This is
Porsche’s new baby SUV, the Macan – which means tiger
in Indonesian.
2014 Porsche Macan S
Like in all
Porsche sports cars, the rev-counter takes pride of place.
When you
first walk up to the Porsche Macan, what strikes you
is its relatively modest size. This all-new compact luxury SUV has a similar
footprint to the Audi Q5, but that’s to be expected. The Macan
is based on a modified version of the Q5’s platform and also shares its 2,807mm
wheelbase with its German cousin, but other than that there is little in
common.
2014 Porsche Macan Turbo Dash View
In fact, the
Macan looks like a junior Cayenne, taking a number of
design cues from its bigger sibling. It’s a nicely rounded shape with few sharp
lines, and the only aggressive bit is the massive grille, with equally massive
air intakes at each end of the bumper. Viewed head on, the Macan
looks like it’s ready to gobble up anything in front of it (for which it
certainly has the pace) and I can imagine it being quite an intimidating sight
as it looms large in a rear-view mirror. From the side, it looks like a big
hatchback on steroids, but you can’t miss the sporting pretensions. The
muscular flanks and the sharply raked C-pillar that flows into a chunky
tailgate make the Macan, sitting on 295/40 R20 tyres, look the business.
But before I
step into the meticulously crafted cabin, I can’t help but think that Porsche’s
baby SUV could have its work cut out when it lands on our shores in the second
half this year. While it looks aggressive and sporty, it lacks the sheer road
presence that mainstream luxury SUV buyers in India want. Spacious
interiors is another vital box the Macan
doesn’t quite manage to tick. For around the same money, you can get the far
bigger and plusher seven-seat Audi Q7 with a V8 diesel engine. Or, if it’s
drop-dead-gorgeous looks you’re after, the significantly cheaper Range Rover Evoque makes more of a style statement. So who is this car
really going to appeal to?
2014 Porsche Macan On Road
That
question is answered the instant I lower myself into the perfectly contoured
driver’s seat. Yes, lower, because you sit lower than you expect in a typical
SUV. Even before I’ve fired up the engine, I get the impression that I’m
sitting in a full-blown sports car and not an SUV. Most of all, you can’t
mistake this for anything but a Porsche. The rev counter takes pride of place
in the three-dial instrument binnacle, just like in a 911, Cayman or Boxster, and the three-spoke steering wheel with tiny
multifunction controls is borrowed from the 918 supercar.
The centre console again is typically Porsche, with a sea of
buttons that flanks both sides of the gear lever. All the switches are
logically laid out, but I wonder if it’s time for Porsche to clean them up by
moving some of the functions into an iDrive or
MMI-style rotary controller.
