The Porsche Macan has been around for six years now. It was in 2014 when I first drove it.
Porsche wasn't late to the mini-SUV-party, the X3-segment, but it was later with it than with the Cayenne.
Despite that, the Macan was a big success. Also, it was the reason Porsche turned into a SUV-manufacturer which also makes sports cars.
It's not the other way around anymore, because the Macan turned the table and now Porsche builds more SUV's than sports cars.
Despite the fact it's still the first generation, it's relatively special. It could even be the last generation as well,
because Porsche has announced that the next Porsche is going to be a fully electric car.
It's supposed to come in 2021, after the Crossturismo. The latter being based on the Taycan.
On that platform, there will be a Macan-sized SUV. We think the regular Macan will still be available next to the electric version,
but it's remarkable that the first generation could be the last. It has been facelifted a couple of times, and we saw all kinds of...
versions like the S, Turbo and regular Macan, but we didn't have the GTS yet.
It's the version inbetween the S and the Turbo. It's a tad sportier and it has some more details, and they're a rarity in the Netherlands.
The most interesting part is underneath the hood. Let me show you. Because where the GTS usually was...
an S with some additional horsepower and standard options, it's now more often than not a complete engine change.
The Panamera GTS has a V8 instead of the V6 from the S. And it's the same with the 718, which is going to get the 4.0-litre...
from the GT4 whilst the S only has the flat-four. And it's the same with the Macan as well.
It used to have a 3.0-litre V6 with one turbo, but now it has a 2.9-litre V6 with two turbo's.
A smaller engine, but an additional turbo. It's the engine from the Macan Turbo, but also the engine of the Audi RS4 and RS5.
Don't be fooled, it's a Porsche-engine Audi is allowed to use. But we mostly know it from Audi. In this case, it produces 380 horsepower...
so it only has 20 horsepower more than the S. On the upside, it's an entirely new engine.
And when you sit behind the steering wheel, you don't get the impression it's old fashioned despite its age.
The facelifts were really useful. It has a nice and modern multimedia system, an analogue dial on the left and a digital one on the right.
The sports steering wheel with a Chrono-button. It's the most luxurious trim available, and I don't get the impression it's from the past.
It's all good. Luckily, it still has the old gear lever, which only needs a tap to get into manual mode. I really miss that in newer 911's.
The 992 has a small flappy paddle to enter manual mode. You want to keep your eyes on the road when you change,
and that's possible in this Macan. Also, I'm nice and low in here. Something that stuck to me the moment I first drove it.
It's an SUV in which you sit so low, that it feels logical that it's a dynamic car.
That's the difference with something like an X4. That's pretty dynamic as well, but you're higher up.
And I'm not even talking about the T-Roc R. I mean, they're able to do it, but it just doesn't feel as natural. Whereas this Macan does.
It really feels like you're inbetween the wheels. Right, as I mentioned earlier, it has the PASM-chassis as standard. An optional extra for the S.
That means it's two centimetres lower than the regular Macan, thus it's tighter on the road. The twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 produces 380 horsepower.
It's connected to a PDK-gearbox and I absolutely love the drivetrain. It has a lot of power, it sounds good, a real V6-howl when you accelerate.
It's an engine which really fits the Macan. An atmospheric V8 might've been better on paper, but this car is a tad too small and considering...
the CO2-debates everywhere... Not the best option.
And if you're driving on a twisty road like this, it stands out that it's not incredibly hard.
Remarkably, an X4M or AMG-SUV's are tight on the road and feel very hard. You can play around with active roll-bars and such,
to tighten it all up, but the Macan feels a bit loose. Pretty soft. That's nice for daily usage, but when you steer into the corner,
you'll notice how happily it corners. There's no wait throwing around, it doesn't feel unnatural, there's still the trusted Porsche-steering.
Sure, it's less direct than in a 718 or a 911, but there's so much feeling to it Also, it doesn't require lots of effort.
That's the biggest difference with other dynamic SUV's. Those have to use drastically altered chassis' to corner in a dynamic way, whilst the Macan...
feels like it didn't need any help. That's how natural it feels. It absolutely holds on to the title of best driving SUV available.
It just seems that it doesn't even try to corner dynamically, it just does. It doesn't feel like it had to try for five weeks in the gym, it's just able.
It's funny, because it doesn't matter if it's a Panamera, Cayenne, or a 911. That pure, supple feeling on a twisty road, is always something...
that distinguishes Porsche from all of the other brands.