Porsche aims to hit crossover gold again with compact Macan

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November 19, 2013 - 11:30 pm ET
LOS ANGELES -- People thought Porsche AG management was crazy when it
decided a decade ago to veer away from a legacy of building only
high-performance sports cars and develop a mid-sized crossover known as the
Cayenne.

Turns out it was a great decision for Porsche's sales.

Porsche next spring will test the patience of true believers again when it
begins selling the 2015 Macan, a compact crossover that likely will shift
the majority of Porsche's volume from sports cars to people-haulers.

The U.S. market for small premium crossovers is projected to grow from an
estimated 204,472 units this year to 289,202 units in 2015, IHS Automotive
says, as new luxury buyers gain affluence and some crossover and SUV owners
shift from larger to smaller luxury vehicles.

In addition to Porsche, Lincoln, Lexus and Cadillac are joining the rush to
market compact luxury crossovers. Acura, BMW and Audi currently dominate the
segment.

U.S. sales of the Cayenne hit a record 15,545 units in 2012, helping Porsche
to overall record volume of 35,043 last year. And the brand, part of
Volkswagen Group, has already topped its 2012 U.S. sales tally with two
months to go in 2013.

The Macan will be built at Porsche's $675 million Leipzig, Germany, plant,
on a line set up to build 50,000 units a year.

U.S. sales of the Macan are projected to total 10,185 in 2014 and 16,438 in
2015, IHS Automotive estimates.

Pricing will start at $49,900, plus $995 destination, for the Macan S.





The Macan shares some platform underpinnings with the Audi Q5, including its
110.5-inch wheelbase. However, this is not a badge-engineering experiment:
The Porsche is longer, wider and lower; and the vehicles have different
powertrains and suspensions.

At the unveiling here Tuesday, Porsche discussed only the two twin-turbo V-6
engines available at launch -- a 3.0-liter that generates 340 hp with a
5.2-second 0-to-60 mph time and a new 3.6-liter engine that generates 400 hp
and a 4.6-second 0-to-60 mph time.

However, Porsche executives previously disclosed that a four-cylinder turbo
will be the base engine in many countries. That would be the first
four-banger Porsche since the 968 coupe was offered in the early 1990s.

With that sort of power under the hood, Porsche's Traction Management
all-wheel drive is standard. The system sends power from the driven rear
wheels to the front axle when drive torque is required. Up to 100 percent of
torque can be sent to the front wheels, but the rear axle is always coupled
via a multiplate clutch.

Because the Macan is a Porsche, a "sport" button will increase its
responsiveness from the engine, exhaust, suspension and PDK seven-speed
dual-clutch transmission.

But in the rare instance when someone might leave pavement, the Macan also
can shift into "off-road mode" at the touch of another button, with
throttle, clutch, shift-points and vehicle height automatically adjusted for
better traction and ground clearance.

The Macan will offer three suspension grades, all based on a front five-link
and rear trapezoidal-link design. The midgrade transmission offers
electronically adjustable shock absorbers. The top grade includes an air
suspension with leveling and height adjustment. Like most other Porsches,
the Macan will offer "staggered" wheels and tires, with the rear 19-inch
wheels being slightly wider than the fronts.

The Macan borrows many design elements from other Porsche vehicles,
including the sloping roofline running behind the C-pillar and the shape of
the air intakes, headlamps and taillights.

In terms of fuel economy measures, the Macan comes with auto stop-start and
electromechanical power steering that uses energy only if steering input is
registered. To reduce aerodynamic drag, the radiator vent flaps can be
closed, while the underbody panels optimize airflow under the vehicle.

At the Los Angeles show, Porsche also unveiled convertible versions of the
911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S.