Autocar magazine has just shared news from Beijing, where the new Porsche Macan four cylinder engine option has just been unveiled for Stuttgart’s compact SUV.

Volkswagen Golf GTi Engine

Powered by a turbocharged 2-litre Volkwagen EA888 engine – as used across all other VAG brands – the 4-cylinder Macan will run an identical tune to the Golf GTi Performance Pack version, giving 234bhp and 258lb ft of torque, versus the 3.0 Turbo’s 335bhp/339lb ft.

Porsche Macan 200,000 sales target

The move is inevitable. The Porsche CEO recently estimated that the company could sell up to 200,000 Macans next year. They’re not going to do that at £50k a unit: an entry level model is needed using a seriously cheap power unit. The slightly lower emissions and likely engine size tax advantages will also have rub-off benefits in parts of the world, across the Macan range and the broader model portfolio.

While pricing has not been revealed, it’s been confirmed that the Macan 2.0 will run a PDK gearbox in Asia: let’s hope it’s not too slow. There are suggestions it will come to England in 2015, but an earlier debut wouldn’t surprise me. Watch for the 2-litre diesels up next.