2015 Porsche Macan

It’s been a decade since Porsche shocked the automotive world by veering into the profit-rich sport utility vehicle segment with the 2004 Cayenne. At the time, people thought Porsche management was crazy. Today, with worldwide sales around 80,000 units per year, Cayenne easily surpasses the venerable Porsche 911 as the brand’s best-seller. Not such a crazy decision after all, it seems.

 

So, with the U.S. market for small luxury crossovers projected to grow a whopping 40 percent in 2015, Porsche debuts its second utility vehicle, the Macan. Almost 6 inches shorter than Cayenne, Macan is built on the Audi Q5’s 110.5-inch wheelbase platform. But Porsche says the similarities end there, with Macan sporting a different engine, transmission, suspension, design, and interior. 

 

At first glance, it isn’t easy to discern a Macan from a Cayenne. The most obvious detail discrepancies are the rear-end treatment and the painted or carbon fiber inserts above the doorsills.

 

Pampered Porsche

The vehicle is available in two trim levels: Macan S, powered by a turbocharged, 340-horsepower, 3.0-liter, V-6 engine, and Macan Turbo with a larger, 400-horsepower, 3.6-liter engine. Both employ a 7-speed automated manual transmission and all-wheel drive. 

 

I drove a tarted-up Macan S with more than $12,000 in optional equipment. But even the base Macan S comes generously stocked with high-tech and luxury features: CDR Plus audio system with 11 speakers, 7-inch color display, MP3, two-zone climate control, power rear tailgate, eight-way power leather-trimmed seats, 19-inch Macan design wheels, bi-xenon headlights with a cleaning system, and a host of safety and security features.

 

Porsche builds the best-looking interiors in the business, and the Macan is no exception. With its fragrant leather seating, burl walnut/matte metal finishes, and ambient and LED interior lighting, the cabin is both luxurious and properly sporty. All touchable surfaces are magnificent. It’s German craftsmanship at its finest.

 

Like Cayenne, Macan will spend the vast majority of its life in pampered suburbia, never given the opportunity to flex its off-road chops. But the pleasure isn’t in the “would,” but rather in the “could.”

 

In city and highway traffic, the Macan is keenly athletic, utterly composed, and wieldy to drive, with ample power on command. Seats afford a natural leg position and are amazingly comfortable. The steering has an excellent on-center feel, and light and direct control as speeds increase. 

 

The Macan is a superbly capable compact luxury utility vehicle that exemplifies Porsche’s ethos of building high-performance vehicles that are rewarding to drive.