NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET

NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET

NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET NEW PORSCHE PRICES 2011 CAYENNE FOR U.S. MARKET

Following its United States introduction at the 2010 New York Auto Show, Porschehas announced pricing for its new

CayenneSUV. The new Cayenne is expected to roll into U.S. Porsche dealerships sometime during the second half of 2010.

The exterior of the new Cayenne follows in Porsche’s philosophy of evolutionary design, but the 2011 model does feature a much sleeker appearance than the current Cayenne, thanks to more organic body lines.

With a redesigned interior, following Panamera cues, the 2011 Cayenne sports a new and longer center console and a repositioned shift-knob. Overall, nearly everything has been freshened and tweaked, including placement of the center air vents, sportier gauges and a new steering wheel.

The 2011 boast five separate trim levels with gas, diesel and hybrid drivetrains. The Cayenne range starts out in base Cayenne form, featuring a 300 horsepower 3.6L V6. One step up in the Cayenne S, packing the Panamera’s 400 horsepower 4.8-liter V8 engine. The Cayenne Turbo sits atop the Cayenne hierarchy, receiving its power via a 500 horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.8L V8.

Those wanting performance and excellent fuel economy will have two choices within the Cayenne range — the Cayenne S Hybrid and Cayenne Diesel.

Power for the Cayenne S Hybrid comes from Audi’s supercharged 3.0-liter V6 producing 333-horsepower, connected to a three-phase synchronous electric motor which receives power from a 38 kW NiMH battery that resides in the spare tire well. The electric motor adds another 47 horsepower.

The Cayenne S Hybrid is capable of traveling up to 40mph on all electric power, with the system allowing for the complete disengagement of the gas engine from the driveline at speeds up to 97mph. The disengagement allows for a “coasting” featuring, which reduces drag and improves overall efficiency.

The Cayenne Diesel features a 3.0L diesel unit producing 240 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque.

Although fuel economy has never been a strong suit for the Cayenne, Porsche has vastly improved fuel consumption across the range for 2011. The base Cayenne now achieves 23.7mpg in the combines cycle with the Cayenne S’ fuel economy up 23 percent to 22.4mpg combined. The Cayenne Turbo’s fuel economy is up an equally impressive 23 percent, now tallying 20.4mpg combined.

Not surprisingly, the Cayenne S Hybrid is the most fuel efficient model in the 2011 lineup, returning 28.6mpg. The Cayenne Diesel isn’t far behind, achieving a combined 25.3mpg.

The base-level Porsche Cayenne will hit the U.S. market with an MSRP of $46,700. Moving up to the mid-level Cayenne S will set buyers back $63,700, with the fuel-efficient Cayenne S Hybrid listing from $67,700. The range-topping Cayenne Turbo model is set to carry an MSRP of $104,800.