My dealer told me told me they will stop producing the Cayenne for at least 6 months after they produce the last of the 2014 model Cayenne's mid 2014. Can that be true..?

 

I believe I read people claiming to already have June/July build slots for 2015s.

I believe, however, that the Macan is being produced in the same factories as the Cayenne and reports are that the early orders are more than expected so it could be feasible that they stop/slow the Cayenne to push more Macans down the line. That they haven't released details about the changes for 2015 (since it's more than just standard MY tweaks) could lend some credence to a delay.

I have a hard time believing, however, that they'd do a full stop on what is currently their best selling vehicle. That would appear to be a bad business decision on the face of it.

Alternatively they could be talking about a delay in the GTS and TTS models. It isn't uncommon for them to be delayed for a bit after an initial launch, but that's usually after a full change rather than just a mid-cycle refresh.

 

It is getting even more interesting.

I asked the dealer whether he was sure about the 6+ months production stop, and mentioned that it had not been the case for the Panamera facelift.

He answered that he had heard that the change from the 2014 to the 2015 model may not just be a facelift for the Cayenne, but "may become the full model changeover, for reasons of contracts with Audi and VW".

I have been closely following the rumors and discussions on the 2015 Cayenne on the different online forums, but this is the first time I hear any mention of this. Anyone heard this before or knows more about this?

 

I just put an order in for a Macan and my dealer told me that it sounds like the 2015 Cayenne will have PDK but that they don't expect them to be at the dealer until the fall. They also said that this is a facelift like on the Panamera and that the next generation Cayenne won't arrive until the fall of 2016 as a 2017 MY.

 

Thanks gnat and MAL993RS. I am also skeptical about what the dealer told me. But at the same time can not imagine he would make it up.

 

No on both counts.

It's too early for a full model change. We've also seen the spy shots and its just minor tweaks that are typical for a midcycle update. Keep in mind that the TReg only switched to the 958 platform a short time ago and I believe the Q7 is just now moving to it.

The PDK has also been beaten to death. It may be a possibility for the next model (2018-2020?), but right now Porsche has stated there will be no PDK as they do not think it can handle the towing and off-road abilities they want the Cayenne to have.

We'll see aesthetic changes (though nothing major), some option tinkering, and possibly power plant changes similar to the Pan.

 

My .02 on the PDK for Cayenne (same and, as Gnat but slightly different reason): I doubt it will happen soon. Just for the fact that the Cayenne caters to a slightly mature (eh, older? lol) audience, plus the accompanying soccer spouses. Smooth shifting is paramount. Unless Porsche has refined the PDK to smoothly shift at whatever speed, including stop and go traffic, I got the feeling that a highly refined hydraulic transmission is going to be the norm.

 

Full disclosure; I have no inside info on this issue whatsoever. But I will offer that the Corvette plant in Bowling Green - leading up to the MY2014 StingRay - not only shut down the line for months, they ceased offering assembly plant tours during the same period. They clearly wanted the new model to be a surprise when it rolled off the line.

I do question however, the Macan coming off the same line as the Cayenne. Doesn't make mechanical sense. Same plant location maybe, but same line?

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While I love my Cayenne I don't think it is quite the brand icon that would be worth such secrecy and manipulation

 

Icon might be an over-statement. But the Cayenne is all that's kept Porsche afloat since 2003. Pretty sure I read recently that Cayenne sales make up a good 50% of new Porsche sales now. Might not be and icon, but surely is a model worthy of whatever promotional tricks keep profits in the black

//greg//

 

Which would be why I would think that they would want to get it out there as quickly as possible. People that are really interested in the brand know that it is due "any time now" and those that can seem to be waiting for it.

It stands to reason that the type of "waiters" that we see on the boards will hang around until it comes out regardless of if it is next week or next year. The casual person (that has done enough research to know that the refresh is due) may either just go ahead and get the current gen (no real loss for Porsche) or may instead go with a competitor that has updated more recently. Maybe some of them even give up and take a Macan instead (if they can get them) which while not necessarily hurting the overall bottom line might tarnish the Cayenne's "savior of Porsche" title.

 

Ok. Let me rephrase then. The SUV proved to be the "savior". And the Macan (SUV) is simply an extension of the Cayenne (SUV) revival of Porsche. It's really no more complicated than a Porsche response to the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK

You order your Gen2 BlueSpark yet?

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Nope and I probably won't. I contacted them and it's a 50% discount to upgrade, but their opinion (which I kind of agree with) is that if I'm not having issues with it I shouldn't bother.

We are doing our yearly trip to FL later this week and it looks like we are going to try to squeeze in without the roof box this time. I hope to see some good number this time (MFD/PCM said 28 last year without the BSP and with the box). I think the Turbo bumper is impacting my fuel economy though as it has been a lot more inconsistent since I got it back from the shop.

 

Take the 50% deal, as turbo boost was the problem I had with the Gen1 box. Clearly the Porsche US-spec ECU map doesn't permit as much boost as does the Euro-spec. Neither BlueSpark nor I realized that when we bought our US-spec Gen1 boxes. So now knowing that the Gen1 box was Euro-spec, it's understandable why I got all those boost related engine faults. I believe it's quite likely why you perceive boost issues of your own. Accordingly, the US-spec Gen2 boost augmentation is limited to 3 psi in three of the maps - and is strictly rail pressure in the other two (no turbo boost).


//greg//