Porsche Cayenne V6 - China to get a 3.0 litre S/C version
Porsche are to fit an Audi 3.0 litre S/C V6 in the Porsche Cayenne for China to reduce tax on the car. As a result of which the Chinese may be getting a better Cayenne.
On the face of it the fact that China is to get a 3.0 litre engine in the new Porsche Cayenne instead of the 36 litre V6 the rest of us get is bad news for the Chinese. But is it?
First the reason; tax. Cars in China are subject to tax based on engine size, which is 40% on cars with a displacement of between 3 and 4 litres. So Porsche have done the pragamatic thing with the V6 Cayenne and stuck in the Audi 3.0 litre Supercharged TFSi V6, which is already used in the Cayenne Hybrid. That slips neatly under the 3.0 litre limit – by 5cc – and atrracts just 25% tax as a result.
The big plus for the Chinese Cayenne buyer is that apart from saving a chunk of tax on the Cayenne they will actually be getting a more powerful – and probably more frugal – engine. The S/C 3.0 litre produce 33bhp – at least in the Audi S4 – which is a good 10% up on the 3.6 litre V6 Porsche normally fits in the Cayenne.
Will we get the 3.0 litre V7 instead of the 3.6? Sadly not. It would probably tread on the toes of the Cayenne Hybrid S.
