Porsche banks on Cayenne for growth

German luxury carmaker Porsche expects its sales volume in India to increase with the introduction of Cayenne sports utility vehicle, according to James Bourne, regional operations manager (Middle East & Africa), Porsche.

Speaking to the media after launching its 5,000-sft Porsche centre here on Thursday, Bourne said it was planning to open three new dealerships in Ahmedabad, Kochi and Chandigarh by the end of this financial year, taking the total number in the country to 10.

Porsche sold 94 units in 2009, while it clocked 269 bookings and 79 deliveries this year till October, Bourne said, adding it was trying to improve its delivery times. It's present in the country since 2003.

“Cayenne is our best-selling and also the most important model in India. It would be offered in diesel and hybrid versions along with a high degree of customisation," he said.

Cayenne is available at a starting price of Rs 65.82 lakh (petrol), Rs 65.22 lakh (diesel) and Rs 1.72 crore (turbo). The model on display at the showroom carried a price tag of Rs 95.77 lakh.

The Porsche Hyderabad centre was mainly targeted at the high-networth individuals, according to Rajiv Sanghvi, executive director, Porsche Hyderabad centre.