LA show: Porsche Macan almost as fast as V8 Cayenne

THE most potent version of Porsche’s all-new upcoming Macan SUV will bolt from zero to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds, according to data from a Macan specification sheet leaked on a Chinese website ahead of the vehicle’s formal public unveiling at next week’s Los Angeles motor show.

Armed with a 294kW 3.6-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, the Macan Turbo allegedly hits the 100km/h mark just 0.1 seconds slower than its bigger brother, the Cayenne Turbo, that employs a bigger 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 with 368kW.

The most important new Porsche model since the arrival of the Cayenne in 2010, the Macan is set to become an instant best-seller for the German company when it hits the market globally – including Australia – in 2014 as Porsche’s fifth model line beside the 911, Boxster/Cayman, Cayenne and Panamera.

Porsche is counting on the Macan to make a major contribution to sales increases over the next two years, perhaps doubling global deliveries.

Reportedly based on the Audi Q5, the Macan is expected to be offered at launch with a choice of three V6 engines, according to the Chinese spec sheet shown on autohome.com.cn.

These include a naturally aspirated 250kW/460Nm 3.0-litre petrol V6 in the base Macan S, a 192kW/580Nm 3.0-litre turbo diesel Macan S Diesel, and the 294kW/550Nm twin-turbo 3.6-litre petrol V6 in the flagship Macan Turbo.

The top speed of the Macan Turbo is said to be 269km/h, with the standard Macan achieving 254km/h.

The Macan Turbo weighs in at 1947kg – 74kg lighter than the Cayenne Turbo and 27kg heavier than the flagship of the Audi Q5 range, the diesel SQ5.

Surprisingly, according to the Chinese document, the diesel Macan is the lightest of the lot, at an alleged 1898kg.

In addition, the diesel will also be cheaper than the petrol V6 Macan S, at least in China.

Porsche has built a new factory in Leipzig, Germany, to cope with the expected demand for Macan, which it says is a central plank of its Strategy 2018 plan for global growth.

Although Porsche has made no official mention of a hybrid Macan, an electrified version of the mid-sized luxury SUV is expect at some point.

The Macan – named after the Indonesian word for tiger – will be unveiled at the LA Auto Show next Wednesday, alongside the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

On the other side of the Pacific, Porsche is set to debut its fastest Panamera to date, the 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 Turbo S, at the Tokyo motor show, all within 24 hours.