Size doesn’t matter!

When it developed the Cayenne, Porsche took a lot of flak initially from hardcore fans who called the luxury crossover a “giving up on its sportscar roots”. The whole concept of Porsche making a sports utility vehicle was unthinkable to many.

Of course, the Cayenne went on to more than redeem itself with its spectacular performance on the road and in the key markets of the world.

So, why were Porsche officials repeatedly reminding us – a bunch of motoring journalists from India – that the new Macan is not a smaller version of the Cayenne?

We were in Ras-Al-Khaimah, an Emirate located north-east of Dubai to test drive the new Macan and the location had even more significance because the Dubai dealer for Porsche is the single largest anywhere in the world in terms of number of cars sold. And about 80 per cent of all the cars that this one dealership sells every year are Cayennes.

But, the reason why Porsche officials were trying to separate the Macan from the Cayenne was to convince us that the new, smaller SUV is an independent addition to its portfolio, despite the familiar visual cues in its design.

The Macan is unmistakably Porsche in its design. Characteristic Porsche headlamps and large air-intakes at the front, the sloping roof and the broad shoulders at the rear are visual pointers to th influence that the other models like the 911 have had on the Macan.

The Macan has been built on the Audi Q5 platform. But, the Volkswagen group’s cost-efficient platform sharing strategy has little to do with the decision. The growing appetite worldwide for compact crossovers and younger buyers looking for luxury options would have had more to with it.

To prove that the Macan is completely new, Porsche officials also point out that more than two-thirds of all parts in it are new or adjusted to give the Macan a special character. For us, the most eye-catching features on the exterior of the new Macan are the ‘clamshell’ bonnet which is one slab stretching through to the wheel arches – a styling element that has been inspired by the Porsche 917 racing car.

The other unique car from Porsche – the 918 Spyder – has influenced a number of elements in the Macan including the door side blades and the 3-dimensional LED taillights. Freed of a handle and the licence plate, the hatch door’s clean surface combined with the 3-D LED taillights make it vaguely look like the mask of a certain popular new superhero.

Porsche is much focused on making every vehicle in its stable look, feel and perform like a sportscar. That was the reason why naysayers became converts after driving the Cayenne and that is the story that Porsche wants to communicate with the new Macan too. The sleek, aerodynamic, very Porsche exterior of the Macan already speaks to you.

Stepping into the cabin and soaking in the plush interior of the Macan just adds to that connect with the car. The most likeable aspects of the Macan’s interior layout is the clutter free dashboard, though the Porsche signature array of control buttons on either side of the gearshift stick on the centre console is a bit intimidating at first. The most unique bits in the Macan’s cabin are the 918 Spyder inspired steering wheel, the high-end Burmester music system and the analog stopwatch at the top of the dashboard, which can be used for clocking lap-times on the track (available in the Sport Chrono package).

Adding some more serious sportscar cred to the Macan’s interior is the central position of the rev-counter as part of the three pod instrument cluster. The seats are classic Porsche – double stitched and bolstered in the right place for supporting dynamic driving. This is a five-seater, but the relatively tall centre tunnel will pose a problem if the middle occupant of the rear seat is an adult.

Legroom is adequate, but rear headroom could be a bit of a squeeze for six-feet plus occupants. The 500-litre luggage space at the rear will however be appreciated by most buyers.

Apparently, the Macan means ‘Tiger’ in Indonesian. We have no clue if it is just the increasing importance of markets in the East that inspired the choice of moniker or something else, but we are happy to report that the Macan’s handling and performance has the big cat’s traits written all over it.

To kick off our experience with the Macan, Porsche had constructed an off-roading track simulating the typical obstacles and terrain. But, we’ll suffice it to say that the ramps and dug-outs barely even tickled the Macan. It has all the wares that the Cayenne has and in fact a bit more. Air suspension, a 40mm increase in clearance and wading depth, Porsche Traction Management and Torque Vectoring are all features that give it that off-roading prowess.

But, it was on the road that the Macan really came alive. We drove the Macan Turbo and the Macan S, both of them powered by turbocharged petrol engines. The Macan Turbo is the nimbler of the two, with its 3.6-litre V6 putting out 400 HP and being capable of powering it to 100 kmph in 4.8 seconds from standstill. The Macan S gets a 3-litre V6, 340HP of power and 460Nm of torque.

At the wheel, the driver seems to merge with the Macan and then straight-line acceleration feels simply like it would in a Porsche two-seater. We hardly felt the speed even when the needle crept past the 200 kmph mark.

Throwing the Macan around corners at high-speed changes that perception and we did get to feel the Macan’s near 2-tonne heft a bit. But, the Macan’s remarkable road grip is addictive. Assisted by Porsche Traction Management and torque vectoring plus, the Macan felt supremely sure-footed on the stretches of hilly, winding private roads we tested it on just outside Ras-Al-Khaimah.

There is no sense of being unsettled and the precise electro-mechanical steering is a delight to use. We feel that the ride quality could get a bit hard on some of our roads, though the active suspension management comes with three modes – comfort, sport and sport plus.

The engines are mated to the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. Gear changes are barely felt even in manual mode and the only response is the grin-inducing burble from the exhaust every time we shifted down before entering corners.

The Macan is also being offered with a 3-litre, V6 diesel engine that generates 258 HP of power and 580 Nm of torque. The Macan Diesel S has been debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and will probably make it to India by July. It was not available on this test drive.

The Macan is a unique addition to Porsche’s stable. We believe it is just the right size as much for India, as it is for Europe. It also brings a Porsche within reach for many more buyers in the lower price hierarchy. Prices would still range in the Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.1crore levels.