Porsche expects Macan to copy Cayenne's success in China
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SHANGHAI (Bloomberg) -- Porsche expects the Macan compact SUV to have a ''significant volume impact" when it goes on sale in China in the second half of next year.
The sports car maker, which counts the Cayenne SUV as its best seller in China, hopes to build on the success of the larger SUV as part of a push to boost sales in the world's largest car market.
"I'm very confident that when this car [the Macan] has been fully launched in the full year, China will be the number one market," said Helmut Broeker, head of China operations.
As part of the drive to make China its No. 1 market Porsche will also begin deliveries of its $2.2 million 918 Spyder hybrid in the first half of 2014, as well as doubling the number of dealerships in the country to 95 in 2014 from 49 now, Broeker said.
Porsche has benefited from a surge in demand for SUVs -- the fastest-growing segment in China's auto market -- with the Cayenne accounting for about 65 percent of the company's deliveries in the country.
"The fact that they're bringing a smaller version of the Cayenne SUV model is something that specifically in China will work quite well," said Klaus Paur, the Shanghai-based global head of automotive coverage at research firm Ipsos. "It is catering to a segment that is fast growing. It is also part of a trend of luxury brands making their cars more accessible to the market."
918 Spyder hybrid
Porsche is taking orders for the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar, the first of which will be delivered to buyers next year, Broeker said, declining to give sales figures for the automaker's most expensive model.
The car will cost 13.4 million yuan ($2.2 million) in China when including import and consumption taxes, according to the company. "The 918 Spyder of course is a great product for China," Broeker said. "There's quite a lot of interest in China. But I don't think you will see many cars on the road."
This year, Porsche will open about 20 dealerships in cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Foshan and Chengdu, Broeker said. The China head wants sales this year to be a "few cars" above levels in 2012, when deliveries rose 28 percent to a record 31,205 units, he said, declining to be more specific.
The automaker will also start selling new editions of the four-door Panamera and Cayman this year. The Panamera is Porsche's second-best selling model in China after the Cayenne with deliveries at about 9,000 units last year, Broeker said.
The automaker has no plans to follow other foreign automakers in manufacturing vehicles in China to avoid import duties as customers expect their Porsches to be engineered and made in Germany, Broeker added.
To promote its image in China, Porsche plans to open a 135-million yuan handling circuit and training center in Shanghai in 2014, next to the city's Formula One racetrack.
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