The Porsche Macan is the latest entrant to the mid-size premium SUV market. It's also super quick and rather good looking. Does that take the shine off the Range Rover Evoque?

Porsche Leipzig is more than a production facility. It's the home of the Cayenne, Panamera and the Macan. But there's more to Porsche Leipzig than engineering excellence alone. It's also a place where you can experience the fascinating appeal of the sports car in every facet. Enter a world that inspires emotion -- whether you're collecting your new Porsche, touring the factory, taking part in an exhilarating driver training or attending an event of any size at our wide-ranging facilities. Welcome to an exciting world where the spirit of Porsche really comes alive. It's an emotion that is difficult to describe in words alone.

Porsche’s base four-cylinder Macan crossover will be offered in select Asian markets and in the UK, but is unlikely to be offered in the U.S. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit also found in the VW Golf GTI, the entry-level Macan promises a better fuel-economy than six-cylinder versions of the SUV currently sold in the U.S. and other markets.

While in China Porsche expects the four-cylinder Macan to be more successful than six-cylinder models, in the UK the automaker says it will sell in “very small numbers.” Since Porsche will dedicate most of the left-hand-drive production to China and other Asian market, there won’t be enough four-cylinder Macans for other global markets – the U.S. included.

“Demand will be strong in China, whereas in right-hand-drive Asian markets such as Japan, there is not such an issue of availability for the engine,” a Porsche spokesman told AutoNews Europe.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the Macan produces 237PS (234hp) at 5,000-6,800 rpm and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) of peak torque at 1,500 - 4,500 rpm, and is paired to Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

Equipped with this engine, the Porsche Macan reaches 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 6.9 seconds and tops out at 223km/h (139mph), with Porsche claiming a city driving fuel economy of between 8.4l and 8.7l per 100km (27-28mpg US / 32.5-33.6 mpg UK).

This Porsche Macan crash isn't as nearly as bad as the first one we saw and which happened in Poland less than a fortnight ago, but that broken rear axle on this silver model doesn't look good at all, now, does it…

We don't have any information whatsoever on the accident, but the car is fitted with German license plates and it was photographed on a transporter truck along with at least two more Macan SUVs that seem to be in good condition.

We could be wrong, but in one of the pictures, it seems like there's a screen of some sort on the passenger side, suggesting that this model may have been a company tester. If any of you happen to know something, tell us in the comments.

Porsche Cars North America has reportedly scolded dealers for using live tigers to promote the new Macan SUV.

One dealer, Reeves Import Motorcars of Tampa, Florida, ignited a firestorm from animal-rights groups after it hired a company to bring in tiger cubs for an event related to the Macan, as the model name is based on the Indonesian word for tiger.

Other dealers had similar plans for their own promotional events, however pressure from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals prompted a formal response from Porsche asking dealers not to use live animals.

"The frightened, helpless cubs are continually carted from town to town and venue to venue--and when they grow up and are no longer profitable, they're often left to languish in small cages or are disposed of," PETA said in a statement published by the Atlanta Business Journal.

After learning of Porsche's message to dealers, PETA praised the company for setting an example of "kindness and good business sense for other companies to follow."

Dealers still plan to hold marketing events for the German automaker's new SUV, though the only animals will be circling the crowd on hors d'oeuvre plates.

Porsche has announced it is checking the brake booster units of approximately 2,500 new Macan crossovers that were predominantly delivered to customers in Europe.

“In-house quality tests revealed that in the initial phase in very isolated cases brake booster units were damaged during an assembly process. The braking function nevertheless complies with legal requirements,” Porsche said in a press statement.

The German sports car manufacturer said all owners of the Macan vehicles that are to be examined will be contacted directly by their responsible Porsche dealer. Porsche also said the inspection is free of charge to customers and only takes a few minutes. No other Porsche models are affected by this action, the company added.

This new announcement comes not long after the 911 GT3 recall, which resulted in the decision to replace the engines of the performance sports cars to prevent them from catching fire.

It appears that Porsche’s ever increasing sales targets don’t come without risks, especially in terms of reliability. Porsche said in February that it expects to increase sales to more than 200,000 vehicles in 2015, from 162,000 last year. The sales target would come three years earlier than expected thanks to high demand for its Macan and Cayenne SUVs.

Porsche's first stab at a compact luxury crossover with the new Macan is one of the better styling efforts we have seen so far in the segment, but as with most German premium models, you usually have to opt for higher-spec editions and/or spend some time/money on the customization catalogue to get the most out of its design.

This creation, based on the current entry-level Macan S, was made through the brand's "Porsche Exclusive" individualization program.

The options chosen for the car include the following items: SportDesign package in high-gloss black with side skirts; SportDesign exterior mirrors; Bi-Xenon main headlights in black and 21-inch Sport Classic wheels painted in high-gloss black.