- Porsche insiders confirm that the gasoline-engined Macan will stick around for a few years, even as the new Macan EV is slated for a 2021 debut.
- The current Macan will get a facelift to look similar to, but not exactly like, the new EV.
- No plug-in hybrid is coming, though; its batteries would take up too much space.
Last February, Porsche shocked the automotive world with a surprising statement: The next-generation Macan, due for the 2022 or 2023 model year, would be all electric. It’s a bold move, and if you think that a total switch to an all-electric Macan sounds like a risky proposition, you are not alone. Porsche apparently thinks so, too, since it has previously announced that electric- and gasoline-powered models would sell alongside each other.
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We can now confirm that we are not just talking about a short overlap. The gasoline-powered model, essentially the current model, will be facelifted to resemble its electric sister model. And it will run for another three years next to the new model, a top-level brand executive has confirmed. Another insider hastens to add that there is some flexibility as to the product cycle: “Such an important car can keep the internal-combustion engine even longer,” we are told.
We think this cautious, customer-friendly strategy makes a lot of sense. The current Macan has become an important backbone for the brand. In fact, insiders tell us the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder Macan has been the brand’s best-selling model for some time.
While Porsche remains committed to the gasoline-powered Macan, the ultra-efficient diesel engine is unlikely to make a comeback: In 2018, Porsche had announced it would stop selling the oil burners that had fallen into disrepute as a consequence of the VW Group’s diesel scandal.
If that decision is ever reversed, modern and emissions-compliant diesels are readily available in the VW Group. However, there is one thing we are guaranteed not to see: a plug-in hybrid. The batteries, we are told, would eat up way too much trunk space.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
