SPY PICS: Porsche Macan

Looking like a 5/8ths scale Cayenne these images detail the new Porsche Macan caught testing in Europe.

The sport mid-size SUV, which essentially shares its underpinnings with Audi Q5, is seen here dressed with stick-on headlamps, tail lamps and chrome garnish aimed at tricking the eye into believing it’s a Cayenne.

Note, however, a larger grille, creaseless bonnet, longer overhangs, greater rear rake angle -- and smaller proportions.

Macan will be offered in three- and five-door variants when it arrives in showrooms in 2014, and is rumoured to feature Audi-derived powerplants – including four-cylinder units -- tuned to Porsche performance levels. 

However, Porsche’s local public relations manager, Paul Ellis, said these rumours were unfounded.

“I’ve read it [in the media], but I haven’t heard it [internally],” Mr Ellis clarified. “The car will arrive in 2014 and we expect it to be greater than Cayenne [in terms of sales] figures.”

Mr Ellis said he expected the Macan to achieve a two-fold success for Porsche in Australia, drawing new buyers to the brand while at the same time broadening its portfolio.

“We’re quite optimistic with the opportunity this car [will present]. It is going to be priced right, and it is going to be a real Porsche, too. It will have all the virtues that people look for in our cars, and that will open us up to a new audience.

“Pricing will be key to this car,” he reiterated “And we expect pricing to work out favourable for us given discussions we’ve already had with the factory.”

When asked about other future projects, including a sub-Boxster sportscar, Pajun sedan and Ferrari 458 fighting supercar, Mr Ellis explained that a number of trial projects were underway.

“All sorts of things have been talked about. Our engineers and designers are always looking at everything. Basically they’ve been given free reign by Volkswagen to just look at all sorts of things, but just because they’re looking doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” he cautioned.

“They have looked at various derivatives of Panamera platform, for instance. There will always be speculation about Pajun and other derivatives, a sub-Boxster car, the Ferrari-fighting 458 car. But just because our designers are looking, doesn’t mean something is going to transpire,” he clarified.

-- with Carparazzi

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