Marton Pettendy•29 Apr 2014
NEWS
BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: First four-pot Porsche in 20 years
Four-cylinder Porsche Macan revealed in China; ruled out for Oz – for nowPorsche used last week's Beijing motor show to reveal its first four-cylinder model since the 968 it discontinued in 1995.
However, the new entry-level version of Porsche's all-new mid-size luxury SUV range won't be available in Australia when the Macan launches here next month.
Instead, as Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) announced last December, the local line-up will include the Macan S Diesel (from $84,900), the Macan S (from $87,200) and the Macan Turbo (from $122,900).
While the newest Macan is aimed at selected Asian markets with CO2-based vehicle tax regimes, as we reported when we drove it in February, the Macan range will remain exclusively six-cylinder in Australia, where PCA says there's no demand for a four-pot Porsche.
Indeed, the Macan is expected to become Porsche's top-selling model in Australia even without four-cylinder petrol or diesel models, and a hard-core GTS model is expected to join the local range next, positioned between the S and Turbo variants, with a Macan Turbo S to top the range.
However, a sub-$80,000 Macan would allow Porsche to compete with German medium SUVs like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, both of which are priced from about $60,000.
As expected, the new range-opener – simply badged the 'Macan' and to be available in the UK by special order only – is powered by the same EA888 direct-injection 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as seen in a number of Volkswagen Group models, including the Q5.
Performance outputs are on par with the Golf GTI Performance, at 174kW (169kW in Australia) and 350Nm of torque over 1500-4500rpm, and Porsche claims 0-100km/h acceleration in 6.9 seconds and fuel consumption of 7.7L/100km.
Visually, the cheapest Macan is differentiated by standard 18-inch wheels and twin trapezoidal exhaust outlets, but is otherwise specified in line with the Macan S.
Unlike the Q5, all Macans including the base model feature longitudinally mounted engines driving all four wheels via a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission with steering wheel shift paddles.
A VW-sourced 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is also expected to surface in the Macan, although Porsche is believed to be developing its first four-cylinder boxer engine since the mid-1970s – for the compact Boxster and Cayman sports cars.
Porsche also used the Beijing show to reveal new GTS versions of the Boxster and Cayman, as well as the China-only long-wheelbase Panamera Executive and Panamera 4 Executive, and the Panamera 4S Sport Edition.
Porsche sales increased by 20 per cent to 37,425 vehicles last year in China, which is now Porsche's largest sales market outside the US.
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Written byMarton Pettendy
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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