Porsche's new sports SUV is named Macan
Porsche's new sports SUV is named Macan Porsche

German carmaker Porsche's new sports car in the SUV segment will be called Macan.

The name is derived from the Indonesian name for tiger.

According to a press statement released by Porsche, the new car combines suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics in it- like a tiger.

The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche, said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG.

The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations, he added.

The company normally names its car models on words that reflect its core characteristics. For instance, the name Boxster describes the combination of boxer engine and roadster, Cayenne stands for sharpness, Cayman is snappy and agile and Panamera is more than a Gran Turismo, capable also of winning the Carrera Panamericana long-distance race.

Macan is fifth in the Porsche model line and the company expects the new car to emulate the success of the Cayenne.

The SUV will start coming off the production lines in Leipzig in 2013.

The company is expanding its manufacturing facility in Saxony into a fully-fledged production plant including body assembly line and paint shop. The project with 500 million euro of investment is one of the biggest building projects in Porsche's corporate history, the company has said.

The company said the new facility would be generating more than 1,000 new jobs in medium term.

Manufacturing Investment Manufacturing Investment