Porsche Macan

Overview

When Porsche launched the Cayenne for the first time, little did we know that a supercar maker will make such a huge mark in the SUV segment, thus ensuring confidence in other sports car manufacturers to venture into this particular segment. Following the immense success of Cayenne, Porsche decided to expand its reach in the SUV portfolio by launching its smaller avatar, the Macan. Built on the same platform as that of the Cayman series, the Porsche Macan is available in Malaysia in two different variants – Macan and Macan S. While the Macan comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The latter comes with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine, with each of them coming in a single variant, but with a host of customizable options.

Interior & Features

On the inside too, the Macan shares a lot with other Porsche models, which is why it doesn’t look like a cockpit of an SUV but of a traditional sports car. It doesn’t require a special mention to be called premium or luxurious. For the Macan’s interior looks like any other luxury sports car, with various elements and equipment used of a very high standard.

The steering wheel is not a flat-bottom unit but is wrapped in nice leather and comes with a three-spoke design. It is finished with silver tone for the spokes and large Porsche logo sitting in the middle of the wheel. The three-pod instrument console is typical Porsche-like, with the centrally mounted tachometer accentuating the sporty appeal of the car.

The Porsche Macan has got a nice thick slab of silver finish running throughout the middle of the dashboard. The centre console feels wide and chunky, with the large 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system sitting right in the middle of it, along with vertical AC vents on its either sides.

The slanted transmission tunnel with a host of buttons for electronics makes it look like a cockpit of a fighter jet, while the small analogue clock positioned right above the centre console atop of the dashboard lend it a classy touch. There is no need to say that the fit and finish of materials used in the interiors of this car is of a very high order. However, what defaces the overall show is the limited interior space inside the cabin of the Macan, which is best suited only for four adults at max.

Exterior

From the outside, the Macan is an unmistakable Porsche in terms of design. The entire design philosophy of Porsche of keeping the things as simple but elegant as possible makes the Macan looks like a scaled down Cayenne. However, there are a couple of design elements which make the Macan a separate entity as compared to a Cayenne.

From the front, the typical ovular headlamps with LED units inbuilt within them comes straight from Porsche’s other cars from the lineup. However, the Macan comes with a very large front bumper which has a huge, wide, open-mouth grille with both horizontal and vertical slats. This grille, along with the large fake vents below the turn indicators and slim housings for the fog lamps, makes the front of the Macan look bulky from the front.

From the sides, the Macan looks more like a crossover than a traditional SUV, thanks to its sloping roofline and limited ground clearance. The side profile of the Macan makes it look like a raised Cayman, with the absence of any characteristic line or curve, lending it a simple and no-nonsense look. However, the large alloy wheels, along with black cladding on the lower portion of the doors gives it some substance.

At the rear, the minimalist approach of the Macan’s design has been well executed, with a fuss-free rear door complemented with slim and horizontal LED tail lamps. The large black spoiler above the rakish windscreen makes it look sportier rather than being bulky from the rear.

Ride & Handling

Porsche cars are known for prioritizing handling over performance, which is why the Macan, even with its SUV-ish character, feels more like a sports car with a greater ride height. The Macan gets fully independent double wishbone suspension at the front and a self-tracking trapezoidal-link suspension at the rear. The overall suspension is slightly on a stiffer ide, but is nowhere close to being uncomfortable on the inside. The Macan S gets a slightly stiffer suspension setup to make it more agile in feel, with this sportier variant getting 6-piston calipers at the front as compared to 4-piston calipers at the front in the standard Macan for assurance in fine stopping power. The AWD system in both the variants work flawlessly, and the ride height can be electrically adjusted from 170 mm to 207 mm for variations in driving experiences.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Porsches are known for excavating maximum performance from the smallest-in-competition engines, and the Macan too follows the family ideology. Under the hood, the Macan gets two engine options. The standard Macan gets the-smallest-in-Porsche-lineup 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which develops 252 PS of power and 370 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the more premium and sportier Macan S gets a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol motor, which pumps out 340 PS of power and 460 Nm of torque. In both the variants, the engines have been mated to Porsche’s traditional 7-speed PDK automatic gearbox.

Braking & Safety

Since it’s a Porsche model, the Macan doesn’t compromise on safety standards. The compact SUV is equipped with state-of-the-art safety features such as front, side and curtain airbags. It also has ABS with EBD and brake assist. The Porsche Stability Management in the Macan uses a host of sensors for monitoring driving direction, speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration, along with other conventional electronic driving aids.

Verdict

With the Macan, Porsche has made one thing clear – it is not a traditional, go-anywhere, bulky SUV, but a crossover which has a performance and driving dynamics of a sports car but in an SUV-ish profile. The exterior looks might appeal a bit bland for some, but it does ooze out quality and elegance. The interiors appear out to be rich and premium in feel as well as get a host of features too. And finally, since it’s a Porsche, you do get uncompromised levels of performance and driving dynamics which simply no other compact SUV in its range offers.