This season’s must-have fashion for high-end automakers is the proposed elimination of diesel-powered engines. Volvo may keep theirs, but only if they’re supplemented by an electrified unit after 2019, and the same is true for both Jaguar and Land Rover. Mercedes-Benz hasn’t been quite so overt about its own diesel death, but it is pressing aggressively toward mild hybrids.
However, no manufacturer has the same incentive to distance itself from diesels as Volkswagen Group. Porsche, Audi, and VW all suffered from the company’s emissions scandal. Moving away from the fuel was to be expected, but Porsche’s chief executive hints diesel death may occur within a year as the company decides the future of the next-generation Cayenne.
When we previewed the new SUV last month, Porsche mentioned a pair of turbocharged gasoline engines but no diesel option. That was because the brand is still investigating whether diesel even has a place in the Cayenne and, by extension, the rest of its fleet.
“With Cayenne, we have sold a lot in Europe, and diesel is very important for customers,” Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview with Autocar. “There’s no decision yet, but we will do market analysis. The diesels are prepared for the market. What we decide, we will communicate [next] month.”
Blume specified that “diesel is not so important for Porsche.” He explained that diesel-powered vehicles make up about 15 percent of its total global sales volume and persist mainly in Europe, where individual countries are aggressively pushing for bans. The CEO noted Euro buyers may already be shying away from certain models as a result.
“We don’t know if this is a dip and will recover long term,” Blume said. “We closely watch the markets.”
The brand also doesn’t develop its own diesel engines. Instead, it sources them from VW Group — a move that caused problems when dieselgate expanded to the Audi-built 3.0-liter motor Porsche used in the current-generation Cayenne. In addition to recalls and a total abandonment of the platform, it also left the brand with 1,500 unsold models it had to repair and re-categorize as “lightly used.”
Porsche R&D boss Michael Steiner agrees that diesel is “something [Porsche is] investigating a lot,” as the European market looks especially uncertain. “What we’ve discussed and what we will investigate deeply this year and next; there could be a chance to start substituting diesel cars,” he said.
[Images: Porsche]
Diesels have no place in a sports car company.
The same is definitely true for SUVs. The *only* correct decision for Porsche would be to axe the Cayenne and the Macan, and to give Porsche enthusiasts the apology of the century for launching them in the first place.
YTD Cayenne/Macan sales: 23K
YTD All other Porsche sales: 13K
Yeah I don’t think your wish is coming true any time soon.
It is amusing though how 15 years later, some people still keep insisting that the Cayenne is not a “real” Porsche.
They were doing that for the 914, 924, and 944 for years before this. For some reason, the 928 and 969 were the only ones that weren’t getting flagged with such bigotry.
Which is odd since if there is one Porsche that can be argued isn’t “real”, it would be the 928.
….And how those cheesy logo jackets are not real Ferraris….
The customer is king, and modern diesel engines are perfectly suited for sporty characteristics as Audi (LeMans TDI) and BMW (M550d) have demonstrated.
I seriously wonder how many of the “hardcore Porsche enthusiasts” actually put their money where their mouths are and buy new 911s. I’m guessing 5% at best.
Amazing that people get so invested in the marketing mythology pushed on them by companies making transportation products that, for example, they denounce Porsche selling SUV’s. Yet these same people view themselves as wise independent thinkers.
True. Never mind the fact that a Macan Turbo S could probably out-run 90% of so-called “sporty” cars out there.
Well said.
The SUV’s pay the bills, so their engineers can do wonders with the sports cars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R10_TDI
Diesel race car.
Jaguar recently began sales of diesel in it’s SUV. Quite good reviews.
Diesel is appropriate provided it delivers on the promise of the brand. Diesel, electric, hydrogen it does not matter provided it delivers on the Porsche experience.
The article does touch on the fact that most of their diesel sales are in Europe, but the only Porsche diesel I have veer seen is that Cayenne. Does Tim Cain know of Porsche specifically breaks out Porsche diesel sales? I’d imagine that their overall diesel sales numbers are low in North America, and that 99% of what diesel models they do sell here are Cayennes.
This article isn’t about the Frankfurt show but Daimlers introductions of the EV crossover has to have been the douchiest introduction in automotive history.
Initial reaction? “Pedestrians, meet Porsche’s new nicer dicer”