I have good news; this isn’t another article lamenting the fact that we are not getting another amazing European diesel.
That’s because the brand-new Porsche Macan will be bringing its sporty V6 diesel to our fair shores. What’s more, flipping the usual trend of paying more for the diesel option, the Macan diesel will be the cheapest in the range.
This makes the Macan even more of an important car than it already was. We already knew that this car was a critical portion of Porsche’s sales plan, as well as – without even having driven it – probably the best luxury crossover on the market. Now it’s also a testcase to see if American luxury buyers will flock to diesel in the same numbers as their European counterparts.
The diesel in question should give Porsche the best possible chance of making that happen. It is in essence the same 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo diesel found in the Cayenne and the Audi Q5. In this application, with a single variable geometry turbine, its good for 258 horsepower and a pavement-creasing 428 pound-feet of torque from 1750 rpm on up.
Car and Driver reports that in the Macan with this engine, all-wheel drive, and a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox should be good for at least 24 city mpg and 31 highway. Not too shabby for a crossover, that can hardly be called ‘small’ … or, for that matter, ‘light’.
Interestingly, the diesel won’t be a premium option. Instead, it will likely slotted below the twin-turbo gas V6 Macan S, as the base option. With prices likely starting at just under $50,000 you can’t exactly call it ‘cheap’, but it does look like incredibly good value. Unfortunately, that good value is going to have to wait until late 2014 or early 2015.
For price sensitive buyers, the diesel is the option because we won’t be getting the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder motor that shows up in other markets. I am okay with that. If you are buying a Porsche crossover, you probably aren’t in the market for a four-banger anyhow.
The diesel model will still handle and drive sublimely. And all that torque will give you good acceleration where you need it in real driving – not to mention impressive performance fuel economy.
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