STUTTGART: Series production of the new Macan has begun at Porsche's Leipzig site after parts of the factory were specially adapted for the German compact luxury performance sport utility vehicle (SUV).

The first vehicle emerged dressed from the assembly line in Mamba Green Metallic and goes to a Chinese customer.





“In 2011, the plant in Leipzig was expanded into a full-sized facility to accommodate the compact SUV, featuring its own body shop and paint shop," said Porsche Leipzig Gmbh executive board chairman Gerd Rupp.

China has become the top-selling market for Porsche vehicles and with more than 100,000 deliveries since its market launch in 2014, the Macan is particularly popular.

The company estimated that by the beginning of September, production of the new Macan at its Leipzig site will increase to over 420 units per day - matching the production rate of its predecessor in just a few days.



“When the factory was put into operation in February 2014, the plan was to produce 40,000 units per year. Today we produce more than 90,000 units per year for markets around the world, and since 2014, approximately 350,000 units of the compact SUV have been delivered to customers worldwide,” he added.

A number of optimisations were applied to the Macan's exterior for an even sportier and modern look.

The rear has been completely re-designed - building upon its with a three-dimensional LED light strip to provide a characteristic Porsche design feature.

The body shop at the Leipzig plant was expanded specifically to create a dedicated area for the production of the rear lid.

In addition, various parts of the assembly line have been optimised and adapted to accommodate the new production levels of the compact SUV.

The new Macan celebrated its world premiere in Shanghai at the end of July and is touted to have been significantly enhanced in terms of its design, comfort, connectivity and driving dynamics,

From now on, the new LED technology will also feature in the headlights as standard.



The most striking innovations inside the vehicle include the 10.9-inch touchscreen of the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM), re-designed and re-positioned air vents and the GT sports steering wheel from the 911.

The PCM enables access to new digital functions, such as intelligent voice control and the online navigation system provided as standard.

The vehicle’s range of comfort equipment has also been expanded to include a traffic jam assistant, an ioniser and heated front windscreen.

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