2015 Porsche Cayenne with 211 HP Sounds Seriously Underpowered

Thought you knew everything about the 2015 Porsche Cayenne? Think again! There's a new base model you've never heard about and it seriously underpowered. No, it's not the one with a basic 3.6-liter non-turbo petrol, though that counts as well. We're actually dealing with a Cayenne Diesel rated at only 211 hp.

Many manufacturers have big SUVs with low-output diesel engines. BMW even launched a rear-wheel drive version of the new X5, which is called the X5 sDrive25d and offers 218 hp from a biturbo 2-liter. But the Cayenne is actually powered by a 3-liter engine that has been watered down significantly.

Because of the massive 2.1 tons that this SUV weighs, 0 to 100 km/h takes just 8.5 seconds, a pedestrian rate for any Porsche mode. What's more, it top speed of 209 km/h (130 mph) is likely the lowest of any Porsche made in many years.

We discovered this model on the official Porsche Belgium website and we can assure you it's not a glitch in the German matrix. The "Cayenne Diesel 211 pk" costs exactly the same as a regular mode (roughly €69,000) and gets the same interior, the same 8-speed Tiptronic S gearbox and the same all-wheel drive.

The only difference is that because taxation in Belgium works, you pay about €3,000 to the local government if you want the more power. Porsche has done the same to the Cayman, Panamera and Macan. If you'd like to know more about why a prestigious German company is now making underpowered cars, check out our latest coverstory.