Porsche Macan News

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.www.motorauthority.com 

The latest picture of the compact Porsche SUV leaves nothing to the imagination. The Macan is revealed as a surprisingly stylish younger brother to the giant Cayenne as Porsche fast-tracks the car for showrooms using plenty of parts from the Audi bin. A V6 engine is now certain with around 280 kiloWatts on the turbocharged headline model, but there is also expected to be a four-cylinder motor - the first in a Porsche since the end of the 968 in 1995.What is it? Porsche MacanWhy the fuss? Second SUV from the sports car specialistWhen's it here? Late 2013How much? Around $70,000 

...the Macan, is nearly ready to join the German lineup.The Macan borrows heavily from the Audi Q5 in size and style, but Porsche promises its signature performance including a turbocharged V6 model to thump the BMW X5. Carparazzi has caught the car with almost zero disguise, although the Audi wheels will definitely be changed before the Macan arrives in Porsche showrooms. It will be here in 2013 from about $75,000.

Photographers in Europe caught the Macan while testing in Germany. The images show the Macan has stayed true to the earlier Porsche renderings, with styling that echoes the larger Cayenne SUV.Previously carrying the ‘working title’ of Cajun (for Cayenne Junior) the Macan will be based on the mid-sized Audi Q5 platform and is also likely to carry over some of the engine and transmission choices from both the petrol and diesel drivetrains.Following the pattern of the Cayenne, there is also almost certainly going to be a hybrid version. The smaller SUV will target a growing trend towards smaller vehicles with better economy, and Porsche will be looking to add higher-tuned and sportier models to the line-up.The Macan will come from the same plant in Leipzig -- in Germany’s Saxony region -- that produces the larger SUV and also the Panamera, although the sibling Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Touareg are built elsewhere.

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.