WHO Will The Porsche Macan Steal The Most Marketshare From? Q5? X3? FX? GLK? Evoque?

Just this week Porsche officially came out and dropped a bomb on us. The Porsche Caj...er...Macan exists and will be making an appearance. And it's not too far off as production is slotted to start in 2013.

This, of course, squelches rumors that have been running rampant.

But aside from the new name, we're a little more curious about something else: WHO will be the most affected by the Macan's existence? That said, here are the usual suspects that we think could likely be impacted by a baby Porsche sport-utility vehicle:

1) Audi Q5
2) BMW X3
3) Infiniti FX
4) Mercedes-Benz GLK
5) Range Rover Evoque

The reason why we ask is because when the Cayenne made its debut, it made a BIG splash in the luxury SUV world. Now imagine what is possible as the "baby" is more affordable to the masses...


**Click HERE to read the Google translated text


Porsche's press release follows:

NEW PORSCHE MODEL TO BE NAMED MACAN

New Porsche sports car in the sports utility segment has been given the name Macan
The Macan will be built at the Porsche factory in Leipzig, Germany
Production due to start in 2013

Porsche today confirms the name for its forthcoming new sports car in the SUV segment is Macan. The name Macan is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger and combines suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics – core characteristics of this new all-terrain car.

"The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of an SUV and is a genuine Porsche", said Bernhard Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG.

"The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations."

As a new addition to the Porsche model range, the Macan is a key pillar of the company's Strategy 2018, by which the sports car manufacturer wishes to expand its model portfolio. Porsche intends the Macan to emulate the success of the Cayenne. The new car will start coming off the production lines at the Porsche factory in Leipzig, Saxony, in 2013. The site is currently being expanded into a fully-fledged production plant including body assembly line and paint shop; with 500 million euro of investment, it is one of the biggest building projects in the corporate history of Porsche. In the medium-term, the sports car manufacturer will be creating more than 1,000 new jobs.

Porsche names have an indelible connection with the corresponding model and its characteristics: the name Boxster describes the combination of 'boxer' engine and 'roadster', Cayenne stands for sharpness, the Cayman is snappy and agile and a Panamera is more than a Gran Turismo, capable also of winning the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race.

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ExarSadow11 - 2/19/2012 12:30:48 AM

+1 Boost

Well it depends. I'm pretty sure the FX and Evoque are in a higher class than the X3, GLK, and Q5. But I'd probably say the GLK and Q5

vdiv - 2/20/2012 11:39:20 AM

+1 Boost

I think to answer this question without taking into consideration how the competition is doing right now would be pointless. I think the Macan would not significantly change this and at best compete with the Infinity FX for sales numbers.

Also people who buy these usually have some allegiance or bad experience with a given make so the overall success may drive that of the particular model.

FromThePassengerSeat - 2/19/2012 1:04:18 AM

+2 Boost

"New sports car in the SUV segment"?! Impossible! Perhaps Porsche's marketing department doesn't quite comprehend the idea of a high center of gravity. If an SUV is exciting in any way, it isn't at all when compared to s similarly priced car. For the price of a zero-option Cayenne Turbo, you can buy a well-optioned Panamera 4S! Guess which I'd rather own.

vdiv - 2/20/2012 11:27:12 AM

+1 Boost

Not if you lived in the country-side and had to take your vehicle through a dirt road to get to your mail box in a hurry. If the Cayenne appealed to quite a few people, the barrier of Porsche making bigger vehicles has already been crossed. The smaller Macan is sure to do well, even if the styling is hard to swallow like that of the Panamera and the Cayenne.

FromThePassengerSeat - 2/20/2012 4:00:01 PM

+1 Boost

Someone who lives in a rural area and goes off-roading regularly wouldn't want a luxury car because the interior and paint would be ruined quickly. And if that luxury car is a VW like this one, it'll only crumble even faster. But regardless, the Macan, like the Cayenne or any other SUV, cannot also be a sports car. It's an oxymoron, albeit one that I'll wager will be financially successful.

knowitall1985 - 2/20/2012 9:53:31 AM

+1 Boost

Just what we need another SUV from a sports car maker.....

sdcarguy - 2/20/2012 12:26:05 PM

+2 Boost

The Cayenne.

vdiv - 2/21/2012 12:25:19 PM

+1 Boost

The new X3(F25) is not as big as the last gen. X5 (E53). I had an E53 and never had issues with interior space, front seats or back, whereas I feel extremely claustrophobic in the F25.

Whether the Mecan will significantly cannibalize its older brother, the Cayenne, would depend on how capable it is and how it is priced.

t_bone - 2/20/2012 2:26:53 PM

+1 Boost

RAV4, CRV, Soul?

BondMI6 - 2/21/2012 2:09:43 AM

+1 Boost

Cayenne and some Q5......

Porsche knows the Cayenne's price point has put it outside of many buyers recently so I'm sure they hope to make that up with the Macaw, er I mean Macan't....... No wait it's Macan.

What I want to see is the rumored Pajun......