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NEWS
PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Porsche to plug in Cayenne
Facelifted Porsche Cayenne to launch this year with plug-in hybrid techPorsche will stage the world debut of an upgraded Cayenne – complete with plug-in hybrid power for the first time – at the Paris motor show on October 2, before it goes on sale in Australia late this year.
motoring.com.au sources have confirmed the midlife Cayenne makeover, which will bring exterior design elements from the Macan will be available here in late 2014, followed by a PHEV version in early 2015.
The Panamera underwent a similar upgrade last year, but Porsche is yet to actually sell any examples of the Panamera S E-Hybrid (pictured) to Australian customers because it hasn't finalised the rollout of the necessary charging infrastructure for the German brand's first plug-in vehicles.
Porsche Cars Australia has so far imported just two plug-in Panameras for technical training, which is now complete. It has also installed two fast-chargers at its factory-owned dealerships in Melbourne and Sydney, with some of Porsche's other 10 retail outlets to follow this year.
But only once first stocks of the Panamera S E-Hybrid arrive early next year will Porsche begin the marketing push for its ground-breaking plug-in recharging technology, which it will be first to offer in both the luxury car and SUV segments here.
Like the Panamera PHEV, the plug-in Cayenne will come with a 70kW motor and 9.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack instead of the 34kW electric motor and 1.7kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack in the (non plug-in) Cayenne Hybrid it replaces.
Matched with an Audi-sourced supercharged 3.0-litre petrol V6, combined power output is 306kW and both models will have the ability to run on electrical power for up to 36km and at speeds of up to 135km/h.
Despite weighing 2095kg, the Panamera S E-Hybrid can sprint to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds on its way to a 270km/h top speed. Given the mechanically identical Cayenne will be less than 200kg heavier, expect it to be almost as quick and fast.
As with Porsche's sedan, however, the reason for the Cayenne PHEV's being is fuel consumption, which in the case of the four-door is officially just 3.1L/100km – down from 7.1L/100km in the Panamera hybrid.
Like the Panamera S E-Hybrid, pricing for which was reduced by $3600 to $296,900 because its sub-7.0L/100km efficiency gained it a luxury car tax concession, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid will also be cheaper than the model it replaces.
If the plug-in Panamera is any guide, expect the Cayenne S E-Hybrid to be priced just above the V8-powered Cayenne S ($139,000) at under $150,000.
Despite their relative efficiency and affordability, however, both Cayenne and Panamera PHEVs are likely to remain niche models in Australia, where they will account for less than five per cent of sales and effectively be order-only models.
The current Cayenne, which represented almost 60 per cent of Porsche's record 1900-odd sales figure last year, is out of production until the facelifted version commences production in September.
Despite this, Porsche expects to sell another 1200 or so this year, which combined with 800 sales of the Macan and its existing sports car line-up, will bring its overall sales close to 3000 – a figure it had not targeted until 2018.
In 2015 – the first full year of Macan and facelifted Cayenne sales – local Porsche sales could approach 4000, which would be more than double last year's record result.
Longer term, given free supply and a full range of variants including GTS, Turbo S, E-Hybrid and possibly even two-door 'coupe' variants, Porsche Cars Australia hopes to sell up to 140 Macans a month, or about 1600 annually.
Combined with a similar number of Cayennes, up to 80 per cent of the hallowed German sports car maker's sale volume will come from SUVs, although the release of a long-rumoured sub-Boxster sports car and sub-Panamera sedan should readdress that balance by 2018.
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Written byMarton Pettendy
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