Porsche Has a Plan for Its Idled Diesel Inventory

There are currently over one thousand 2014 through 2016 model year Cayenne TDIs in the United States that Porsche cannot sell, all thanks to VW Group’s ongoing emissions fiasco. You might be wondering what Porsche plans to do with its stop-sale utility vehicles. Recycle them? Ship them all to Germany? Burn them on the world’s largest-ever funeral pyre?

If things go according to plan, there will be good news for anyone in the market for a used Porsche Cayenne with a diesel motor and extremely low miles.

Once Porsche has an approved emissions fix for the 3.0-liter diesel-powered crossover, it plans to sell the almost 1,500 vehicles as used cars. Beyond the subversive software used to cheat emissions testing, there is nothing technically wrong with the Cayennes. However, they’ve remained struck on dealership lots for over a year because of a stop-sale order. While Volkswagen Group has reportedly reached an agreement with U.S. regulators on how to fix its 3.0-liter diesels, Porsche still has to await final approval from the courts on how to proceed.

Automotive News caught Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer discussing the matter at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Zellmer said that the company will repair the 10,000 affected diesel Cayennes with owners and then fix the nearly 1,500 sitting on dealer lots.

“Then they’re going to be sold as used cars,” Zellmer explained during an interview. “They will be low-mileage, very attractive used cars, based on the age of the car. There’s always a market for any car. You just have to get the price right.”

If you want to lay your hands on a Porsche diesel, this may be your last opportunity to do so. While Volkswagen is abandoning the TDI powerplant in North America entirely, Audi of America’s Scott Keogh suggested that the Q7 TDI could come back eventually. While that means the Cayenne Diesel might return too, the prospects have settled in some extremely murky waters. However, it can be said with some degree of certainty that this is the last diesel Porsche we’re likely to see in the U.S. for a while.

As for the remaining diesel crossovers allocated to the U.S.?

“They stayed in Germany,” Zellmer said. “We don’t have to take care of those. So we’re actually in pretty good shape. Once we have the tactical fix, we’re rather confident.”

[Image: Porsche]