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Porsche Macan baby SUV

Porsche is repeating the Cayenne plan with the Macan as, just as the heavyweight SUV

The Macan - the Indonesian word for Tiger - should be ready for the road in the final months of 2013 and joins a growing number of baby crossovers from the Subaru XV to the Mazda CX-5 and upcoming Ford Endeavour, as well as several still-secret newcomers from General Motors.

Porsche said it was never intending to sell the baby SUV as the Cajun, which was just a working codename derived from 'Cayenne Junior'.

Macan now officially replaces Cajun as the name for the compact Porsche, which the company hopes will be as big a winner as the full-sized Cayenne that provided the much-need profits for the continued success of the classic 911 and smaller Boxster and Cayman twins.

Porsche is repeating the Cayenne plan with the Macan as, just as the heavyweight SUV is twinned with the Volkswagen Taureg, the newcomer will share the mechanical platform of the Audi Q5.

"Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of an SUV and is a genuine Porsche," says Bernhard Maier, head of sales and marketing at Porsche. He says it's never easy to choose a new name, but believes Macan will work well.

"The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects, and evoke positive associations."

Porsche has not said when it will reveal the road-ready Macan, but there is growing anticipation in Europe together with expectation for the all-new Lamborghini SUV also expected to break cover in 2011.

The Italian heavyweight will be the first for the company since the ill-fated LM002 in the 1980s and, after initial rumours of a showing in Geneva next month it could now be revealed at the Beijing Motor Show.

On the Macan front, Porsche confirms the car will be built at its Leipzig factory in Germany alongside the Cayenne following a $650 update that includes a new body shop and paint facility.