Porsche ready for post-COVID era

Porsche saw a rare sales dip in China in 2022 but the German sports carmaker is now "well set" in its largest market globally, said its top executive in the country.

It delivered 93,286 vehicles to Chinese buyers last year, down 2 percent from 2021, but this still made up more than 30 percent of its global deliveries.

A combination of factors led to the decrease, including the COVID-19 pandemic that forced people away from dealerships and the industry-wide semiconductor shortages, said Michael Kirsch, president and CEO of Porsche China, last week.

He did not give an estimate of its sale figures this year, as Porsche is a listed company, but said the company is well set and is very much able to react quickly to market demands.

"If there is demand, we will deliver," said Kirsch. "We are confident that we will make the customers we have happy. For us, it is about the happiness of our customers and dealer partners."

Kirsch made the remarks when Porsche made the China premiere of the 911 Dakar last week. The model, limited to 2,500 units globally, will be open for orders in China from March 29.

This new 911 variant is inspired by the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning rally car, also a 911, which obtained the first overall victory for Porsche.

It is a two-door sports car with off-road capabilities. It has a ground clearance of 50 millimeters higher than that of a 911 Carrera with sports suspension.

The standard lift system can raise the front and rear ends an additional 30 mm, making its ground clearance and ramp angle rival those of conventional SUVs.

Porsche said the 911 Dakar's off-road performance is also ensured by two new driving modes.

The Rallye mode features rear-focused all-wheel drive, perfect for loose and uneven surfaces, and the Offroad mode, which features the high clearance, is designed for maximum traction on difficult terrain and on sand.

It sports a 3-litre biturbo six-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 353 kilowatts and a maximum torque of 570 Newton meters. It can sprint from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 240 km/h with all-terrain tyres.

Kirsch said he is seeing the rising popularity of sports cars like the 911 in China.

More popular Porsche models in the country remain its Macan and Cayenne SUVs as well as its Panamera, as in other major markets as well.

Porsche's second new electric vehicle, which it will deliver in 2024, will be a Macan. The first model is the Taycan, which can be seen as the electric version of its 911.

Kirsch worked as chief operating officer at Porsche China from 2012 to 2016 before returning to take the helm of the company's operations in the country in mid-2022.

China is now not only Porsche's largest market but also an innovation powerhouse for the brand's development, he said.

He said his coming back to China six years later is like one going to the family party of a distant relative to find his cousin having grown into a beautiful young man.

"I can tell you, in my cousin, six years later, I see a beautiful strong man who has great confidence, who is very well educated and very proud of himself."