Porsche "remains committed" to diesel

The new Cayenne will get a diesel engine before the end of the year.

Last week, Porsche announced plans to stop building the diesel-powered variants of the Macan and the Panamera. The wording of the announcement made it sound like the company had ditched diesel for good. It turns out that's not the case.

"We're not saying that we are exiting [diesel]. Presently, the planning process foresees one for the Cayenne and probably for the Macan, too. For the SUV models, [diesel] makes sense where customers want range and torque," said Porsche sales chief Detlev von Platen in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

The statement confirms Porsche isn't done selling oil-burning engines -- at least not yet. However, von Platen suggested the idea of a diesel-free portfolio doesn't scare him.

"It was never extremely relevant. Only about 14 percent of the 246,000 cars we sell worldwide are a diesel. We see big demand for our plug-in hybrids, especially with the latest generation, now that its electric range was extended to 50 kilometers. That plays a big role," he said.

Automotive News Europe learned Porsche will likely introduce the diesel-powered Cayenne before the end of the year. Neither Porsche nor the publication commented on American availability. At Leftlane, we'd speculate the engine isn't coming to the United States.

Photos by Ronan Glon.