Instrumented Test
From the June 2015 issue
Porsche doesn’t make yoga pants. At least not yet. What it does make is the Macan, an Audi Q5–based crossover that slots into the lineup below the larger Cayenne. But judging by the reactions of women of a certain age to Porsche’s smallest ute, the Macan might just be the vehicular equivalent of wearing tight black pants in a hot room.
The fawning isn’t surprising. Porsche’s newest SUV is a fairly irresistible redo of Audi’s architecture. Aside from the compact size, there is no obvious visual connection to the Q5. Porsche’s designers went to work inside and out, and though our test car lacked a leather-wrapped instrument panel, we didn’t miss it. Alcantara and leatherette seats are standard. Skip the pricey leather options—the basic interior is excellent. Puncturing the bodywork are massive front-end vents that flow enough air to cool a Class 8 truck. A black sticker on the bottom of the doors attempts to slim the visual weight.
The actual weight for this Macan S is 4351 pounds. Moving that mass through all four wheels is a 3.0-liter V-6 armed with two turbochargers. Every Macan is turbocharged, even the S. The Macan Turbo’s larger, 3.6-liter engine makes 400 horsepower, while the S gets along with 340.
Activate launch control and the Macan S will bolt to 60 in 4.6 seconds. That’s the same zero-to-60 time as a 1986 911 Turbo, the quickest car we tested that year.
If you skip the launch protocol, the Macan S is slow to deliver the goods, like the 911 Turbo of yore. Meaningful thrust doesn’t arrive until 4000 rpm, which is apparent in the comparatively long 5-to-60 run of 6.0 seconds. Porsche’s dual-clutch seven-speed automatic shifts immediately, won’t prematurely upshift when your driving gets aggressive, and mechanically links the Macan to the rest of the Porsche family.
No need for pricey interior options: the base-level cabin is excellent.
The rest of the family might not recognize the Macan’s numb steering, though. From the Cayenne and Panamera through the sports cars, Porsche steering is typically sharp and replete with feel. Those traits skipped this Macan S, but the all-season tires might be to blame (summer tires are a no-cost option). The mild rubber certainly contributed to the weak 0.82 g of skidpad grip and the long 186-foot stops from 70 mph. On stickier rubber, a Macan Turbo managed 0.89 g on the pad and stopped from 70 in 150 feet.
A mushy brake pedal might also get the Macan kicked out of the family reunion, and the slight fade is not in keeping with the bloodline.
Options are another Porsche tradition, but our test Macan S wasn’t too extravagantly equipped. A base price of $50,895 swelled to $62,230 with the addition of an infotainment package, premium package, Sport Chrono package, Torque Vectoring Plus, and the adjustable air suspension. We could get by with an even more basic Macan, but what do we know? Porsche is having no trouble selling every Macan it can build. Here’s something we do know: If Porsche Design started making yoga pants, it wouldn’t be able to keep those on the shelves, either.
