Volkswagen's influence at Porsche starts....75,000 Macans next year

[kaisen]

http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120910/ANE/120919998/1295

Originally Posted by Automotive News Europe

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- Porsche expects output of its new Macan compact sports utility vehicle to reach 75,000 in its first year of production in 2013, a rise of 30,000 vehicles over an initial forecast, German weekly WirtschaftsWoche reported, without citing sources.

Porsche's procurement chief, Uwe-Karsten Staedter, is said to have informed suppliers that production at its Leipzig factory will be ramped up from an initially forecast 45,000 vehicles to 75,000 by the end of next year, WirtschaftsWoche said.

The Macan will be the carmaker's fifth model line after the 911, Boxster roadster, large Cayenne SUV and Panamera four-door coupe.

The new model will play a key role in the brand's ambitions to increase annual sales to more than 200,000 units by 2018, up from 118,867 in 2011.

The Macan, previously known by its codename of Cajun (short for Cayenne Junior), will be smaller than Porsche's best-selling Cayenne SUV. The Macan will share parts with the Q5 SUV from sister brand Audi.

The vehicle's name stems from the Indonesian word for tiger.

Photo Credit: Brenda Priddy & Co (yay Brenda!)

[mossguy]

The end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?

[speeder]

I like it.

[GH85Carrera]

That is optimistic to expect to seel that many of a brand new model. I guess they might know more about thier world wide market than I do. Good luck!

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by speeder

I like it.

Me too.

[HardDrive]

Looks good. Asian women will be snapping them up.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Looks good. Asian women will be snapping them up.

I'll have to run this by my wife.

[s_wilwerding]

This is great news - I love the Cayenne, but wouldn't mind having something smaller/more fuel efficient.

To sell that many cars, they are likely going to have to offer them at huge discounts - sounds great to me!

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by kaisen

http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120910/ANE/120919998/1295




Photo Credit: Brenda Priddy & Co (yay Brenda!)

I'd drive one but I hope it well built

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by speeder

I like it.

I do too. It least on the surface.

[speeder]

With the right TDI and Porsche handling, what's not to like? They are not going to sell a vehicle, I don't care if it's a golf cart, that does not handle. Cayennes corner like they're on rails.

[kaisen]

Audi sold almost 184,000 Q5s worldwide last year. So maybe 75K Macans is possible.

If so, that would be the best selling Porsche, EVER.

Not a sports car. A cheap SUV.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

I'll have to run this by my wife.

My wife is asian as well (Indian). I wasn't poking fun. The Porsche brand does very well amongst the flocks of newly minted asian millionaires. For smaller individuals, a compact SUV is a good fit.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I wasn't poking fun.

I didn't take it that way. I was just confused.

I didn't realize the newly wealthy in Asia had a yen (sorry, bad pun) for Porsches.

[Jrboulder]

I'm holding out for the Porsche Pickup.

[herr_oberst]

I like it.
75000 should be easy considering the success of the original pepper wagon.
Should have called it the Habanero.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I love my Asian (Japanese) wife. She thinks both the Cayenne and the Panamera are atrocities. She'll probably think this thing is "cute" though.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I like it.
75000 should be easy considering the success of the original pepper wagon.
Should have called it the Habanero.

75,000 is easy?

In all the years it has had to penetrate the marketplace, the Cayenne had its best year ever last year at 59,898 worldwide (Only 8964 in the US)

The Cayenne is successful. I'm just not sure that a smaller, cheaper, less powerful Porsche SUV will come out of the gates 15% stronger than an established model that had a fresh redesign.

YMMV

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

For smaller individuals, a compact SUV is a good fit.

Yes, but more importantly still are the outside dimensions. In Europe and Asia a full size SUV is just too difficult to park. I'd buy one of these as a DD in a heartbeat.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

I'm holding out for the Porsche Pickup.

There have been design studies based on the VW Amarok

Might happen??