ATLANTA -- Porsche plans to introduce a diesel-powered version of its Macan crossover in the U.S. in a little more than a year.
"We are now busy with the development and the engineering," said Andre Oosthuizen, vice president of marketing for Porsche Cars North America Inc. "I can confirm that V-6 diesel offering with about 245 hp."
The diesel variant is conservatively expected to be priced below $60,000, Oosthuizen told Automotive News. It will be positioned between the entry-level Macan S, which begins at $50,895, and the Macan Turbo, which begins at $73,295. Those prices include shipping. The Macan S and Turbo went on sale in May.
The new diesel will be a version of the 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 diesel engine offered on the Macan in Europe and other markets. It may be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2015, Oosthuizen said. Sales would begin in late 2015 or early 2016.
Porsche is selling a four-cylinder Macan in China and the U.K., but that base model is "not under consideration for the foreseeable future" for the U.S., Oosthuizen said.
"We don't have enough capacity," he said, "so it's probably the Macan S and Turbo and then our next priority will be the diesel."
