Search
Close this search box.
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter

Porsche Macan car review – made for Mayfair, mud and motorway

Very quick, very refined, very capable, and by no means ridiculous as a company car option.
686_Porsche_Macan_review_action
follows

Share

20 February 2014

 

Porsche_Macan_review
Though based on the Audi Q5, handling is way above anything in this class

What’s hot?

  • Lots of recent Porsche designs have split opinion but the Macan is perhaps the most successful member of the non-sports car range. Its proportions work better than the Cayenne’s, while the 3D wraparound tail-lights give it a futuristic edge.
  • The interior is just as good, with plenty of high-quality materials working together with a clean and functional design. The driving position is spot-on, and the steering wheel is inspired by the 918 hypercar.
    Porsche_Macan_review
    Clean, functional and full of high quality materials. Budget for a few extras though
  • All of the engines are fantastic. Both petrol turbocharged engines – 3.0-litre in the S and 3.6-litre in the Turbo – are smooth and powerful, launching the Macan from 0-62mph in 5.2 or 4.6 seconds. They sound great, too.
  • Even the Diesel S makes a great noise and you can barely ever tell it’s running on diesel. There’s no big dump of mid-range torque like most diesels either, just a really smooth power delivery, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds.
  • The petrols both have CO2 emissions over 200g/km but the diesel can emit just 159g/km. It’s not going to be the most cost-efficient company car in the world but it’s not completely out of the question with emissions like that.
  • Handling is far above anything else in this class. It feels like there’s a real rear-wheel-drive bias to the chassis and the steering provides you with plenty of feedback. It’s a really involving drive on the track, too.
  • Even on standard steel springs the Macan feels comfortable, but adding the PASM adaptive dampers makes things better still. Go for air suspension and you’ll be rewarded with an extra layer of smoothness to the ride.
  • There’s an off-road button and hill descent control if you’re planning on taking your Macan over some rough terrain. Clearly it’s no Range Rover but it can take a fair bit of punishment.

 

What’s not?

  • Prices for the Macan start at £43,300 and you’ll want to add a few options to that, hitting £50,000 without much effort. Pair that high P11D value up with the CO2 emissions and the Diesel S is really the only choice for company car drivers.
  • Fuel economy is pretty woeful through the range, too. The diesel just cracks 40mpg but we saw more like 30mpg. The petrols will be in the region of 20mpg.
  •  As it stands, Porsche has sold all 50,000 models it can build for this year. That means you can expect to wait at least a year if you get your order in now.

 

 

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit
Email

Want more motoring news?

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Matt Morton

Matt Morton

Matt Morton is an automotive content writer for Business Car Manager

Latest news

Top