This is the Macan, the ‘small’ SUV from Porsche and the firm’s most popular model in the UK. It’s got the shape people want, some sharp styling and a very desirable badge, how could it not be a success? The thing is, the Macan has always over-delivered in just about every department.
It’ll go further off-road than most owners will ever ask, it’ll hammer down a twisting road with more skill than most drivers would have the nerve to test, and it’ll seat five in front of a class-leadingly big boot. Porsche got the Macan right first time.
It’s getting a bit old though isn’t it?
The Macan has been on sale since 2014, and got itself a tidy little facelift a few years back with the arrival of the full-width rear light bar and a welcome upgrade to the infotainment.
In 2021 it had another tweak, just as you’d expect that Porsche would be winding things down a bit and gearing up for a new generation. Actually the next version of the car will be electric, but the German carmaker plans a bit of overlap to ease the transition. Because of the current car’s elderly platform, it would be too complex to turn it into a hybrid – it’s petrol only. No diesel option here, either.
The interior certainly doesn’t feel too old, even if space-wise it’s lagging behind the latest efforts on the market. It has the latest fancy touchscreen infotainment and the flightdeck-style bank of buttons by the transmission level has been replaced with a glassy, touch-sensitive control stack that looks much cleaner… until you leave fingerprints all over it.
What are the engines like?
With diesel having disappeared the Macan range now kicks off with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, priced from £53,400 and badged simply ‘Macan’. It runs a Porsche-honed, 261bhp tune of the VW Golf GTI’s engine.
All Macans arrive fitted with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as standard (badged by Porsche as PDK), though note this isn’t as modern as the eight-speed PDK used in Porsche’s bigger four-doors.
There are three Macans beyond that – the T, S and GTS models. The £58,400 T gets the same 2.0-litre 4cyl (it’s largely the same as the entry car, but with a few minor sporting mods intended to improve handling), while the Macan S (£59,800, 375bhp), and the Macan GTS (£71,700, 435bhp).
There’s no Turbo model in the line-up anymore, but the GTS can hold its own with the Merc-AMG GLC 43 on power and price (421bhp and £90k), even if that 2.0-litre 4cyl engine is the hypnotic unit from the AMGed A-Class, but lags behind the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio in a straight line (503bhp and £76k).
But this is a car that doesn’t need to lean on raw pace to do its talking. It’s a superb all-rounder, even though it’s been on sale – based as it is on old Audi Q5 foundations – since 2014. Some feat.
Our choice from the range
Porsche
5dr PDK
£47,780
What's the verdict?
“As an all-rounder, a car for all tasks and occasions, Porsche’s Macan is unsurpassed”
It’s impressive that Porsche consistently manages to set the bar in the various classes that it builds its cars: rivals have long tried to outdo the Macan with various premium crossovers and have consistently failed. This is a car that’s over nine years old now, remember.
Rivals have their own small victories: the Alfa Stelvio is lighter on its feet, and the AMG GLC 63 sounds cooler while being caned and the Maserati Grecale is more glamorous. But as an all-rounder, a car for all tasks and occasions, Porsche’s effort is unsurpassed. Conversely it’s free of drama, too, but that’s likely what you want spending this sort of money on a family car.
Unless of course, you want an EV. Porsche doesn’t even offer a hybrid, and you may well be tempted by a Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E GT for similar money. The times are changing. But as Porsche’s next Macan will be a full EV sold alongside this version, you wouldn’t bet against Stuttgart having all bases covered for some time to come.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
£38,035 – £69,565
Jaguar F-Pace
£40,265 – £99,130
BMW X4
Continue reading: Driving
Driving
What is it like to drive?
If there is one area where the Macan has never felt particularly under threat from rivals, it’s on the move. Porsche has been a dab hand at making SUVs handle improbably well since the original Cayenne arrived in 2003, and the Macan is no different.
There haven’t been too many changes to the engineering fundamentals over the years from Porsche, which indicates what a solid package the firm started off with. Suspension, tyres, upgrades here and there.
So what makes the Macan so good to drive?
The body control is the standout aspect. The Macan does without the 48V anti-roll active suspension tech of more expensive premium SUVs, but the way it sustains momentum, avoids lean and controls its wheels over road imperfections is deeply impressive. It’s been done slightly at the expense of ride comfort – the suspension feels short travel and firm – but there’s agility, a definite sense of rear-biased all-wheel drive balancing the car mid-corner. Just don’t expect it to be as pliant and calm as a Discovery Sport.
But that’s not what the Macan is about. The only SUV that’s come close to taking the Macan’s throne as king of the handlers has been the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which is even defter and feels lighter on its feet. For a squirt down a B-road, the Alfa is TG’s outright favourite, but the Macan topples it as a more rounded, complete product. Not least because it’s better screwed together.
So what’s the best Macan to go for?
That depends entirely on what you’re after. The 4cyl entry version is hugely popular, says Porsche, helping fill the sales hole left behind by the diesel. It’s now up to a healthy 261bhp. But that turbo engine is pretty flat and uninspiring, and struggles a little with the Macan’s nearly two tonnes of weight – 6.4 seconds to 62mph isn’t slow slow, but this engine doesn’t like being thrashed that hard.
And that definitely makes it the wrong power plant for the T. This is a recipe Porsche has used to great effect in the Cayman and 911: the base engine fitted with the tastiest handling bits. But it doesn’t translate well to the SUV and isn’t anything like as charismatic and interesting to drive as it pretends to be.
Pay £1,000 more and you can have the Macan S with over 100bhp more from a more engaging V6 motor. Fewer toys, but you won’t miss them. Over £10k cheaper than a GTS while using a lightly detuned version of its engine, it leaves you a lot more wriggle room with the options list. Amusingly, Porsche says most of its buyers pick a sober colour and delete the rear badging, which (pleasantly) surprises us.
The GTS is the sportiest, most focused Macan you can buy, and among its chief boasts is that its 10mm ride height drop makes it the ‘lowest Macan to the ground’. Walk up to it in a car park and it’ll seem little higher than the hatchbacks either side of it. Which arguably defeats the point of opting for an SUV, but given that Porsche doesn’t make a small, quick estate then perhaps this is the closest thing its engineers can sneak past the marketing team.
Does it have any weaknesses at all?
While the handling and refinement are still impressive, the engines are the weak link. The 2.0-litre 4cyl motor struggles to top 30mpg in daily driving and the V6s suffer from lag and a strained top end. They’re not pure Porsche engines, after all: they’ve been shipped in from Volkswagen.
And whether or not it’s a ploy to sell more optional ceramic brakes, the standard steel stoppers aren’t Porsche’s best, particularly in the downright fast (0-62mph in 4.5s) GTS. But you’ll only notice when properly wringing it out. Which we highly suspect you’ll do once or twice then just mooch around basking in the Macan’s general refinement.
Because while the ride is firm, the car feels reassuringly solid and well insulated making it a relaxing family vehicle that is composed and settled if – sorry, when – you do choose to hammer it about a bit. Overall then, this veteran of the SUV world is still buyable for its handling poise alone. Impressive.
Porsche Macan 2.0 review: Stuttgart's most sensible car?
£47,780
Porsche Macan GTS review: the last of its breed
£58,940
Top Gear's Porsche Macan GTS review
£58,158
Previous: Overview
Continue reading: Interior
Interior
What is it like on the inside?
Here’s where the Macan extends its lead over the likes of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Jaguar F-Pace. Its cabin is more expensive (even the Range Rover Velar feels a little cheap in its company). Its materials are exemplary. It’s more solidly put together than a Mercedes GLC, too.
Very few Macan buyers will push the limits of its uncanny handling, but plenty will be swayed by the designer label ambience of this cabin. And the basics – like a decent glovebox, hidden storage cubbies and comfortable, supportive seats – are all catered for.
What’s the tech like?
Up front, you’ve got a large 12.9in touchscreen with crisp graphics and all the latest Porsche widgets and connectivity. It does feel a bit fiddly at first, but it’s a fine system once you’ve sussed it out. Apple CarPlay works seamlessly and we like the wireless phone charger that clamps your phone sideways under the armrest, so it’s out of sight while charging, but also doesn’t take up a whole cubby’s worth of stowage.
Porsche has transplanted the Cayenne/Panamera glass console into the Macan. We always liked the physical buttons for their tactility, but it was starting to look dated and a Macan not draped in optional extras always had too many blanked off buttons inside. The new look is less fussy and the haptic buttons work reasonably well, even if they do feel dirty quite quickly. Space in the central storage bin for a microfibre cloth or two…
If anything, this contemporary console only serves to date the instruments, which now look old hat (much as we love analogue dials). The digi-dial to the right now seems blocky and laggy, and the whole section could do with borrowing the 911 or Taycan’s multi-screen cockpit. Carryover switchgear like the cheapo indicator stalks really clash with the dense, expensive paddleshifters next door. In some areas this is too obviously the most attainable, ‘ordinary’ Porsche.
Is it practical?
There’s decent room onboard on the Macan: the rear seats are adult friendly, and despite the Macan’s clever styling that hides its bulk with a rakish roofline, it’s plenty of roomy for a family. There’s a big boot out back too – 500 litres with all five seats up, and triple that when you knock the seats down. There is no seven-seat option, but no performance SUVs of this size offer that. It’d be one too many contradictions in a single car.
Previous: Driving
Continue reading: Buying
Buying
What should I be paying?
The Macan range starts at £53,400 for the entry level model and rises to £71,700 for the top-spec GTS version. Of course, this is still a Porsche, so the price is only the start, before you begin to tick the options boxes.
And the company can be a bit stingy with the standard kit: heated seats now come included, but you have to pay extra for seatback storage pockets. And you can also spend plenty on chassis tech upgrades to tweak the handling (see the Macan T). You certainly don’t need to, we’d argue (see also the Macan T). Stick with the base 2.0 and its lighter front end would make it the most enticing to drive of the lot if the engine didn’t sound so uncouth at high revs.
As ever, don’t expect that speccing the high-end Burmester hi-fi (£3,695) or dubiously-hued seatbelts, air vent surrounds, dial faces or body colour-matched alloys will retain your ‘investment’ come resale time. There’s a reason most of the Macans you see prowling the school run are monochrome examples on big wheels with sunroofs and dark leather.
What options should I go for?
Among the more tempting options are the various handling aids, like the £773 Sport Chrono pack (a stopwatch, Sport mode and a mode-switching dial for ramping up engine and gearbox response) and £2,046 air suspension with PASM (Porsche loves an acronym, that one’s for Porsche Active Suspension Management), which, if anything, makes the Macan handle too well.
There’s so little sensation of roll, such mind-pulverising cornering speeds and such clever hiding of weight transfer, it’s likely to give you a headache from contemplating the maths involved.
Oh, and if the delectable Carmine Red and Miami Blue (£1,842) hues aren’t to your taste, there are plenty of boring blacks and greys that Porsche will spray your Macan with instead. But go on, be brave. You’re buying the best all-round sporting SUV in the world, why shy away from that?
Everything new Price Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid Porsche Panamera 4 The new Porsche Panamera is arriving in South Africa in the first quarter of 2024 with three models available starting at R2,216,000. Now in its third generation, the luxury performance sedan strikes a sportier appearance than ever before and ...
Porsche has lifted the veil on its third generation Panamera, with the luxurious grand touring sedan picking up new suspension hardware, revised styling inside and out, more equipment and a range of more potent E-Hybrid powertrains. For its proportions, the Panamera measures in at 5,052mm long, 1,937mm wide and stands ...
Image: Porsche Image: Porsche NewsBy: Ryan De Villiers Porsche’s “Road to Le Mans. The Flim” is a 90-minute documentary which recounts the racing journey of Michael Fassbender and Porsche from 2018 to 2023. The film culminates in a recap of the 100th anniversary of the 24-Hours of Le Mans ...
Here’s the new third-generation Porsche Panamera We promise this really is the new third-generation Porsche Panamera. Porsche has reverted to its classic incremental design approach for the switch from G2 to G3 (hope that pleases the model code fans out there), although there are some subtle styling differences if you ...
Currently, Porsche has only listed the Panamera V6 on its Indian website. The third-generation Porsche Panamera made its global debut earlier this week. The new model is priced at Rs 1.68 crore in India, and bookings are set to commence soon. The new Panamera gets subtle styling changes that ...
Motorsport Australia Investigatory Tribunal – Porsche Carrera Cup Motorsport Australia has released the findings of an Investigatory Tribunal into the outcome of Race Two of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup at the Gold Coast 500 in October. Earlier this week, Motorsport Australia initiated the Investigatory Tribunal to consider ...
Not all Porsche 911s are created equal. Well, except for those that are. The ones that are most interesting to you and I, are those that take on a life of their own. The ones that get a little extra special sauce slathered on them, have their power turned up to 11, or ...
Credit: Nick Dungan courtesy of FIA Formula E Almost four months on from the season nine finale in London, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s appeal regarding António Félix da Costa’s three-minute penalty has been rejected by the International Court of Appeal. The appeal being rejected means that the ...
