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Porsche is expanding its range to include a whole new class of vehicle in Malaysia and the Macan is the first Porsche model to break into the compact SUV segment, a segment long dominated by Audi Q5s and to a lesser extent Range Rover Evoque. Four variants, namely the Macan Turbo, Macan S, Macan S Diesel and the Macan (4-cylinder engine) will be available in Malaysia come Q4 of 2014
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“The Macan is the first sportscar in the compact SUV segment and it is the fifth model line-up for the Porsche brand. It combines all the typical Porsche driving characteristics with all the benefits of what a compact SUV can offer in the everyday life. I am certain that with the new Macan, we will be able to reach out to owners who are looking into joining the Porsche family for the first time as well as to excite our long-term customers,” said Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer, SDAP
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Design: Deeply rooted in Porsche’s legacy of sportcars
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Much of the Macan is inspired by the iconic 911 sports car and the technological benchmarks of the 918 model. LED blades are found on the side sills and that big round thingy is the camera used for the vehicle’s Adaptive Cruise Control system.
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What’s new is the wraparound bonnet that encloses the headlights and extending down to the wheel arches. In other words, when you pop the hood, you lift not only the center bonnet piece but the sides as well, leaving the inards of the headlights exposed. The imposing size of the bonnet and its precision lines running to the front of the vehicle give the Macan a broad and powerful appearance, while the seamless surface of the bonnet presents a clean front to the vehicle. If you look closely, you’ll notice the air coming in through the enlarged intakes are guided to the sides and down to the engine below. You can see more on how it works in the video below:-
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Macan with integrated air intake system and other techs
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The front headlamps are arranged vertically while the fender is positioned higher than the hood to give it a more pronounced front
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The new Macan adopts the current DNA of the 918 Spyder in the form of the basic shape of its main headlights, while the sideblades at the bottom of the front and rear doors are reminiscent of the lower door seams on the hybrid super sports car. Combined with the sophisticated door handles, this makes the doors appear narrower and the sides significantly more sporty and streamlined. On the Macan S and Macan S Diesel, the sideblades are painted in Lava Black as standard. The Macan Turbo features sideblades painted in the same colour as the exterior (optional for Macan S and Macan S Diesel), adding to the classic elegance of its look.
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Sideblades in Genuine Carbon, available for all models as an option, add extra emphasis to the Macan’s sporty character.
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From the back, the tight top-flared bottom design, complete with quad tail pipes and rear diffuser shows this SUV isn’t your typical soccer mum’s car. The Macan will be the first Porsche to feature a 3-dimensional tail-light design and has been indicated that this will be the new emblematic look of Porsches in the future. It’s tail lamp signature creates a distinct outline that motorists will not mistaken it to be anything other than a Macan.
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You’ll find a the rear diffuser that is flanked on both sides by twin tailpipes – round on the Macan S and Macan S Diesel and square on the Turbo. All models are available with sport tailpipes made from chrome-plated stainless steel as an option.
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Ride and Handling
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All variants of the Macan will feature the high- performance seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) as standard. In case you don’t already know, the PDK is a dual-clutch gearbox system and the advantages of this transmission design include excellent start-up performance, extremely fast gear changes without any interruption in tractive force, short reaction times, low fuel consumption and outstanding shift comfort.
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Active all-wheel drive is part of the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system and comes as standard for all Macan models. Together with the other elements of the system – the electronically controlled, map-controlled multi-plate clutch, the Automatic Brake Differential (ABD) and Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) – the all-wheel drive looks after traction and safety. The rear axle is always driven, the front axle receives its drive torque from the rear axle, and the torque is dependent on the locking ratio of the electronically controlled multi-plate clutch. To see how the Porsche Torque Vectoring system works, see the link below;-
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The Macan Turbo also has Air Suspension system which, depending on the driving requirements can increase the height by 40mm if going off tarmac or reduce it by 10mm when cruising down the highways. This is how the air suspension system works:
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This system also makes it possible for owners to lower the boot to make loading and offloading easier via 2 buttons found at the sides of the boot. This system is only active when all doors are closed to prevent any possible accidents.
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Inside the cabin
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It may be a baby Cayanne but don’t mistaken fit and finish to be any poorer even though it may cost a little more than half of the bigger SUV.
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The Macan is fitted with a 918 based multi-function sports steering wheel as standard and typical of any Porsche, the center dial is the rev counter
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The preview session was done using a left-hand drive model and when SDAC brings the actual units in, expect some differences with what’s being seen here.
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Earlier we mentioned there are 4 variants being introduced. Here’s a quick rundown of each of them:-
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About the Macan
Power plant: line four cylinder petrol engine with turbocharging, 2.0 litres
Power output: 237 hp (174 kW)
Century sprint: 6.9 seconds
Top speed: 223km/h
Fuel consumption (as measured in the NEDC) 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres
About the Macan S
Power plant: 3.0-litre V6 biturbo engine delivering
Power output: 340 bhp (250 kW)
Century sprint: 5.4 seconds (or 5.2 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package fitted)
Top speed: 254km/h
Fuel consumption: between 9.0 and 8.7 litres/100 km
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About the Macan S Diesel
Power plant: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine
Power output: 258 bhp (190 kW)
Century sprint: 6.3 seconds (or 6.1 seconds with the Sport Chrono package fitted)
Top speed: 230km/h
Fuel consumption: between 6.3 and 6.1 litres/100 km
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About the Macan Turbo
Power plant: 3.6-litre V6 biturbo engine
Power output: 400 bhp (294 kW)
Century sprint: 4.8 seconds (or 4.6 seconds with the Sport Chrono package fitted)
Top speed: 266 km/h
Fuel consumption: between 9.2 and 8.9 litres/100 km
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Ownership and Maintenance
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Until it’s launch date (expected some time in September or October), all prices are estimates:-
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Macan : RM450k
Macan S : RM560k
Macan S Diesel : RM550k
Macan Turbo : RM785k
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Keen to view the Macan up close and personal? Visit Bangsar Shopping Centre from May 21st to 25th, 2014 for an opportunity to have a closer look at Porsche’s fifth model range. The Macan model range is now available for bookings at Porsche Centre Damansara and Porsche Centre Glenmarie.
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