2015 Porsche Macan SUV drive review

Remember the turbulent launch of the Porsche Cayenne? It was 2002, and the company whose very existence was built upon a line of legendary sports cars was about to do something its boss at the time had earlier pledged would never happen. Namely, add an SUV to its line-up. The move was enough to send loyal fans of the German marque into a tailspin of sorts.

A decade or so on, the controversial decision to diversify the Porsche model range to include an SUV is now viewed as a masterstroke. (By some.--ED) Successful beyond even the most optimistic sales predictions back then, the Cayenne has established itself as the fastest selling Porsche model of all time, with worldwide sales that totaled 77,822 in 2012 – some 15,545, or more than double that of the 911--in the USA alone, providing record annual sales along with a solid financial foundation for further growth.

Now we're about to see the addition of a second SUV to the Porsche line-up. This time around, though, the purists are notable only for their silence. To be unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show next month, the new Macan is slightly smaller, more keenly priced and, says Porsche, more car-like in character than today's second-generation Cayenne. The suggestion is that it could ultimately prove more successful than its larger sibling at a price that is tipped to start from around $45,000 in North America. Before its public debut, though, we have been invited to sample the new SUV on public roads during a final validation test with its project leader, Hans-Juergen Woehler, in Califorina.

From a distance and without any other cars to reference for size, it is very easy to mistake the Macan with the Cayenne. The two share a common design language that remains clear despite the light disguise worn by the prototypes that Porsche's test and engineering team has brought to North America for a series of durability test before the new SUV is signed off for production. Love it or loath it, you can't deny that it is eye catching. One feature that immediately raises interest is the bonnet. It is a clamshell affair that features cut-outs for the headlamps and sides that wrap well down into the flanks below the top of the front wheel arches--similar to the Mini hatchback. It has been adopted to improve air flow within the engine bay, according to Woehler.

Despite looking like a scaled down version of the Cayenne, the Macan uses quite a different base; the Cayenne shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Touareg, the Macan with the Audi Q5. From launch in the UK next June, Porsche intends to offer three engines and the choice of either a standard manual or optional seven speed dual clutch gearbox – the latter of which has been chosen over the Cayenne's eight-speed automatic on the grounds that it provides the new SUV with a more sporting feel, according to Woehler. Four-wheel drive in the form of a Torsen torque-sensing system that apportions power with a distinct rearward bias, is standard across the range, as are features such as automatic stop/start and a coasting function that idles the engine on a trailing throttle for added fuel savings.

Although Porsche is quick to play down the engineering links between the Macan and Q5, you don't have to delve very far to discover they share the same 110.5 inch wheelbase. Overall, the Porsche is 2.8 inches longer, 1.7 inches wider and 1.1 inches lower than the Audi, now in its fifth year of production, at an official 185 inches in length, 75.7 inches in width and 63.9 inches in height.

The Macan's suspension is also a development of that found in the Q5, with a combination of multi-links front and rear. In keeping with its sporting brief, it receives conventional steel coil springs along with adjustable dampers and conventional anti-roll bars, although the finer details are being kept under wraps until its unveiling in late November. Wheel sizes start at 17-inches and go all the way up to an optional 21-inch. The steering, an electro-mechanical arrangement, is described as a Porsche development with unique components and mapping.

We first found ourselves in the heavily contoured passenger seat of the Turbo Macan that is set to lead the Macan line-up. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter, direct injected gasoline V6 engine that, up to now, has only been offered in naturally aspirated guise. The adoption of forced induction, a complex cooling system fed by those substantial front air ducts and other associated internal modifications as raised output by a significant 100 hp, bumping it to 395 hp – the same figure touted by the naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V8 used in the Cayenne GTS. There is an even bigger increase in torque, which climbs by 110 lb ft to a sturdy 406 lb ft. By comparison, the most powerful Q5, the SQ5, uses a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 direct injection gasoline engine with 354 hp and 347lb ft.

A glance around the interior reveals similarities in material, switches, controls and trim to those of the second-generation Cayenne, suggesting quality will be well up to levels of other recent Porsche models. The driving position is quite sporting, more so than with the Cayenne, with a neatly proportioned multi-function steering wheel that is not quite vertical and a high set center console. The cabin is impressively spacious, with plenty of leg and head room for four adults, five in a pinch. Then we're off, up the ramp of the parking lot and out on to the streets of Los Angeles to a secret canyon road and then further in-land for some off-road driving later on. Porsche is yet to reveal any weight figures for its new model but Woehler suggests a number of weight saving measures, including the use of aluminium in the body, will see the Turbo hit the scales at under 3750lb. Nevertheless, there are sufficient power reserves to provide it with more than just brisk performance. In lower gears it possess serious pace away from the lights and truly impressive in-gear acceleration. Final performance numbers are yet to be validated. Our money is on a 0-62mph time in the sub-5.0sec bracket and a top speed above 160mph. Sufficient to bury the SQ5, for sure.

As we hit the highway it becomes obvious that the Turbo possesses long gearing at the top of its 'box. With its optional seven speed dual-clutch gearbox left in automatic mode, it rarely requires more than 2000rpm to remain in the flow of traffic. Mechanical refinement is superb with only a faint growl of exhaust on part throttle,

Together with the gutsy twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 gasoline unit in the initial top-of-the-line Turbo, Porsche will offer the Macan with at least two further Hyperlink Code Audi-sourced 3.0-liter V6 engines from the outset of sales. Confirmed is a supercharged direct injection gasoline mill with 335 hp and 339 lb ft in the S. It will be joined by a turbocharged, common rail diesel with 254 hp and heady 428 lb ft in the S Diesel in selected markets.

The new Porsche crossover/SUV is also planned to receive a limited range of four-cylinder powerplants, making it the first Porsche model to do so since the demise of the 968 back in 1995. Nothing is official, but parent company Volkswagen's turbocharged 2.0-liter direct injection gasoline unit with 225 hp and 258 lb ft as well as a turbocharged 2.0-liter common rail diesel with 177bhp and 280lb ft are likely candidates in low-priced Macan and Macan Diesel models.

Along with the focus on straight line speed, Porsche's engineering brain trust was tasked with endowing the Macan with what Woehler, describes as “the most dynamic handling in its class”. What strikes us most about its on-road characteristics once we leave wide boulevards of Los Angeles behind is its sheer agility. The Macan corners with all the eagerness of a well sorted sporting estate, displaying sharp turn-in traits, remarkably little body-roll and an ability to accept lateral forces without any discernible understeer. There appears to be abundant levels of grip mid corner, and the four-wheel drive system ensures there's always loads of traction and, in combination with the Turbo's deep reserves of torque, terrific drive out of low speed corners.

But if you're looking for a more definitive verdict, you'll have to wait until we get to drive the new Porsche for ourselves. There is no doubt the Porsche Macan has the ability to mount a serious challenge to the BMW X3 for pure dynamic ability on the bitumen. From the passenger seat it displays all the dynamic hallmarks to make it the Cayman of the SUV world. And what's really surprising is that, despite running 21-inch wheels shod with 265/45 rubber, the ride is totally acceptable. There is a firmness to the springs, but it manages to cope with a wide range of irregularities – from small to medium-sized intrusions to larger potholes and speed bumps - with a degree of suppleness that would embarrass the Q5 on the same combination of wheels and tires.

Like the Cayenne, the Macan has been conceived predominantly for on-road driving. However, Woehler is full of praise for the off-road ability of the new SUV, suggesting it can hold its own in the rough stuff, despite the absence of anything as hardcore as low range gearing.

Inevitably it isn't too long before we leave the relative security of the asphalt and begin charging down a series of gravel roads in the mountains behind Los Angeles. Despite its sporting slant and a lot of talk from engineers about efforts to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, the Macan possess greater ground clearance than the Q5. It also boasts more forgiving approach, departure and breakover angles than the Audi. They are put at 26.6, 25.3 and 19.0 degrees respectively. And after some serious off-road action, we can assure you the sportiness is not confined to on-road driving.

Porsche's ambition with the Macan was to produce an SUV that would appeal a wide range of customers. And in this respect, it appears to have achieved its goal. At least, that's the feeling we got after a day in the passenger seat of the top-of-the-line Turbo. Its breadth of ability is quite stunning, underpinned by a heroic engine, fantastically efficient driveline and a chassis that appears to have been sprinkled with more than a pinch of Weissach engineering magic. The exterior won't be to everyone's taste, but the interior is inviting and, given its relatively compact dimensions, quite spacious. Best of all, there is absolutely no hint of its engineering links to the Audi Q5. New class king? At the moment it looks that way.

By Yoshi Kimura