Porsche is gearing up for the launch of updated 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman in India on February 15 this year. Both the 718 sisters will get new powerhouses and several tweaks for enhancing the riding experience.
As we have mentioned above, the most dramatic change lies beneath the hood. Porsche has replaced the flat-six arrangement from the outgoing 718s with the turbocharged flat-four. Let us remind you something here, back in the time the ‘718’ had stood for the Porsche’s race cars of four-cylinder arrangement.
Globally, the powerhouses of new 718s include a 300 hp 2.0-litre and a 350 hp 2.5-litre where the later one powers the more powerful ‘S’ variants. However, in India, the less powerful of two will be offered. The Indian versions of the new 718 range will come with Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox while there will be no option for the manual gearbox.
Despite the engine volume cut, the German sports carmaker claims a reduced 0-100 kmph time of 4.7 seconds for both the 718 cars, against the 4.9 seconds of current models. Moreover, the new Porsche 718 range also gets several tweaks to its suspension to take the riding experience at par with the sharper handling. Besides all these mechanical updates, Porsche has also made a few changes to the cosmetics. The cabin also features company’s latest infotainment system.
Fitted with the comparatively smaller powerhouses than the outgoing models, the upcoming 718 range is expected to start from INR 80 Lakh (ex-showroom) that would be 20 percent down from the current price. Also, the sub-2.0L motor will now be qualified for the less duty that significantly drops the cost. Hence, we can expect a lot more competitive Porsche 718 range in India, however, there is a bucket of options for customization which could put it equal to the old price tag.
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