Modern cars are laden with high-tech systems, which require millions of lines of code. Many cars also happen to be fitted with emergency response systems, which – in the event of a crash – automatically contact and send GPS coordinates to emergency responders. On the other hand, this level of connectivity poses cybersecurity threats.
Any vehicle with a SIM card and/or an Internet connection is vulnerable, which is why both automakers and tech giants actively develop solutions to keep the baddies out of the car's electronic brains. The Ford Motor Company, for example, rolled out the heavily encrypted FNV electrical architecture for the 2021 model year in the Ford F-150 and the Mustang Mach-E.
To a degree, legislators are aware of the cybersecurity threats impacting light-duty passenger vehicles. Due to growing cybersecurity concerns in new cars, UN Regulation 155 requires all new light-duty passenger vehicles in the European Union to adhere to strict cybersecurity standards to prevent malicious activity and – obviously enough – personal data theft.
Stemmed from UNECE WP.29, the aforementioned regulation means that Porsche will kill off the internal combustion-engined Macan from its European lineup no later than July 2024. This information comes courtesy of Automotive News Europe. The Macan entered series production at the Leipzig assembly plant in Germany in February 2014, which – in turn – means that its electrical architecture is at least a decade old.
Internally referred as 95B, the Macan was unveiled in November 2013 with Audi Q5 underpinnings. How similar are they, though? Simply put, the first-gen Q5 features the same wheelbase as the Macan.
Photo: SH Proshots
The platform in question is dubbed MLB B/C. The only MLB B/C-based models in production today are the Macan and a luxury-oriented sedan that serves as the spiritual successor to the Volkswagen Phaeton. The combustion-engined Macan's demise from the European market will certainly hurt Porsche.
Not only does the Macan cost less than any other Porsche, but it sells like hotcakes. In 2022, for example, Macan deliveries totaled 86,724 units compared to 95,604 for the pricier and roomier Cayenne. Back in 2019, the Macan outsold the Cayenne (99,944 deliveries compared to 92,055 deliveries for the Cayenne).
This isn't the end of the Macan in Europe, though, for the Macan EV is coming on an all-new platform developed by Porsche and Audi for next-generation electric vehicles. Based on Premium Platform Electric, the Macan EV has been confirmed with 450 kW (612 ps or 603 hp) and 1,000 Nm (738 pound-feet) of torque from a dual-motor configuration.
The Volkswagen Group's PPE further supports rear-wheel drive, which – if there's demand for a rear-drive crossover in Europe – will be duly added to the lineup. The Macan EV's 100-kWh battery is good for just around 500 kilometers on a full charge in the WLTP, which converts to 310 miles in old money.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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