The four-cylinder mill is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
08 June 2023 at 7:49 ET
For the 2024 model year in the U.S., even in its base form, the Porsche Cayenne comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 348 horsepower and 368 lb.-ft. That makes it more powerful than the first-generation Cayenne S with its naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8, which had 335 hp and 310 lb-ft. But if performance and speed aren’t what you’re looking for in a Cayenne, this 2004 Cayenne S may meet your needs.
The vehicle recently went on sale in Ukraine as a first-generation Cayenne-look with OEM wheels and some aftermarket tweaks. Styling isn’t the most important thing, as there’s now a Volkswagen 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine under the bonnet of Stuggart’s flagship SUV. The four-cylinder direct-injection compression-ignition mill is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox sourced from a Volkswagen Touareg 2.5 TDI.
Gallery: Porsche Cayenne 2004 with 1.9 TDI engine
9 Pictures
This surely sounds like a Frankenstein consisting of seemingly incomparable components from the Volkswagen Group, but the owner says that they have done the transformation with great attention to detail. The longitudinally mounted 1.9-liter diesel produces 150 horsepower (112 kilowatts) in this application, which probably means it comes from a 2000-2007 VW Golf, Bora/Jetta or Sharan. Probably the best news is that the Cayenne’s factory all-wheel drive appears to work as it should with a fully functional locking differential.
But what was the point of the heart transplant? Well, according to the owner, the Cayenne is now much more efficient than before. The original V8 gas engine barely managed to get about 12 miles per gallon (roughly 20 liters per 100 kilometers), while burning a significant amount of engine oil. After the switch to four-cylinder diesel power, the SUV is now at least twice as frugal as before, while still retaining much of its highway performance.
What other modifications can be seen? On the bright side, the Cayenne’s original and archaic infotainment system has been replaced by a 10-inch touchscreen with Android operating system. On the downside, those LED lights integrated into the OEM reflector halogen lights at the front aren’t really our cup of tea.
