Porsche Macan 2.0 litre 4-cylinder coming to the UK - but not Europe

The new Porsche Macan with a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder turbo engine – revealed at Beijing – is coming to the UK but won’t be offered in Europe. Costs from £40,276.

The Porsche Macan 2.0 litre Turbo will be available in the UK

Porsche quietly revealed their first car with a 4-cylinder engine in almost a generation at the Beijing Motor Show last month with the arrival of the Porsche Macan 2.0 litre turbo, produced to mop up sale in China.

China’s tax system mitigates against thirstier, bigger-engined cars, so a 2.0 litre turbo attracts tax at less than half the rate of the 3.0 litre V6 in the Macan S, so it will be the big volume model for China.

But the demand from China for the 2.0 litre Macan means Porsche won’t have the capacity to build it for other left hand drive markets, so Europe won’t be getting the little-engined Macan. But the UK will.

With the 2.0 litre Turbo from the Golf GTI producing 237bhp and 258lb/ft of torque, the Macan will hustle to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and return official economy of 37.6mpg. It will also undercut the price of the V6 engined Macan S and Macan diesel at £40,276.

Porsche aren’t expecting demand to be strong for the Macan 2.0 litre, but it should be.

For the majority of drivers who don’t do stellar miles, the new 2.0 litre petrol Macan is a much better bet than the current entry-level diesel.

Yes, the deadline economy for the diesel is better, but for short journeys close to home there probably won’t be a lot to of difference. And the £3k difference in price will pay for any difference in running costs.

But the UK’s blinkered obsession with diesel-engined cars will probably prove Porsche right, and demand in the UK for the baby petrol Macan will be small.

Which is a shame.