Porsche Considering Diesel Vehicles for USA

by David Kiley (RSS feed)
Jan 24th 2011 at 10:02AM

Porsche is considering selling diesel versions of its Cayenne SUV and the Panamera sedan in the United States, according to a report in Automotive News Europe.

The brand may also unveil Panamera variants with a diesel engine and a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain at the Geneva auto show in March, the trade weekly said.

The models would help Porsche to meet demand for fuel-efficient cars that is growing fast even among luxury car buyers. "We are discussing internally if we should introduce the Cayenne diesel in the U.S. this year. Also a Panamera diesel is an option," said Bernhard Maier, the brand's sales and marketing chief.

Gallery: Porsche's Diesel Plans for the U.S.

Diesels are still much more prevalent in Europe than in the U.S. IN Europe, gas is much more expensive than in the U.S., often topping $7 and $8 a gallon. Clean low-sulfur diesel is taxed less in Europe, making it an attractive option on top of the 25%-30% improvement in fuel economy over gas engines.

These would be Porsche's first diesels in the U.S. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen already sell diesel cars in the U.S.

Maier told the trade weekly that Porsche has noticed that consumers in the U.S., where diesels currently have only a tiny market share, are increasingly choosing diesel cars. "We will make a decision soon," he said.

Porsche has sold a Cayenne diesel in Europe since early 2009. Last year, the company introduced a Cayenne gasoline-electric hybrid in Europe and the United States.

Tags: audi tdi, diesel, mercedes diesel, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Panamera

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Doug Jan 24th 2011 10:34AM

Most ridiculous idea I've hear for a while, first, diesel pollutes more and stinks, and second, don't they know diesel costs more than gas here in the US.

Get with the program and convert to electric, it's 2011!