New Porsche Cayenne to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, will come to India by mid-2010

The new Porsche Cayenne is as ugly and pointless as the old one...

Porsche will unveil its new Cayenne SUV at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Among other things, the new vehicle will be more than 20% more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, up to 180 kilos lighter, and a hybrid version will also be available.

Porsche has developed a new eight-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission for the new Cayenne, which also gets stop-start technology for improved fuel economy. The vehicle is 48mm longer than the old Cayenne and the wheelbase has grown by 40mm, which translates into a more spacious cabin.

The Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid is fitted with 3.0-litre supercharged petrol V6 that makes 333 horsepower, and an electric motor that produces another 34kW (47bhp), for a combined output of 380bhp and 580Nm of torque. The vehicle only uses 8.2 litres of fuel per 100km, which is remarkable for a vehicle as large and heavy as the Cayenne SUV.

The Cayenne S Hybrid’s two drive units are connected via a separator clutch masterminded by the Hybrid Manager computer, which allows the vehicle to run in electric-only, engine-only and hybrid modes. For short distances, the vehicle can travel on the electric motor alone, at speeds of up to 60km/h.

For those who don’t want a hybrid, there will be various other versions including petrol and diesel engined options. The top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo comes with a twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8 that makes 500 horsepower. While the new Cayenne range will start in Europe at the equivalent of Rs 29.40 lakh, the twin-turbo V8 is priced at Rs 58 lakh. Indian prices are likely to be at least twice these amounts, because of import duties.

As you’d expect, the new Porsche Cayenne will come with bits like all-wheel-drive, advanced traction control, computer-controlled air suspension (optional), and high-spec navigation and entertainment systems. However, in our opinion, it remains an ugly and rather pointless vehicle that’s a compromise in everything that counts. But we’ll save that crib for another day…