Trophy Wife Alert: New Porsche crossover will be named Macan
Inevitably, sports car maker Porsche will build a cute-ute. Read my post from MSN Autos Canada's Passing Lane blog here, or after the jump.By John LeBlanc
If you absolutely, positively have to have a Porsche badge on your next utility vehicle, and the current Cayenne is too big to manouvre through your kid’s school’s drop-off zone, Porsche has shed more light on its forthcoming compact crossover.
First off, the smaller-than-a-Cayenne cute-ute, formerly known as the Cajun, will be called Macan, Indonesian for tiger. And like Volkswagen’s Tiguan and Touareg, phonetically challenged Americans should have fun pronouncing that.
Next, as per the Cayenne, which shares a platform and some engines with the Touareg, the Macan will be based on the VW Group’s Audi Q5 crossover (which is based on A4 sedan nuts and bolts). However, via spy shots of Macan prototypes sheathed in Q5 bodywork, the Porsche seems to sit lower and has wider tracks, so this isn't a simple re-badging job.
From the first time I heard that Porsche was going down the small SUV path, there’s been talk about offering both two- and four-door models. The first official sketch Porsche has released, above, shows four. The vehicle isn’t set to start being made until late 2013, then go on-sale in North America sometime in 2014. So that gives the German automaker plenty of time to see how popular the two-door version of the new Range Rover Evoque—a key Macan competitor—becomes. Unlike most small crossover buyers, who only care if the child seat is easy to anchor or there's a descent cup holder for the requisite venti mocha, I’m assuming potential Macan buyers will be interested in what may be under the Macan’s hood. Porsche isn’t saying just yet. But in looking at what we know from current and future Audi powerplants, expect a range of four- and six-cylinder gas engines, ranging from 211 to 400 hp, plus hybrid and diesel versions may also become available.
So, how much will you have to spend to get a Porsche-badged cute-ute? Needless to say, it will be more than the $41,200 to $49,900 starting range for the Q5. Plan on at least a $10,000 premium for the four-door Macan, and an even more when/if the two-door iteration arrives. If that sounds like a lot for a vehicle that offers the functionality of a $30k Honda CR-V, than you’re probably not a Macan customer. And even though the new Porsche directs the brand even further from its sports car roots, I predict the Macan will supplant the Cayenne as Porsche’s best-selling vehicle.
Yes, Virginia, there are that many trophy wives out there…