The 2018 Porsche Cayenne is expected to enter production by the end of this year, but we may have a debut date, thanks to a report from Car and Driver.
The publication casually slipped in an August 29 reveal date for the new Porsche Cayenne in a report surrounding the future of the SUV’s diesel powertrains. All available intel has simply pointed to a 2017 introduction for the 2018 Cayenne thus far. When it does debut, it’s expected to offer single- or twin-turbocharged V-6 engines, while a turbocharged V-8 engine will bow at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, per the report.
The 2018 Porsche Cayenne will ride on Volkswagen’s MLB platform, which is shared with a handful of other VW Group products. Notably, the 2017 Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, and 2018 Audi Q5 benefit from the architecture. It’s expected the Lamborghini Urus SUV will also ride on the MLB platform as well. The architecture permits lighter weight, greater rigidity, and improved fuel efficiency. We expect the 2018 Cayenne to drop 220 pounds from its curb weight at most.
As for the diesel powertrains discussed by the report, they very well could be delayed for the time being. While a U.S. introduction for the oil-burning engines is unlikely, it’s nearly a must for European markets. However, as Volkswagen continues to deal with ongoing diesel scrutiny from government bodies and regulators, Porsche may push the introduction of the Cayenne diesel back until things calm down.
“With European fuel prices, it is simply unthinkable that all of our diesel customers will switch into gasoline cars,” said a Porsche source.
In the U.S. we do expect a 2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which will mirror the Panamera S E-Hybrid. The system produces 680 horsepower and borrows technology from the 918 hypercar.
