Porsche Cayenne S hybrid: More techs and specs released

A picture of The Porsche Cayenne S hybrid

The Porsche Cayenne S hybrid

Porsche

Porsche is serving up a few more details on the Cayenne S hybrid, which is expected to arrive in 2010.

It should be green--and mean to the tune of 385 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque. And carbon-dioxide emissions are expected to be reduced by 20 percent over a comparable combustion engine.

The gaudy output comes from adding the elements of the parallel hybrid system. Here’s how it breaks down: The supercharged, direct-injection 3.0-liter V6 is borrowed from Audi, and it makes 333 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque. That works with a three-phase, 52-hp, 221-lb-ft electric motor.

All of this makes for a still-respectable 0-to-62-mph time of 6.8 seconds.

It will be fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which has a new electrical drive pump to smoothly shift gears when the vehicle is running on electric power.

Speed peaks in sixth gear, and the last two gears reduce engine speed to bolster fuel economy, Porsche said.

The system also uses a 154-pound nickel-metal-hydride battery stored in the spare tire well. The ute will be able to cruise completely on electric power at 86 mph, though it will only be able to maintain this for 1.2 miles, a spokesman said.

A similar hybrid system will show up in the Porsche Panamera sometime after the sedan’s launch this summer.

Porsche showed hybrid prototypes at the 2007 Los Angeles auto show and in Europe.

Separately, Porsche confirmed that it will show the Cayenne diesel and the 911 GT3 at the Geneva motor show. The Cayenne diesel goes on sale in some markets this month but initially won’t be sold in the United States.

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Saturday, February 21, 2009