A Pricy Alternative

You could say the 2015 Porsche Macan S is an  Audi SQ5 with a different frock, but despite sharing the same chassis, they are quite different. They both use the now familiar Volkswagen MLB platform, both are about the same size (The Macan is 1 1/2 inches longer), and both V-6 engines are mounted in front of the front axle.
The base Macan S (a cheaper base is on its way) has a a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 making 340 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque. Porsche claim it will go from to 60 in 5.1 seconds….. we wished it felt quicker, especially since we drove the SQ5 a couple of weeks ago. One thing we did notice is how quick and direct the steering is, and the conventional steel springs make this car feel like a sports car.

Power goes from the engine, via the seven-speed PDK gearbox, to the rear axle, and it’s only once it gets there that it meets a multi-plate clutch, electronically controlled, which diverts power forwards again. If necessary it is possible to sent 100% of the power to the front wheels although we doubt such a situation would ever crop up.

Porsche’s active ride system smooths everything out in Comfort mode, giving a firm but compliant ride quality while remaining poised on the twisty bits. Hit the Sport button and the car’s character changes considerably. The engine becomes a lot more vocal and the shifts become super-fast, almost imperceptible. As we said earlier it would be nice if this car were a little faster, it just doesn’t have the get up and go that we expected. Of course there is a very simple answer, buy a Macan Turbo, which has 400 hp, while separating you from 2oK of you hard earned cash.

Exterior

Overall we like the Macan style. The front could look a bit less Cayenne but the rest of it looks great. Even whenstanding still it looks fast. The rear 3/4 view slopes more than the SQ5 and this bites into the trunk space. Not good news for dog owners, or in fact rear seat passengers, where legroom is at a premium. That said it is a very good looking car.
 

Interior

So many buttons abound in the center console it gets a little confusing. True most in car systems need help in the usability department, like having to access everything through a rotary controller or a mouse wheel but the Porsche is simply too cluttered. Apart from this, there is no doubt that this interior is very plush, rich and luxurious. The switchgear is chunky and nicely finished, and the front seats are excellent, especially sporting the red leather ours were covered in.

Conclusion

The base Macan S starts at $49,900 and gets more expensive depending on how many option boxes you tick. The car we drove was $72,150, mainly because it had the Premium Plus package and very bright red leatdeeply you wade into the sea of options. The car I drove cost nearly $70,000, and most of the padding came from packages that you’d probably want, like the $2,590 Premium Package (including parking assist, backup camera, front and rear heated seats and other things) and the $1,290 Sport Chrono Package. Despite that Porsche has created yet another niche and at the same time have brought the Porsche driving experience to a whole new audience. Newbies the line starts here……..

Gallery

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