178 Driving and Driving Safety
D – Automatic selection mode
(in the on-road driving programme)
The functions of selector lever positions D and M
differ in the High Range on-road driving
programme and the Low Range off-road driving
programme.
f Use selector lever position D for “normal”
driving.
The gears are shifted automatically according
to the accelerator position and speed.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and on
the resistance (e.g. uphill), the gear-changing
points are shifted towards higher or lower engine-
speed ranges. The accelerator movement, driving
speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration and
the road profile all have an influence on the gear-
changing characteristic.
When PSM is switched off, the gear-changing
points are shifted towards higher engine-speed
ranges.
Unwanted upward shifts, e.g. before bends, are
prevented by swiftly releasing the accelerator
pedal.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upward
changes on bends are not made until the engine-
speed limit is reached.
Under braking, and depending on the amount of
deceleration, the Tiptronic changes down earlier.
For subsequent cornering, the right gear is
engaged when pressure is applied to the brakes
before the bend.
The bend is taken in a suitable gear. It is not neces-
sary to change down when accelerating out of the
bend.
Moving off
The vehicle moves off in 2nd gear if little throttle
is used. The vehicle moves off in 1st gear when
the throttle is open wider or when the engine is
cold (Cayenne S only).
The vehicle generally moves off in 1st gear when
PSM is switched off or when Sport mode is
switched on.
Shifting gears on the steering wheel
With the rocker switches on the steering wheel,
you can change temporarily from automatic
selection mode D to manual mode M.
Advantages
– Shifting down before bends and on entering
built-up areas.
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine
braking).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
– Selecting 1st or 2nd gear for moving off.
The manual selection mode remains engaged:
– for cornering (depending on the lateral
acceleration) and overrunning,
– when the vehicle is stationary
(e.g. at a junction).
The system leaves manual selection mode again:
– automatically after around 8 seconds
(unless vehicle is cornering, overrunning or
stationary),
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown.
Temporary change-down
Precondition
– Speed is higher than approx. 54 km/h
(33 mph).
f Depress accelerator quickly.
Tiptronic temporarily changes to the sportiest
gear-changing map, i.e. to the highest possible
gear-changing points. Correspondingly, the
transmission shifts down immediately by one,
two or three gears.
Ending the function
f Release the accelerator markedly
(by approx. 25 %).
English 
