Porsche entered new territory in 2009 when it launched the Cayenne Diesel (pictured above), its first-ever oil-burner. Now, the diesel experiment is winding down. The German sports-car brand confirmed today it’s abandoning diesel as it begins to focus more heavily on electrification.
Autocar reported back in February that Porsche ceased production of the Macan S Diesel and the Panamera 4S Diesel, which then were automaker’s only remaining diesel offerings. Speaking to the UK publication, a Porsche spokesperson said that this decision reflects the “cultural shift” away from diesels towards hybrid and electric vehicles.
This isn’t a huge surprise. Porsche announced earlier this year it’s doubling its investment in developing hybrid and electric cars. And it’s certainly not a big deal for US customers as the only diesel-powered Porsche sold here was the Cayenne Diesel, introduced for the 2013 model year and discontinued in 2016 when it was revealed that its VW-designed 3.0-liter V6 used emissions-cheating software.
Porsche CEO Oliver Blume explained the decision to drop diesel in a statement:
“Porsche is not demonizing diesel. It is, and will remain, an important propulsion technology. We as a sports car manufacturer, however, for whom diesel has always played a secondary role, have come to the conclusion that we would like our future to be diesel-free.”
Interestingly though, Porsche told Car and Driver in February a diesel-powered version of the new Cayenne was still in the works. Clearly, that’s no longer the case. Porsche also recently recently launched a new twin-turbo V8 diesel just for the Panamera 4S. That engine will live on in the non-US-market Audi SQ7 and Bentley Bentayga Diesel, but not in any Porsche.
So, if you want a fuel-efficient Porsche now, it’ll have to be a plug-in hybrid. Or you can wait for the all-electric Mission E, which should be on the road some time in 2020.