Porsche Pajun klar til produktion

[Auto News]

Porsche ' s " baby Panamera' ville være selskabets første mainstream-model. Porsche er klar til at give grønt lys for, at en direkte konkurrent til BMW 5-serie og Mercedes E-klasse, efter mere end et års forskning og debat, der ifølge selskabets insidere.
Hvis projektet er rubber-stamped, Porsche ville for første gang ind et mainstream markedssegment, omend en premium sektor domineret af tysk tre store. Hvis modellen får grønt lys, det vil ramme showrooms i 2016 på de allertidligste, men det er stadig betragtes som en del af Porscher planlægger at sælge 200.000 enheder årligt i 2018.
Michael Mauer, Porscher styling chief, blev for nylig citeret for at sige, at en mindre end Panamera gadebil var en mulighed. Dens troede at Mauers designteam for nylig har kunnet tilbringe alvorlige tid på begrebet 5-serie-størrelse nu at Macan SUV og Panamera ansigtsløftning er både på vej til showroom.
De fleste forventer, at Pajun (et kaldenavn stammer fra Panamera junior) vil være en fem-dørs fastback, ligesom sin større bror. En Mercedes CLS-stil sportwagon version er også penciled i, med en to-dørs coupe muligt i det næste årti. Dens troede også at V8 og fire-cylinder motorer har afkræftet.
De fleste kilder i industrien forventer Pajun skal bygges på VW grupper næste generations MSB platform. Porsche er ved at udvikle denne bag-drevet og alle-wheel-drev arkitektur til brug under den næste generations Panamera, næsten alle fremtidige Bentleys, blandt andre high-end modeller, VW Group, vil også bruge den.
Porsche kunne have brugt Audi næste generations blandet-materialer MLB arkitektur, som vil også understøtte sin kommende Macan SUV, samt alle fremtidige Audi modeller fra A4 til A7.
Men MLB er en indbygget front-hjul drev platform, så alle versioner af en MLB-baseret Pajun ville have været all-wheel-drev. En front-wheel-drive Porsche anses for utænkeligt.
Ifølge tal fra IHS og Credit Suisse auto analytikere, det globale marked for premium E-segment - biler, der omfatter 5-serien, E-klasse og Audi A6 - vil i år være omkring 970,000.
Dette tal forventes for at hoppe langs på nogenlunde samme niveau indtil 2017, hvornår en vækst spike vil tage det til omkring 1. 3 millioner enheder ved udgangen af 2019. Så er dette frugtbar nye område for Porsche.
Dette markedssegment lover store avancer. Er ikke så rentabelt pr. enhed som markedet for store, premium SUV'er, (som Porsche allerede udnytter med Cayenne), men salgsmængder er større. Dette er grunden til Maserati også søger for at udnytte dette marked med sin nye Ghibli.
Det er nemt at forstå hvorfor de mere eksklusive premium brands ser potentiale til at ryste op en segment domineret af 5-serien, E-klasse og A6. Disse tre modeller tegner sig for omkring 70 procent af det globale salg i sektoren.
Premium E-segment marked underpræsterende sammenlignet med andre premium segmenter, ifølge Credit Suisse analytiker George Galliers.
Vi mener, dette er en del af den igangværende tendens til andre køretøjer [såsom SUV'er], sagde Galliers. Mulighed for vækst i denne pris vifte/køretøj størrelse forventes at komme fra sammenlignelige produkter, som ikke svarer til de traditionelle tre-box sedan, efter vores mening. Formentlig, dette er den mulighed, som Porsche ser også.
Vi formoder, at ethvert produkt, som de ville tilbyde sandsynligvis ville have en hatchback konfiguration som Panamera.

Porsche's 'baby Panamera' would be the company's first mainstream model. Porsche is poised to give the green light to a direct rival for the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class after more than a year of research and debate, according to company insiders.
If the project is rubber-stamped, Porsche would for the first time be entering a mainstream market segment, albeit a premium sector dominated by the German big three. If the model gets the go-ahead, it will hit showrooms in 2016 at the very earliest, but it is still considered part of Porsches plan to sell 200,000 units annually by 2018.
Michael Mauer, Porsches styling chief, was recently quoted as saying that a road car smaller than the Panamera was a possibility. Its thought that Mauers design team have recently been able to spend serious time on the 5-series-sized concept, now that the Macan SUV and Panamera facelift are both heading for the showroom.
Most expect that the Pajun (a nickname derived from Panamera junior) will be a five-door fastback, like its bigger brother. A Mercedes CLS-style sportwagon version is also pencilled in, with a two-door coupe possible in the next decade. Its also thought that V8 and four-cylinder engines have been ruled out.
Most industry sources expect the Pajun to be built on the VW Groups next-generation MSB platform. Porsche is developing this rear-drive and all-wheel-drive architecture for use under the next-generation Panamera, Nearly all future Bentleys, among other high-end VW Group models, will also use it.
Porsche could have used Audis next-generation mixed-materials MLB architecture, which will also underpin its upcoming Macan SUV, as well as all future Audi models from the A4 to A7.
However, the MLB is a natively front-wheel drive platform, so all versions of an MLB-based Pajun would have been all-wheel drive. A front-wheel-drive Porsche is considered unthinkable.
According to figures from IHS and Credit Suisse auto analysts, the global market for premium E-segment cars — which includes the 5-series, E-class and Audi A6 — will this year be about 970,000.
That figure is projected to bounce along at about the same level until 2017, when a growth spike will take it to about 1. 3 million units by the end of 2019. So this is fertile new territory for Porsche.
This market segment promises substantial profit margins. Its not as profitable per unit as the market for big, premium SUVs (which Porsche is already exploiting with the Cayenne), but sales volumes are bigger. This is why Maserati is also looking to exploit this market with its new Ghibli.
Its easy to understand why the more exclusive premium brands see the potential to shake up a segment dominated by the 5-series, E-class and A6. These three models account for about 70 per cent of global sales in the sector.
The premium E-segment market is underperforming compared with other premium segments, according to Credit Suisse analyst George Galliers.
We believe this is part of the ongoing trend towards other vehicles [such as SUVs], said Galliers. The growth opportunity in this price range/vehicle size is likely to come from comparable products which do not conform to the traditional three-box saloon, in our view. Presumably, this is the opportunity which Porsche also sees.
We presume that any product which they would offer would most likely have a hatchback configuration as per the Panamera.