Porsche has dropped the entry-level Cayenne in the U.S. as it prepares for the commercial launch of the facelifted model, in a move that is likely an attempt to put some order into its pricing strategy.
That’s because the base Cayenne started at $50,595, making it cheaper than the Macan S, the entry-level model in the U.S. of the smaller crossover which retails for $50,895.
The refreshed 2015 Porsche Cayenne will go on sale on November 1 in the U.S. with four variants, starting with the Cayenne Diesel at $62,695 and ending with the Cayenne Turbo at $114,595. All prices include shipping. However, despite the changes, Porsche executives expect some Cayenne buyers to switch to the Macan, but don’t think that would affect overall Cayenne sales.
“We are absolutely overwhelmed with what we have seen with the Cayenne the last four or five years. It seems like the Cayenne doesn’t have any life cycle at the moment. Demand is there,” Porsche Cars North America CEO Detlev von told AutoNews.
He added that the substitution rate between the Cayenne and Macan is not expected to exceed 10 to 15 percent. Prices of the 2015 Cayenne lineup will be from 3 to 11 percent higher than the current model’s.
Porsche sold 18,507 Cayenne SUVs in the U.S. in 2013, accounting for an increase of 19 percent. In the first six months of this year, Cayenne sales fell by 9 percent to 8,713 units while Porsche’s overall U.S. sales rose 8 percent to 22,918 units.
By Dan Mihalascu
Note: Pre-Facelift Porsche Cayenne pictured
Photo Gallery
