Porsche has just unveiled its Macan compact SUV in Japan and also North America. The Macan is expected to become Porsche’s top-selling model and help boost annual sales to 200,000 units by 2018. The Macan, which had its global debut at 2 different auto shows, will compete with models such as the Range Rover Evoque and the Audi Q5 for global customers who now want even more than before a SUV or crossover.
Porsche executives said they will start with an annual manufacturing capacity for the SUV of 50,000 vehicles to serve global markets. The Macan shares a platform with the Audi Q5. It will be Porsche’s fifth model, positioned below the larger Cayenne.
Three models will comprise the Macan product range at launch, two with petrol engines and one diesel. The Macan S will be equipped with a 340-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 bi-turbo engine. The Macan S Diesel will come with a 258-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 diesel. The range topper will be the Macan Turbo, which Porsche says will be the most powerful vehicle in the compact SUV segment. It will house a 400-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 bi-turbo petrol engine, which is being used in a Porsche model for the first time. All Macan models will have all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Porsche said prices in Germany will start at 57,930 euros for the Macan S and Macan S Diesel and 79,826 euros for the Macan Turbo. Porsche will start shipping the Macan to right hand drive markets by the middle of next year (2014). Porsche sold 133,100 vehicles in the first 10 months and targets annual global sales of 200,000 by 2018.
