Porsche is planning to steal the thunder from the Jaguar F-Pace by adding a 2.0-litre petrol-powered Macan to its India line-up. Benefitting from lower customs duties on cars with an engine capacity below two litres, Porsche has priced the Macan R4 2.0 petrol at an aggressive Rs 76.16 lakh (ex-showroom). Dealers had already begun taking bookings for the Macan R4 2.0 petrol and a booking amount is set at Rs 10 lakh.
The 252hp Macan R4 will be pegged squarely against the Jaguar F-Pace 2.0 petrol that comes with a 240hp engine. However, Jaguar will bring in this model to the Indian market early next year and hence Porsche is looking to get a first mover advantage with petrol SUV buyers. At launch, the F-Pace will only come with 2-litre and 3-litre diesel options.
The Macan R4 2.0 petrol has a claimed 0-100kph acceleration time of 6.7 seconds and top speed of 229kph. It gets an all-wheel-drive layout and Porsche’s seven-speed PDK auto gearbox. Also standard on this variant is Porsche’s air suspension with PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), which means it promises to be more agile than its British rival. It also gets Porsche’s new-generation 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The 2.0-litre petrol Macan R4 in India sits below the two variants that were already on sale – the 244hp Macan S diesel and the 400hp Macan Turbo petrol.