Porsche intended to extend the lifecycle of the current ICE-powered Macan by offering it alongside the upcoming Macan EV for a few more years. Unfortunately, this won’t be possible in the European Union, as the company is reportedly being forced to discontinue the ICE-powered SUV in 2024 due to new cybersecurity regulations.
The first generation of the Porsche Macan was introduced back in 2014, and despite receiving two consecutive facelifts in 2019 and 2021, it won’t comply with the European Union’s strict cybersecurity regulations that will take effect on July 1, 2024. The decade-old luxury compact SUV, which continues to be the best-selling Porsche in the Old Continent this year, was developed long before these requirements were outlined, making it financially impractical for the automaker to adapt.
More: New Porsche Macan EV Reveals Triple-Screen Interior And Augmented Reality Tech
A Porsche spokesperson confirmed the news to Automobilwoche stating that the Macan will cease sales in the EU in the spring of 2024. The spokesperson explained that the updates required for the SUV to comply with the new rules were deemed excessively complex and costly.
“Implementing the directive not only necessitates technical adjustments, such as in the control units, but also fundamentally alters processes in the development phase,” said the Porsche spokesperson. “For instance, cybersecurity management systems will have to be developed and certified in the future.”
The goal of the European Union’s new cybersecurity regulations is to protect the vehicles’ electronic architectures from potential hacker attacks. Other VW Group models that were affected by the change are the VW e-Up, the Audi TT, and the Audi R8, which have already been dropped from the respective lineups, plus the VW Transporter T6.1, which will soon be replaced by a Ford Transit-derived LCV.
Despite its forthcoming demise from the EU, Porsche will keep the ICE-powered Macan on sale in other markets around the world – including North America – at least until 2026 when its fate will be decided. Production of the SUV will continue to take place in Leipzig, Germany, where its all-electric successor will also be manufactured starting in 2024.
