And the simplicity of being able to drive the Macan on the
limit is what sets it apart. The chassis, again, is simple in the sense that
there is no carbon fibre or exotic material gimmickry. Except for the aluminium
bonnet and hatch, the Macan is built mostly of steel. It isn’t very light. But
make no mistake. It’s quite agile. And all the agility comes with a taut body
that listens to every command of the steering and is as well-behaved as a young
man meeting the girl’s parents for the first time. There is a lot of technical
wizardry coming into play, like the optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus,
which brakes the inside of the rear wheel to help you take that corner more
sharply. The steering is electro-mechanical, derived from the 911, which
provides assistance only when needed and manages to come back to centre without
being too intrusive to the feel. The steering manages to give just the right
kind of feedback on the move, the kind you don’t expect an SUV to do.
The Macan's
500-litre boot is beaten by the Q5's 540 litres, but is still usefully big
The Macan comes with an all-wheel-drive system – similar to
the Carerra 4S – as standard. The intentions are clear, with broader tyres at
the rear for better grip and stability at high speeds, and narrower front tyres
to aid handling. It’s a very sports car approach. There is a rear bias when it
comes to delivering power, but the Macan can – if required – send all power to
the front wheels. This versatility is very useful when it goes off-road.
There are three chassis versions. It starts with standard
steel springs, which are enough for most situations, followed by the one that
uses Porsche Active Suspension Management to electronically control the shock
absorbers for better grip and comfort. Top of the class is air suspension,
which does an even better job of keeping occupants at ease, while ensuring that
maximum traction is also available all the time. Air suspension is especially
useful off-road, where the Macan can rise by nearly 50mm to tackle the worst of
surfaces without bottoming out. But this works only up to 80kph, beyond which
the vehicle automatically lowers itself to normal.
Porsche's
part-digital dashboard works well in the Macan
While it is very good off-road, the Macan’s clear trump card
is its on-road ability. It can take corners with the same enthusiasm as a
Porsche 911 would. More importantly, it completes that task without making a
mess of it. Push the Sport Plus button and it sits lower to the ground, shifts
more efficiently and tops it with an engine note that’s a joy to listen to
inside the cabin. If you use the manual gate for gear changes, or the paddle shifts,
notice how the engine grunts as if responding to the driver’s orders with a ‘yes’.
The exhaust isn’t as loud as you would expect – blame that on the regulations.
Nevertheless, it drives so well you almost don’t mind that it should’ve been
noisier to better announce your arrival. This thing impresses others with sheer
capability.
Porsche's PDK
gearbox is one of the best in the business
When we first heard of the Macan, it was clear it would be a
smaller Cayenne. But the Macan has more than one parent. It borrows a lot from
its own stable mates – be it the familiar front design from the Cayenne, or an
all-wheel-drive system based on the Carrera’s. It’s all in here. Question was,
had the Porsche engineers tried too hard? Well, they did, but strangely enough,
the results are better than we’d expected. It won’t be a surprise if the Macan
goes on to become our lifetime’s best driver’s SUV. But don’t be misled by what
you read elsewhere. The Macan isn’t an SUV that drives like a sports car. It’s
a sports car that looks like an SUV. Yes, that explains it better.
