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Porsche Brazil Launches Cheaper Macan with 2.0 Turbo Engine from Audi Q5

The entry-level Porsche Macan SUV is making its way to yet another emerging market, Brazil, where it's just been launched at the princely sum of 299,000 real, equivalent to $105,000.
Porsche Macan 2.0T 1 photo
Photo: Porsche
Local media is reporting that this is a Macan powered by a Golf GTI engine. But that's not exactly true, despite the identical displacement. GTIs get EA888 mills from Volkswagen while the Macan's turbo is the same as the 2.0 TFSI used by the A4/A5 and Q5.

Since the Q5 and Macan share the same platform, it wasn't that hard for engineers to swap over the 2-liter turbo. However, Porsche only offers it in emerging markets because it fears it may damage their brand value.

Output is officially rated at 237 PS (174 kW) from 5,000 rpm and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) from 1,500 rpm. Linked to a PDK gearbox and all-wheel drive system, the turbo engine will push its way to 100 km/h in in 6.9 seconds and offers a top speed of 223 km/h (137 mph). That makes it about 0.6 seconds slower to the benchmark speed than a Macan S Diesel.

In Brazil, the Macan is also sold in two other variants, including the Macan S, which retails at 399,000 real and offers a 340 horsepower 3-liter V6 engine. That means the new entry-level model is cheaper by exactly 25%, so many buyers may be attracted by the famous German prancing horse badge.

What's interesting is that the Macan Turbo 2.0T not only has the smallest engine of all the Porsche models currently sold in Brazil, it's also the cheapest. How's that for mass-market appeal?

Sadly, this isn't the least powerful Macan model in the world. That title belongs to the Macan S Diesel 211 PK, which offers the same 211 hp output as a Mercedes CLA 250 in Belgium and a few other countries.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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