Porsche Macan a sportscar among SUVs

Published Dec 5, 2014

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ROAD TEST

Porsche Macan S Diesel

Johannesburg - The name of Porsche’s all-new midsized SUV, the Macan, is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger.

Which, if you ask me, is a helluva lot better than the interim name the carmaker pegged on the car – Cajun reminded me of a chicken burger at McDonalds, even if it was meant to signify Cayenne Junior, as some said at the time.

Anyway, the “Tiger SD” personalised plate on our Macan S Diesel test car then was a hint at the car’s identity – but it also reminded me of a certain, rather flamboyant Indian politician whose first wife was fond of calling him The Tiger on national television. But that’s another story.

The German Tiger on test here has a flamboyance all of its own, with its greatest trick being its ability to hide the reality that it’s in fact an SUV. Being a Porsche we knew that the Macan would have access to the carmaker’s strong engines and slick PDK gearbox combinations; what I didn’t expect was how forcefully the engineers have convinced the Macan that it’s more 911 than Cayenne in terms of a handling bloodline. And the Cayenne is no hippo on the dance floor to start with, if you get my drift.

Simply hit one button on the fascia, the Sport Plus button – which in turn hardens and lowers the Macan’s suspension (optional air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management), gets the dual-clutch ‘box on high alert, and throws in a bit of a tailpipe growl to make the point – and the Macan is ready to boogie. And it’s not that the Porsche Macan just gets harder or faster – the stand-out feature here is its limited body roll, from a vehicle with a raised body and offroading-ability on its CV.

THAT “911 FEEL”

People talk about the DNA of cars – with the Macan there’s a very 911/Cayman feel which comes through when you coerce it into assault mode. A few laps on our ride and handling track showed impressive levels of grip, but I was also taken aback by the sharp way in which this tiger turns in, and how – unless thoroughly provoked – it will ignore suggestions of any kind of under- or oversteer. I also dig that power is generally rear-wheel biased – with grip moving to front rubber under hard acceleration or when needed – while that realfeel from the steering implores you to get as surgical as possible with your apexes.

And this was the Macan S diesel; the range-topping Macan turbo – which is purposely windgat spec – should be even more vicious. Having said that, this diesel must offer just about as much balance as you could want in a car. How does 7l/100km consumption (I achieved this on a Jozi-Durbs trip) versus 6.4 seconds to get from standstill to 100km (at our test facility at altitude) sound? That’s ballerina-like consumption versus Bakkies Botha brutality. Not to mention that Porsche themselves claim just a tenth better in either respect

The 180kW/580Nm 3-litre turbodiesel living behind the Macan’s nose has startling acceleration thanks to its efficient and easy-to-use launch control (be sure to get the sport-chrono package), but it’s in your daily commute where you’ll enjoy this powertrain the most. It marries virtually-zero turbolag to masses of in-gear grunt, and a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box which manages the process in a very smooth way.

RHYTHMIC NATURE

The Macan never feels like too little or too much power is reaching rubber; it has a very chilled and rhythmic way about it, with the subtlest of throttle inputs producing the desired feedback.

My only criticism of the ‘box is that even in full-on manual mode it never affords you complete control; it will still swop cogs for you and won’t take a lower cog when you ask it to.

And you’d think all this would come at the detriment of ride quality – but in the saner driving modes, and coupled to the thicker-than-expected 19-inch rubber (235/55 at the front, 255/50 at the rear) the Macan offered a soft and cushy long-distance experience. I reckon those looking to explore the offroading limits of this all-wheel-drive SUV will appreciate those softer tekkies too.

In terms of size I’d have to say that rear legroom isn’t as adult-friendly as you’d expect, but the 500-litre boot and backseats which drop (adding another kilolitre) make for more-than-adequate weekend-away space. Finding the button on the bootlid to raise the electric tailgate, though, will have even Lara Croft scratching her head.

On the looks front I think the designers could have done more to differentiate the Macan from its bigger-brother Cayenne – size-aside I think they look too similar. But some may like the family resemblance.

VERDICT

Porsche calls the Macan (it’s actually pronounced Ma-shan) the sportscar of the compact SUV segment, and I’m hard-pressed to dispute this.This 2015 SA Car of the Year finalist is simply superb.

But dynamism comes at a price. The Macan S Diesel is priced at R862 000; versus the same-engined Audi Q5 coming in at R730 500 and the BMW X3 xDrive30d costing R722 475. Is it worth that massive price difference? It all depends on the price you put on that Porsche badge and those Porsche-like mannerisms. -Mercury Motoring

Follow me on twitter: @mineshbhagaloo

FACTS

Porsche Macan S Diesel

Engine: 3-litre, six-cylinder turbodiesel

Gearbox: Seven-speed PDK dual-clutch

Power: 180kW @ 4000-4500rpm

Torque: 580Nm @ 1750-2500rpm

0-100km/h (claimed): 6.3 seconds

0-100km/h (Gauteng test): 6.4 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 230km/h

Consumption (claimed): 6.3 litres per 100km

Price: R862 000

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