Porsche Injecting Diesel Power Into Macan For US Market
Porsche Macan enthusiasts in the United States who want diesel power will be able to order such a thing over a year from now, as Porsche is now hard at work bringing a diesel Macan to life.
Automotive News reports the diesel-powered crossover will get its power from a reworked 3-liter turbo V6 diesel sold in its native Europe and other markets, delivering at least 245 horsepower to all four corners. The vehicle would slot between the S and Turbo models as far as price is concerned, coming in at around $60,000 to start; the S has an MSRP of just over $49,000, while the Turbo begins at $72,300.
As for when the diesel Macan would arrive, the crossover may debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show before entering the showroom near the end of 2015 or at the start of 2016.
Meanwhile, those hoping for a base Macan in the U.S. will be waiting to exhale for quite some time. Porsche Cars North America vice president of marketing, Andre Oosthuizen, says there isn’t enough capacity to build the base model, sold in the United Kingdom and China, and won’t be under consideration “for the foreseeable future.”
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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"Andre Oosthuizen, says there isn’t enough capacity to build the base model". There isn't enough Macan capacity, period - waiting lists are around 6 months to a year for the Macan. Porsche dealers apparently lease other Porsches to Macan customers to fill in the gap between ordering and delivery. It could be worse, though - BMW's I8 is sold out for the year.
I am going through the list in my mind, and the only people left who might want this mess: single women. Enthusiasts - no. Well-heeled family men - no. Other people with families - no. Single men - no. "Turbo begins at $72,300" Which is Range Rover Sport HSE money. Or GL450 4MATIC.
Corey, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Once a man has ruled out a car with a small back seat, like a 911, and has gotten used to the ride height of an SUV and likes the flexibility, they go for an SUV (CUV, or whatever you want to call it). In many ways, cars like the Macan are the new "coupes" - the personal car bought by men decades ago. And if one doesn't want or need the size of a Cayenne or X5 or RR Sport, and especially a GL450 (which I'd bet is driven way more by women than men), the Macan becomes mighty appealing. I drove the Macan Turbo at a Porsche Roadshow a few months ago, and I can tell you that I was way more impressed by its capabilities and luxury than I expected to be. Yes, there are other very capable cars out there, and yes, there's no doubt that there's some image baggage with Porsches (douchery), I'm more convinced than ever that Porsche really knows how to build a car, and if they can get more money for them, I understand why. Believe me, I was the first to hate the non-sports car Porsches, but I've come to accept it, and come to appreciate that they're all just that much better than almost all competitors. Give me a car like a Panamera GTS any day of the week, especially because you can't see the outside from behind the wheel.
Diesel = Torque monster