Ever since it was introduced a decade ago, the Macan has been a veritable cash cow for Porsche. It has consistently been one of the best-selling products. Even in 2024, when it was axed from Europe because of cybersecurity laws, the crossover racked up 64,517 sales. Only the bigger Cayenne SUV performed better. But the end is nigh for the ICE Macan. Production ends in 2026. Or does it?
A new report from Autocar cites a "senior" Porsche insider saying the company is not entirely confident that the new electric Macan can fully replace the gas model: "The reception to the new Macan [Electric] has been positive, but we are yet to see its long-term performance, given uncertain market conditions." Zuffenhausen has reasons to be concerned, considering Taycan deliveries plummeted by 49 percent in 2024.
The British magazine quotes the same person familiar with Porsche's agenda that "the downturn in Taycan sales highlights new market dynamics. We cannot rely solely on traditional assumptions about consumer behavior." Although the German luxury brand declined to comment on the matter, it has already admitted future EVs could get gasoline-fueled counterparts. In November 2024, Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke declared:
"We are currently looking at the possibility of the originally planned all-electric vehicles having a hybrid drive or a combustion engine. We are currently in the middle of making conceptual decisions. What is clear is that we are sticking with the combustion engine for much longer."
Porsche has already taken measures to prolong the life of the Cayenne. Although a fully electric model is coming this decade, the ICE model, complete with a big V-8, will live to see the 2030s. The company insider cited by Autocar says keeping the gas Macan alive beyond 2026 is a real possibility, and it's one of the "product scenarios" currently being analyzed.
Should the Macan with combustion engines stay, some changes would be needed. After all, the crossover was launched all the way back in 2014, and despite several subsequent updates, it's getting long in the tooth. It's too soon to say whether Porsche will give it yet another facelift or invest more money in a new generation. Porsche would have to stretch its budget, considering it's currently engineering three completely new EVs: the 718 Boxster/Cayman, the Cayenne, and a three-row SUV. It's also been dropping hints about an electric Panamera that would co-exist with the gas car and the Taycan.
Logic tells us that a true next-gen ICE Macan would be mechanically related to the new Audi Q5, which utilizes the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC). PPC has already been seen in the new A5 models and the swoopy Q5 Sportback, with the revamped A7 lineup to follow later this year.
Source: Autocar
