The most ‘affordable’ variant of the Macan has gone on sale in India, from Tuesday, at a sticker price of Rs 76.84 lakh (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). The Macan ‘R4’ is the fourth version of the car that’s sold in India after the S Diesel, Turbo and Turbo with Performance Package. So what exactly does all that money buy you?
Well, the primary difference is, of course, the engine. Powering this Macan is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 252PS of power at 5,000-6,800rpm and 370Nm of torque at 1,600-4,500rpm. The output is transmitted to all four wheels through Porsche’s 7-speed ‘PDK’ double-clutch automatic gearbox. While it is the entry-grade Macan, it certainly isn’t a slouch, with a claimed 0-100kmph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 229kmph.
On the features front, highlights include 3-zone climate control, an 8-way electrically-adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, a powered tailgate and a multi-function sports steering wheel with paddle-shifters. Also offered are daytime running LEDs, 18-inch alloy wheels and personalization options like air suspension, bi-xenon or LED headlamps, a panoramic sunroof and heated seats.
While the Macan does go up against the recently launched Jaguar F-Pace (Rs 72.35 lakh ex showroom, Mumbai), the latter is available only with two diesel engine options in India, i.e. a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit and a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder mill. The closest petrol rival to the entry level Macan, then, would be the Mercedes-Benz GLE 400 4MATIC (Rs 86.38 lakh ex showroom, Mumbai), which gets a 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine producing 333PS of power and 480Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100kmph time of 6.0 seconds.
Like every other Porsche sold in India, the Macan R4 is a direct import from Germany. The SUV will be sold through the six Porsche centres in India, located in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Kochi and Kolkata.
