The first Porsche Macan SUV will roll off the production-line in December according to an announcement by Porsche. The news follows the completion of a new paint facility at Porsche’s Leipzig plant, where the Macan will be built.
Siegried Bülow, chairman of the executive board for Porsche Leipzig, said, “This will complete the next major step in the preparatory stage of production of the Porsche Macan. The paint shop facilities have already been installed and the first car bodies will be painted in a test-operation as early as August. We are on schedule and are very keen to see the first car roll off the production-line in December.”
The Porsche Macan is based on Audi Q5 underpinnings, but heavily re-engineered the structure and running-gear to meet Porsche’s sporting standards. In fact, Porsche development boss Wolfgang Hatz was quoted as saying last year, “We’ve surprised even ourselves.., it drives incredibly well and, from what we’ve seen from the competition, it will be the most sporting car in its class.”
Power is set to come from a 3.0-litre V6, with a twin-turbocharged version destined for the Macan Turbo, which will produce close to 300 kW. A selection of 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines will join the range at a later stage. Porsche’s 8-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission is likely to be standard equipment.
Porsche expect to sell around 75 000 units per annum, which means the Macan could end up representing around 50% or more of Porsche’s total sales within just a few short years. Much like the Cayenne did when it was first introduced to the Porsche stable.
