The Porsche Macan Turbo is an SUV that is a sports car

Frédéric Mercier

Thursday, 27 July, 2017 13:25

UPDATE
Thursday, 27 July, 2017 13:25

Look at this article

Have to get used to, SUV’s are now a category imperative for automotive manufacturers.

Even brands like Maserati, Jaguar, or Alfa Romeo now have a big four-wheel drive vehicle, no offense to the purists. The market is just too lucrative to be sulking.

Read also: An SUV from Ferrari?

At Porsche, we have understood it for a long time. In 2003, the Stuttgart manufacturer launched the Cayenne. The “Porschistes” have chialé, offensive that the manufacturer of the iconic 911 is lowered to produce a 4×4 that will never go in the mud.

Then, the sales figures began to enter. And nearly 15 years later, you realize how Porsche would have been in the shit without the contribution of the Cayenne to its sales figures.

And as the fashion of the SUV did not appear on the point to fade, a second kind of model is now on sale in Porsche centres in the country. And already, the Macan has become the darling of Canadians.

Porsche Macan Turbo 2017

Last year, the new guy has officially dethroned the Cayenne as the top-selling model of the brand in Canada. Throughout 2016, Porsche has elapsed 2800 copies of the Macan and 2325 Cayenne. During the same period, it sold only 945 Porsche 911 and 345 Boxster… The figures speak for themselves.

An attitude of 911

Build SEEN, therefore, is not a luxury at Porsche, but rather a necessity. This does not however prevent the manufacturer to develop of the vehicle faithful to its image.

The Macan, in its Turbo version that we have tested, is nothing less than a racing car high on the leg. Driven by a six cylinder engine of 3.6-liter turbocharged engine, it offers a phenomenal power of 400 horses and a couple equally amazing 406 lb-ft. With the whole “Performance Package”, it moves on to 440 horsepower and 442 pound-feet. It is enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 272 km/h. it All in an SUV!

Porsche Macan Turbo 2017

Impressive, indeed. But this is not all. A lot of brands are able to build SUVS that go fast, and it does in fact not masterpieces of automobiles.

If we compare the Macan Turbo to a sports car is that it has almost all the attributes. And it will not further than his top speed.

Everything in this SUV is reminiscent of a sports car. His direction is precise, surgical even. His suspension, without having the firmness of a car designed for the track, is stiff enough to negotiate bends with enthusiasm.

And then, there’s the transmission. The famous PDK seven-speed, which can be found a bit everywhere in the alignment of Porsche. I have already said and I repeat, this is the best automatic transmission available on the market at this time. Point to the line.

Every time I take the road behind the wheel of a vehicle that is equipped with, I have the firm impression that the PDK managed to read my thoughts. It changes to report in a timely manner, exactly as I would if I was at the wheel of a manual vehicle. Exactly as I would, but much faster. Because with its dual-clutch transmission, the PDK executes his work with precision in just a few milliseconds.

Porsche Macan Turbo 2017

The best of both worlds

With the Macan Turbo, we managed to produce an SUV that can definitively be called Porsche without discomfort. It is true, the engine is in the front, and its design has nothing to that of a 911, but the Macan can carry the crest of the Stuttgart manufacturer, with pride.

In fact, where the Macan stumbles, it is precisely on the practical aspect. When one buys an SUV is for more room. And space, the Macan offers very little. The legroom at the rear is very limited, as is the ability to load in the trunk.

Then, why not turn to a Panamera with four-wheel drive. Because for many, an SUV, it is now an essential. This is not always rational, but that’s it. And that Porsche is aware of this.

The Macan will ever offer the same stability and pleasure of driving a 911 or even a Panamera. An SUV is heavier, but it also has a center of gravity much higher than a coupe. It is the law of physics.

However, the Macan Turbo is probably the SUV that comes closest to a sports car on the market at this time. We could expect nothing less from Porsche.

Porsche Macan Turbo 2017

Technical data sheet

Name: Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Pack 2017
Base price: 99 000$
Price of model tested: 110 300$
Configuration : four-wheel drive Vehicle with engine at the front
Basic mechanical: Engine six-cylinder turbocharged 3.6-litre
Transmission: Automatic PDK seven-speed
Power/torque: 440 hp/ 442 lb-ft
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 4.4 seconds
Maximum speed: 272 km/h
Fuel consumption: 14,1 L/100 km (city) / 10.1 L/100 km (highway)
Competition: Audi SQ5, the Mercedes-Benz GLC 43, BMW X3 M40i