Porsche Macan tipped for LA debut

Porsche is about to expand its lineup with two brand new models. One will be the 918 Spyder at the top of the range and the other will be the Macan crossover positioned at the bottom of the range.

The Macan will go on sale in early 2014 in the US and Europe, which means we’re likely to see it unveiled at a major international auto show towards the end of this year.

Auto Express is reporting that the unveiling will take place at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, which makes sense given Porsche’s penchant for the show in LA and the number of its previous debuts there.

The US remains Porsche’s single biggest market, and within the country the state of California has the biggest concentration of the automaker’s iconic sports cars and crossovers.

Production of the Macan will start later this year at Porsche’s plant in Leipzig, Germany. Sharing a platform with the Audi Q5, the Macan will nevertheless be as Porsche as the Cayenne, which itself shares its underpinnings with another Volkswagen Group model, the Touareg.

The Macan is a crucial model for Porsche, as the automaker expects it to be its top-seller. Sales projections of around 50,000-55,000 units per year have been described by Porsche as "cautious estimates," and more recently there has been talk that sales numbers could reach as much as 75,000 units per year. At this level the Macan would represent more than 50 percent of Porsche’s total volume.

The Macan should also be Porsche’s most affordable model, with pricing overseas almost certain to start below the Boxster’s starting price (from $107,000 here in Australia). It is possible that the Macan will receive a turbocharged four-cylinder engine as its base option, making it the first modern Porsche to do so. We also expect a range of gasoline V6 engines to be offered, perhaps even a 272kW Macan Turbo model, in addition to a diesel for overseas markets.

Key competitors will include the Range Rover Evoque from Land Rover as well as the upcoming X4 from BMW and GLA Class from Mercedes-Benz.

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