Thursday Nov 07, 2024
FT
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Tuesday, 26 August 2014 01:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Macan S and the Macan Turbo will also be made available to the Sri Lankan customers of Porsche through Eurocars Ltd., the official importer of German built Porsche cars to Sri Lanka.
Macan, which means tiger in Indonesian dialect, was launched at both the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Tokyo Motor Show in 2013. It marks Porsche’s entrance to the compact SUV segment and is the fifth model line for the world renowned brand.
It is also regarded as the first sports car introduced to the compact SUV segment, taking Porsche’s offering of sporty all-wheel drive vehicles across an unprecedented range.
Eurocars Ltd. Chairman Arthur Senanayake said: “With the arrival of the all new Porsche Macan, we are excited to offer the sports car of the compact SUV to the Sri Lankan market, which opens up another entry into the exclusive world of Porsche. We are confident that the Macan will contribute further to the success of the Porsche brand.”
Equipped with a sporty seven speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), which is the most powerful engine range in its class, combined with the Porsche Traction Management (PTM), considered one of the finest driving systems in the world, and a sporty mix of tyres fitted as standard, the Maccan is claiming the top spot in its segment from the outset.
The Macan Turbo boasts of unrivaled features never seen before in any Porsche model specifically, a 3.6 litre V6 biturbo engine with 400 hp capable of catapulting the vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.
The Macan S also stands out from among its competitors with a three litre V6 biturbo engine delivering an output of 340 hp. Also equipped with a powerful and extremely efficient in liner four cylinder petrol engine with turbocharging, the Macan features a 2.0 litre displacement which delivers an output of 237 hp.
Many of the design elements have been taken from Porsche’s sports cars and enhanced for the Macan and those familiar with other lines in the Porsche brand will notice many details reminiscent with of the iconic 911 sports car and the technological benchmark of the 918 model. The wraparound bonnet and gentry sloping rood line accentuate the overall impression of sporty elegance and powerful dynamics.
The range of equipment fitted on the Macan as standard is extensive. Its design features an all-wheel drive, PDK, multi-function sport steering wheel with shift paddles, large wheels, high performance audio system and an electrically operated tailgate. Among various optional special equipment offers, also available are further exclusive high
lights such as the air suspension system which cannot be found on any vehicle in its segment.
There is also the Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) system, which has been specially tailored to the Macan. This system distributes varying levels of drive torque to the rear wheels and works in conjunction with an electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock.
The list of Porsche options includes the much sought-after dynamic high beam forming part of the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus), which continuously adjusts the headlight level in keeping with the traffic ahead and any oncoming traffic. A choice of premium-quality audio equipment is available in the form of the optional sound systems from Burmester and Bose.
Retail prices of the new Macan, Macan S and Macan Turbo are at around Rs. 16,900,000, Rs. 22,300,000 and Rs. 33,900,000 respectively.
The Macan is produced at the Leipzig plant in Germany. Porsche has invested around EUR 500 million into the site there since development of the Macan was announced in 2012, expanding it into a fully-fledged plant with its own bodyshell construction facility and paint shop.
The new production line is set up to produce around 50,000 vehicles per year – all manufactured with the utmost precision and to the highest level of quality.
With the introduction of the Macan, Porsche is writing another chapter in its on-going success story in Leipzig. Porsche also has plans of more than doubling its workforce at the Leipzig site, increasing its current employees count from 1,150 to 2,550.
Pix by Daminda
Harsha Perera
