Porsche Macan compact SUV confirmed

Lamborghini may be planning its first SUV, but Porsche has just announced its second - a compact SUV called the Macan.

Originally thought to be called the Cajun, the small high performance SUV from Porsche has been one of the worst-kept secrets from Zuffenhausen, and has now been officially confirmed by the German company via an aspirational video -- watch it below.

"The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche," said Bernhard Maier, head of marketing at Porsche, in a bid to quell indignant cries of 'it's not a real Porsche'.

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

Believed to be based on the next-generation Volkswagen Tiguan platform, the Porsche Macan name means 'tiger' in Indonesian and will be the sixth model in the marque's range - after the 911, Cayman, Boxster, Cayenne and Panamera.

The Macan name apparently "...combines suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics – core characteristics of the new off-road car," reads the Porsche press statement.

The German company has not revealed any details on powertrains, but because the Macan will be one of the company's most affordable models (and a volume selling one at that) expect a raft of VW-group engines rather than exotic boxer engines.

Production on the new Macan will begin in Leipzig, Germany, in 2013, and Porsche is investing half a billion Euros in the product, and hiring more than 1000 new workers to build it.

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