Porsche’s base four-cylinder Macan crossover will be offered in select Asian markets and in the UK, but is unlikely to be offered in the U.S. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit also found in the VW Golf GTI, the entry-level Macan promises a better fuel-economy than six-cylinder versions of the SUV currently sold in the U.S. and other markets.
While in China Porsche expects the four-cylinder Macan to be more successful than six-cylinder models, in the UK the automaker says it will sell in “very small numbers.” Since Porsche will dedicate most of the left-hand-drive production to China and other Asian market, there won’t be enough four-cylinder Macans for other global markets – the U.S. included.
“Demand will be strong in China, whereas in right-hand-drive Asian markets such as Japan, there is not such an issue of availability for the engine,” a Porsche spokesman told AutoNews Europe.
The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the Macan produces 237PS (234hp) at 5,000-6,800 rpm and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) of peak torque at 1,500 – 4,500 rpm, and is paired to Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.
Equipped with this engine, the Porsche Macan reaches 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 6.9 seconds and tops out at 223km/h (139mph), with Porsche claiming a city driving fuel economy of between 8.4l and 8.7l per 100km (27-28mpg US / 32.5-33.6 mpg UK).
By Dan Mihalascu
Story References: Leftlane
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