Porsche Macan (2014)

Porsche’s upcoming Macan compact crossover, due for a reveal late next year ahead of a sales launch in 2014, will adopt a bold new look the automaker has no qualms of admitting was inspired by the aggressive lines of the Range Rover Evoque.

As our earlier spy shots revealed, the new Macan was shaping up to look like just like a downsized Cayenne. However, the success of the Range Rover Evoque has led Porsche designers to rethink just how aggressive they can make their new compact crossover.

The information was revealed by Porsche design chief Michael Mauer during an interview with Automotive News Europe (subscription required).

“As the person responsible for the look of the cars, I’m not afraid to make changes,» he explained. «When I saw the Evoque, I thought, interesting. I like it.”

The Range Rover Evoque went on sale last year and has been a runaway success for Land Rover, which is struggling to keep up with demand.

Mauer stressed that the Macan won’t be a copy of the Evoque. Instead, expect to see some of the elements from the recent Panamera Sport Turismo concept feature on the car.

Specific elements from the stunning concept that will feature on future Porsche models include the quad-lens headlight design, C-shaped intake and slit-like tail-lights. Pictured above is a teaser image for the new Macan, which incorporates many of these same elements.

The Macan is a crucial model for Porsche, as the automaker expects it to be its top-seller. Sales projections of around 50,000-55,000 units per year have been described by Porsche as cautious estimates, and more recently there has been talk that sales numbers could reach as much as 75,000 units per year. At this level the Macan would represent more than 50 percent of Porsche’s total volume.

The Macan will enter production at Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany next year. It is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2014. It will be based on a modified version of the Audi Q5’s platform and in some guises could develop as much as 370 horsepower.