Porsche Macan grounded in 13 CARB states

LAS VEGAS -- A certification slowdown has frozen deliveries of Porsche's hottest nameplate to dealerships in 13 states.

All 2017 Porsche Macans shipped to the U.S. so far that were destined for states subject to California Air Resources Board certification have been grounded at U.S. ports for several weeks, Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, confirmed to Automotive News.

"We're running behind schedule to get the Macan homologated for model year '17, but we're just about to fix that," Zellmer said.

"It takes longer, but we're following procedure," he said. "The formal procedure is setting the pace for us, and we understand that." He declined to say how many Macans are sitting at the ports.

The delay is part of the fallout from Volkswagen AG's diesel emissions cheating scandal. Regulators now are giving extra scrutiny to new-vehicle emissions testing for all automakers. Thus, it's taking longer for new models to become certified.

In the case of the Macan, the hold-up is not cause for concern, Porsche executives said. It hasn't been a significant delay, and the 2017 Macans slated for non-CARB states are on sale. But customers in the CARB states with 2017 Macans on order have been peppering Porsche and dealership personnel with questions on what's holding up the cars.

The Macan's low stock levels have probably compounded customer sensitivity, Zellmer said. The compact crossover has been either sold out or in very short supply since it went on sale in May 2014. "Customers are waiting for that car for so long, so they're really impatient," Zellmer said.

Dealer Roger Jobs, who owns a Porsche store in Bellingham, Wash., one of the states subject to CARB, has seven 2017 Macans waiting at a port. All seven were presold to customers. Until CARB certifies them, Jobs has no Macans to sell. His dealership is sold out of 2016 models.

"If it happens this month," said Jobs, a member of the Porsche Board of Regents, "it would be fantastic."

Ryan Beene contributed to this report.