2010 Audi A3 TDI
Though Porsche’s Cajun SUV based on the Audi Q5 isn’t scheduled to debut until sometime in 2014, we already know several details about the upcoming sporty soft-roader, including for the first time some potential powertrain specs.
According to a new report, the Porsche Cajun will feature in its engine lineup a hot new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel V-6 engine being developed by Audi and set to debut early next year in a facelifted version of its Q5.
This new oil-burner will reportedly feature a 309 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque output and eventually be offered in everything from the Audi A3 right up to the A8 flagship sedan and Q7 SUV, as well as the Porsche Cajun.
An eight-speed automatic transmission option should be offered, along with a standard six-speed manual.
The information was revealed by Audi powertrain development chief Axel Eisner, who recently spoke with Autocar.
Eisner also revealed that a high-performance twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine was being developed, but denied rumors that Audi was planning to install these hot diesel engines in any of its sporty ‘S’ models. You may recall that we previously reported Audi was planning to install the aforementioned 3.0-liter turbodiesel in its next-generation S6 and brand new S7 overseas.
As for the Porsche Cajun, we also know that it will be the first Porsche to be designed under Volkswagen Group chief designer Walter de’ Silva’s watchful eye and that it will be manufactured at Porsche’s plant in Leipzig, Germany.
We’d like to say that a diesel powered Porsche would be a viable option for the U.S. market by the time the Cajun arrives in 2014, but this date may still be too soon for Americans to accept a diesel engine in a Porsche--hopefully, we’re wrong.
[Autocar]
