ONCE upon a time diesel would have been a dirty word for a prospective Porsche owner.
In these environmentally conscious and economically challenging times it is likely to be greeted with the kind of welcome reserved for the return of the prodigal son..
From the moment Porsche launched its Cayenne SUV it was not a case of if but rather when a diesel version would become available.
Mischief makers might speculate the delay was down to the fact the very idea of a Porsche with a diesel engine (the company have never made a diesel powered car) was a turn-off.
Whether there were people saying 'should they or shouldn't they' is probably highly unlikely but its arrival has taken quite some time it has to be said.
Just as the Cayenne itself was developed in partnership with Volkswagen Group the engine too has been sourced from a company that Porsche now owns a rather large chunk of.
It's a proven 3.0-litre V6 unit that in the Cayenne delivers 240bhp and an impressive amount of torque.
Quite a few modifications have been made to accommodate it in the Cayenne, some of which might be termed cosmetic in order to mitigate, for want of a better word, its 'diesel-ness'.
Great efforts have been made with insulation to ensure the driver and passengers are blissfully unaware that the car is being powered by a diesel engine, even down to the fact that Porsche have utilised a specially developed thick windscreen to keep noise and vibration at bay.
The engineers have done a remarkably good job. In the cocooned environment of the cabin with all the windows up there's little to suggest you are relying on diesel power. In fact the engine has been tuned to produce rather a sweet note and it's only when you wind the windows down that the game is given away so to speak.
Performance is without doubt impressive and the Cayenne Diesel does not feel like the poor relative of the range. It is swifter over the 0-62mph sprint than the standard petrol model, completing it in 8.3 seconds and has a top speed of 133mph.
On open and winding country roads I found it a joy to drive and was impressed by both its handling and power.
It retains an authentic sporty feel and arguably gives even the Cayenne S a run for its money -and all this while returning 30.4mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 244g.km.
Of course one of the main reasons underpinning its arrival are tough new regulations resulting in tax incentives for vehicles with diesel engines and there's no escaping the fact that 80 per cent of premium SUVs now sold are diesel - put simply customers want it..
With the Cayenne being the most successful model Porsche have ever produced the diesel should cement its position even further.
As well as delivering on road it is likely to be a consummate off-road performer too, particularly with all that low-end torque to call on.
At is recent launch a shortage of cars meant we didn't get to test it in the mud but a reminder of just how capable the petrol models are (including descending a one-in-one slope with seriously wet and muddy tyres) gave an indication of the off-road abilities owners can expect should they need to call on them.
Although Porsche remain cagey about how many they expect to sell in these challenging economic times for the automotive industry, bosses are confident it will become by far and away the biggest seller in the range.
Interestingly there is no manual available, just a Tiptronic S automatic. The powers that be say it 'didn't seem logical' to develop a manual.
Prices start at £39,404, just over £3,000 more than the standard petrol-powered Cayenne.
All buyers will also get a Driving Experience Programme at the new Porsche Driving Experience Centre at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire.