Porsche Macan 2014 Review

Porsche Macan S Diesel, S and Turbo

Launch Review
Torquay, Australia

With SUV sales booming globally – especially in Australia – it's no surprise Porsche's smallest and cheapest SUV is already selling like hotcakes.

In fact, three-quarters of the 800 Macans to be delivered Down Under from next month have been spoken for since Porsche announced pricing in December, single-handedly increasing Porsche sales by more than 40 per cent this year.

Next year with freer supplies, Macan sales will rival those of the Cayenne, which already accounts for more than half of all Porsche sales and is the reason for the iconic German brand's ongoing prosperity.

It mightn't please Porsche sports car purists that SUVs could soon comprise 80 per cent of the sports car maker's volume, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. The Q5 upon which the Macan is loosely based has long been Audi Australia's top-seller, narrowly ahead of the Q3, and SUVs account for almost half of all Audi sales – even before it embarks on a dramatic expansion of its crossover range.

Undoubtedly, Porsche's badge cachet will play a big role in the Macan's popularity, which will have an impact on sales of the Cayenne, a model larger in every dimension but still only capable of seating five.

The local Macan range opens with the Macan S Diesel, which thanks to its sub-7.0L/100km luxury car tax concession costs $84,900 plus on-road costs. The mid-range Macan S costs $2300 more at $87,200 plus ORCs, while the Macan Turbo tops the range with a twin-turbo V6 producing almost 300kW, and priced from a hefty $122,900 before options.

Positioned as it is, the base Macan S Diesel might cost $8800 more than Audi's equivalent Q5 3.0 TDI (from $76,100), but it's a significantly different vehicle even if it's also a mid-size five-door crossover wagon with five doors and five seats.

We drove the Macan at its global launch in Germany in February, when we covered all the technical details. Suffice to say that compared with the Q5 the Cayenne's little brother comes with a sleeker body, all-new interior, different suspension, bigger brakes and Porsche engines, except for the Audi-sourced V6 diesel.

Inside, the Macan is far sportier than the Q5, featuring low-slung, hip-hugging powered sports seats up front, separated by a rising Panamera- and 911-style centre console and a large central tacho that dominates the Zuffenhausen brand's trademark overlapping five-dial instrument cluster.

A highlight is the multifunction colour display that, as in other Porsche models, duplicates all functions of the standard seven-inch central touch-screen, which comes with a reversing camera, 235-Watt/11-speaker sound system, 40GB music hard-drive, sat-nav with 3D mapping and full Bluetooth connectivity.

That means you can view all vehicle functions directly ahead without removing your hands from the three-spoke leather 918-inspired steering wheel (with standard shift paddles), including trip computer, navigation, all-wheel drive distribution, audio and, when optioned, tyre pressure and stop watch info.

The latter comes as part of the optional Sport Chrono package, which also includes launch control and, at $2690, is among a host of optional extras including a huge panoramic glass sunroof that robs 41mm of headroom.

Even when fitted, however, the Macan offers enough space for tall occupants front and rear, where there are ventilation outlets and a 40/20/40-split rear seatback. Luggage space ranges between 500 and 1500 litres in total, falling at least 40 litres short of the Q5, thanks to a more coupe-like tailgate.

As standard, the latter is power-operated and height-adjustable, but there is no full-size spare wheel. Other cargo storage measures include a big glovebox, centre compartment, bottle-size door pockets and 75kg-capacity roof rails.

In short, the Macan cabin is sportier than any other SUV's and shows no signs of cost-cutting compared to other Porsches, matching Audi's impeccable fit and finish and covering all surfaces in either high-quality leather, Alcantara or carpet. S models score classy piano-black highlights, instead of brushed metal surfaces in the top-spec Turbo, with carbon and wood on the options list.

But as with all Porsches, it's the driving experience that sets the Macan apart from its competitors. Put simply, Porsche's smallest SUV sets new standards for dynamics in its class, steering with more accuracy, braking with more force and gripping the road with more alacrity than any other SUV.

On a wet and slippery Great Ocean Road, and other equally testing rural Victorian roads used for this week's press launch, the Macan displayed a level of grip and road holding that was literally breath-taking, requiring ham-fisted mid-corner throttle inputs to awaken the stability control system and even allowing a degree of power oversteer attitude in full-house Turbo form.

No, the Macan isn't a sports car. No high-riding five-door wagon with a starting weight of no less than 1865kg (just 165kg lower than the base Cayenne) could ever wear that label. But the level of precision, feedback and driver involvement on offer is simply astounding for a vehicle this tall and heavy.

In fact, we'd wager that in these conditions, a well-driven 911 would be no quicker than the Macan, which is as close as Porsche is ever likely to come to building a bona-fide 'hot hatch'.

But the Macan isn't just 'the sports car of SUVs', as Porsche claims, since its breadth of character also includes a fuel-sipping V6 diesel that accelerates it to 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds, consumes just 6.1L/100km and is one of the quietest and smoothest oil-burners in the business.

On the move, its cabin remains as quiet as other Macans, with tyre noise from the standard 19-inch tyres the only unexpected intrusion on rough road surfaces. The similarly staggered-size 20-inch tyres on the Turbo, which also comes standard with air suspension and adjustable damping in Australia, are even louder.

Powered by a Porsche-tuned 190kW/580Nm V6 turbo-diesel, the Macan S Diesel (pictured in white) isn't as quick or powerful as Audi's flagship SQ5, which packs a 230kW/650Nm twin-turbo diesel V6 and can hit 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds.

With a high 5200rpm rev-limit and a broad spread of effortless torque available from just 1750rpm, you're only rarely caught wanting for more performance by a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch auto (standard in all models) that's sometimes slow to downshift outside Sport mode, which still doesn't offer full manual control.

Weighing 15kg less and featuring the same 350/330mm brake and 19-inch wheel package as the diesel, the Macan S (pictured in grey) comes with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 derived from Porsche's 4.8-litre V8 and delivering 250kW/460Nm – enough to hit 100km/h in 5.4 seconds.

For almost $123,000, the big-daddy Turbo (pictured in black) lowers that mark to a rapid 4.8 seconds (the launch control option knocks another two-tenths off all 0-100km/h times) but its longer-stroke 294kW/550Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 sounds only marginally more attractive than the Macan S.

But that's a minor blight on a soul-stirring, hot-blooded SUV that, at least until the M version of BMW's upcoming X4 arrives, is likely to remain the world's most sporting utility vehicle this side of a Lamborghini Urus.