New 2014 Porsche Macan

2014 Porsche Macan,Porsche loyalists, look away. You might cry foul over this latest VW Group tie-up with Porsche, but Porsche can't hear you over the ka-ching of all those dollars, euros, yen, and yuan. 

We actually have high hopes for the Audi Q5–based Macan. The reason: The Q5 could be much more capable than it is, but while we don't foresee Audi bringing us an R-edition Q5, we can believe Porsche would go there. 

At first, we expect Porsche to go for improved handling, the way it built the Cayenne to be a more capable high-speed machine than the VW Touareg. AWD will be a given, as will two Audi-derived engines, the 237-hp 2.0-liter turbo four and the 288-hp V-6. Rumors suggest that a manual gearbox could be possible, but we're betting on a seven-speed auto, though there's still hope it could come in a dual-clutch arrangement.