Marton Pettendy•1 Jun 2013
NEWS
Porsche Macan to plug in
All-new mid-size Porsche SUV to offer plug-in hybrid power, but three-door coupe version now unlikelyThe all-new Macan will be Porsche’s third model to offer plug-in hybrid power, following the facelifted Panamera to be released here in July and the upgraded Cayenne expected next year.
Due to make its world debut at Los Angeles motor show on November 20 before going on sale here by mid-2014, Porsche’s all-new mid-size luxury SUV will be powered at base level by four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines sourced from parent company Volkswagen.
While that will make it the first modern Porsche with a four-cylinder engine, the range-topping Macan Turbo will come with a version of the new twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 that will power the downsized Panamera S, which produces about 15kW more power (310kW) and 20Nm more torque (520Nm) than the 4.8-litre V8 it replaces – while being 18 per cent more efficient.
In between the entry-level four-cylinder models and the top-shelf Turbo is likely to be the naturally aspirated V6 petrol-powered Macan S – a model that will eventually form the basis of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Macan S E-Hybrid, the existence of which was confirmed this week.
Motoring.com.au understands the Macan plug-in will be powered by a variation of the six-cylinder petrol-electric drivetrain fitted to the facelifted Panamera S E-Hybrid, which can sprint to 100km/h in a claimed 5.5 seconds, yet is more frugal than a Toyota Prius.
“Right now it (Porsche’s PHEV system) is planned for Panamera and Cayenne, and the Macan will be next – but this is two years away,” Porsche Cars Australia Managing Director Michael Winkler told us at the local Cayman launch yesterday.
The revelation confirms Porsche’s first medium SUV will offer a number of points of difference over the Audi Q5, Australia’s top-selling luxury SUV with which the Macan shares the same basic platform.
Apart from a range-topping twin-turbo petrol six and Porsche’s own all-wheel drive system from the Cayenne and 911 4S, the Macan PHEV should be even quicker and more efficient than the bigger, heavier Panamera S E-Hybrid, which returns European combined fuel consumption of just 3.1L/100km – 56 per cent less than the existing Panamera Hybrid (7.1L/100km).
Like the e-Panamera, the Macan should also have the ability to travel in zero-emissions EV mode for a range of 36km, at speeds of up to 135km/h – something Audi’s Q5 Hybrid won’t be able to do, even if it was sold here.
However, it seems Porsche has gone cool on the idea of a three-door ‘coupe’ derivative of the Macan, which has long been rumoured as a direct rival to Range Rover’s successful Evoque three-door. Winkler poured cold water on the potential of a Macan coupe, citing a difficult business case due to limited sales.
Porsche’s Australian chief remains as bullish as ever about the Macan’s sales prospects here though, reiterating his company’s plan for it to double total sales from 1373 last year to as many as 3000 by 2016, thanks in part to recent price reductions but mainly due to the Macan. Globally, Porsche continues to target 200,000 annual sales by 2018.
“We had a very good year once again last year internationally,” said Winkler. “We intend to better that by 15,000-20,000 cars this year, pushing past 150,000.
“We have a very clearly defined strategy towards 2018. In conjunction with the Macan introduction we believe we’ll be somewhere past the 200,000 cars per year mark. The point to underline again is that we’ll achieve that growth not with any crazy ideas about the current range doubling in sales, but on the back of new model introductions including the Macan.
“From what I’ve seen of that so far I’ve absolutely no doubt we’ll be able to achieve that.
In the local context, what that means for us is that we will have the opportunity to move from about 1500 registrations per year fairly consistently over the last seven to eight years, with one exception being the GFC year when we dipped to about 1200, to at least 2500 a year.
“In line with the recent pricing adjustments, overall we might even be able to hit 3000 in one of the three upcoming years.”
Winkler denied such sales volumes would undermine the exclusivity of the Porsche brand.
“Is that a risk to the brand? I don’t think so considering 3000 cars out of one million registrations overall in Australia ... I don’t think by any means that’s a volume proposition and worldwide we’re talking about 70-75,000 cars as part of 200,000 cars, so that’s not a volume proposition either.
“So we think we’re fairly safe from an exclusivity and brand positioning point of view with that,” he said, adding that Porsche’s model proliferation plans under Volkswagen ownership would end with the Macan.
“It does of course become even more interesting to see what we can do with future models going forward. Some things were mooted in the press over recent years such as a smaller sports car and some other ideas. Certainly a number of ideas were discussed (but) at this point the product plan as you know it is what it’s going to be.”
However, Winkler admitted the Macan, which will be Porsche’s cheapest and best-selling model at around $80,000 here could put the hallowed German sports car maker at risk of becoming known as an SUV brand.
The Cayenne already accounts for the vast majority of the brand’s Australian sales, and most of them are diesel-powered.
“We’re a sports car company that likes to make money in other fields as well,” he joked. “[Porsche sells] 50-60,000 sports cars a year now. Put that against 200,000-plus sales – you do the math.
“You’re identifying a challenge quite rightly that we have to make absolutely sure from a brand perspective that the 911 remains the icon of our sports cars, because that is what drives everything we do.
“I think Boxster and Cayman have grown up to the point where they can take part in that – they’re very unique in their segments and you can’t argue their performance potential – but clearly from a branding and strategic perspective the absolute imperative is to make sure 911 and other products in that range – the 918 is a good example of what you might do as a halo for the brand – are very much what we focus on in our marketing.
“People buy a Cayenne because of the 911 and not the other way around,” he said.
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Written byMarton Pettendy
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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