Porsche will remove the combustion-powered Macan from sale in the EU in spring 2024, as it won't meet new cybersecurity rules, but it will remain available in the UK. 

The popular SUV, on sale since 2014, was developed before the specifics of the regulation had been finalised. It will be taken off sale in the EU in April, before the regulations come into force on 1 July. 

Porsche told Autocar: “In the EU, the combustion-powered Macan will not be available indefinitely. The main reason for this is the General Safety Regulation of the European Union, to which the platform will not be converted. Any models that do not meet these requirements will no longer be eligible for new registration in the EU after 1 July 2024.

“As a result, sale of the Macan with an internal-combustion engine is expected to be discontinued in the EU during the spring, thereby ensuring that the vehicles can be delivered to customers and registered by the deadline.

"In regions outside the EU, the Macan with an internal-combustion engine can remain available for longer.”

On the Macan’s future in the UK, a Porsche spokesperson said: “The Macan is expected to remain on sale in the UK throughout 2024.”

The ICE car is set to be replaced by the new electric Macan, which is technically unrelated and compliant with the new rules.

The regulations included a sub-clause called UNECE WP.29, which concerns cybersecurity and stipulates that all new cars in the EU must have a cybersecurity certificate and be fitted with electronics to protect them from hackers.

Each car must prove that it's protected against 70 vulnerabilities, including cyber attacks during development, production and post-production.

Manufacturers will face a fine of up to €30,000 (£25,732) per vehicle if they don't comply with the regulation.

The Macan has been a hugely important car for Porsche in Europe, with 20,117 examples sold so far in 2023, according to Jato Dynamics. This compares with 8205 for the Range Rover Velar and 10,076 for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio - two of its closest rivals.

Produced at Porsche's plant in Leipzig, Germany, the Macan is currently offered in four guises: Macan, Macan T, Macan S, and Macan GTS, with the former two powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and the latter two a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6.

Production of the Macan for markets outside the EU is unaffected, according to Porsche. Accordingly, the combustion Macan is scheduled to be produced at Porsche’s Leipzig plant in Germany until the end of 2025.

ANE also reports that the UNECE WP.29 regulation is the reason why Volkswagen will take the e-Up off sale next year, because it would be too expensive to integrate a new electronic architecture to allow the 12-year-old city car to remain compliant.

At this stage, it remains unclear whether the Audi Q5, which was developed alongside the Macan and also uses the MLB platform, is affected by the UNECE’s cybersecurity regulation.

Audi says it has established a cybersecurity management system and a software update management system for its models, under the UNECE regulation.

It remains to be seen if any other models will be taken off sale ahead of the new rules coming into force.