will cut fuel consumption by nearly a third over their conventional counterparts.
The hybrid Cayennes are due to start rolling out internationally by the end of 2009, and Porsche Australia boss Michael Winkler confirmed at this year's Melbourne motor show that these variants would be offered Down Under.
Porsche has set an impressive fuel consumption target of 8.9 litres per 100km for the petrol-electric Cayenne, according to a Reuters report, compared with 12.9L/100km for the conventional V6 Cayenne.
This would be music to the ears of the spend-thrifts among Cayenne owners (if, indeed, there are any) as there is no diesel variant currently on offer, and nor will there be (unlike the BMW X5, Mercedes M-Class and Range Rover).
Porsche isn't just out to help its buyers save money, though. The hybrid initiative is driven largely by increasingly stringent regulations governing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions -- and powerful, heavy SUVs are obviously the worst offenders.
The European Commission is pressuring carmakers to reduce CO2 emissions from their model range to an average 130 grams of CO2 per km by 2012 through greater engine efficiency, weight savings and improved aerodynamics.
Reuters reports that -- depending on the model -- the Cayenne currently comes close to tripling this figure (based on data from German automotive market researcher DAT).
Toyota/Lexus has been something of a pioneer in terms of making hybrid technology available across a range of models, and Porsche is working with Volkswagen/Audi in a bid to rival this strategy.
Porsche Australia boss Michael Winkler said at the Melbourne motor show that hybrid powertrains would be available in all Cayenne models, rather than just the range-topper.
Hybrid power is also on the agenda for the upcoming four-door Panamera, but not for the 911, Boxster and Cayman.
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