What Engine Was In The Porsche Cayenne Diesel And Who Made It?

Porsche has a rich, storied history steeped in fast, ravishingly gorgeous cars powered by everything from classic air-cooled flat-4s and flat-6s to modern turbocharged flat-6s and gas-guzzling V8s. However, in 2009 the notoriously renegade Porsche Cayenne moved away from the gasoline engines typically found in Porsche cars and offered a diesel engine for the first time ever. In so doing, it made sure that any mention of Porsche engines will also include the oil burners. The initial Cayenne diesel engine was a 3.0-liter V6 made by Audi, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group. It generated 240-262 hp (the U.S. model got the less powerful option) and powered the Porsche Cayenne Diesel between 2009 and 2017 (2013-2016 in the U.S.).

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In 2012, Porsche again introduced the Cayenne S Diesel with a twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 diesel that was also made by Audi. The V8 made 382 hp and a staggering 627 lb-ft of torque, which was enough to hustle the Porsche Cayenne Diesel to 62 mph in a respectable 5.7 seconds and see it reach a top speed of 157 mph, per the automaker’s estimates. As with the V6, the V8 diesel Cayenne was discontinued in 2017.

After about eight years of production, Porsche decided to discontinue the Cayenne Diesel for numerous reasons. In fact, Porsche decided to ditch the technology altogether in 2018 by discontinuing the diesel-powered Macan models, too. Porsche attributed the decision to buyers turning toward hybrid technology, which it considered to be the future of propulsion. And the company put its money where its mouth was, releasing electrified vehicles like the Porsche Taycan, Porsche Macan EV, Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, Porsche 911 GTS, and potentially the Porsche 718 EV, which we previously revealed will be the all-electric replacement for the Porsche 718. 

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The Porsche Cayenne Diesel’s discontinuation could also be linked to the Volkswagen Dieselgate incident that rocked the German auto giant in the mid to late 2010s. In September 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uncovered that many Volkswagen diesel cars sold in the U.S. — including the Porsche Cayenne — had a “defeat device” that could cheat emissions tests to appear compliant, when in fact, they produced nitrogen oxide pollutants at levels as much as 40 times higher than legally permitted. By this time, Porsche had already merged with the Volkswagen Group and it used the controversial Audi-sourced diesel engines in these vehicles. So, it’s plausible that Porsche was forced to stop making the Porsche Cayenne Diesel model in a bid to distance itself from ensuing fallout of the scandal, even if it did not explicitly say so.

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First introduced in 2002, the Porsche Cayenne is a midsize SUV that caters to luxury shoppers. It is Porsche’s biggest SUV and vies for market share against competitors like the BMW X5, Audi W7, Genesis GV80, Volvo XC90, Lincoln Aviator, and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. It is slightly bigger than the Cayenne Coupe and much larger than the compact Macan. As with almost any Porsche, the Cayenne is well-regarded for its handling, powerful engine options, luxurious cabin, and generous list of standard amenities.

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The 2024 Porsche Cayenne, for example, seats up to five passengers and comes standard with heated, power-adjustable front seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, 12.6-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, voice recognition, a wireless device charger, Wi-Fi hotspot, dual-zone automatic climate control, and more. And as for power, base Cayenne models get motivation from a reasonably robust turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with 348 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. If that’s not good enough for your application, there’s the Cayenne E-Hybrid with 463 total horsepower, or you can opt for the range-topping Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, which combines a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 and an electric motor for 729 maximum hp and 700 lb-ft of torque.

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