MOTORS REVIEW: Porsche Macan

Well, in the case of the latest update of the Porsche Macan, the German sports car maker’s sporty compact SUV, it could well go a long way.

Changes to the new iteration’s entry-level turbocharged petrol engine have ushered in a fairly nominal 7PS downturn in power (to 245PS), slightly lower top speed and fuel consumption and emissions figures which are — as a result of the new WLTP test regime — a little less impressive on paper.

The introduction of a new Mamba Green Metallic paint option could just be enough to grab the attention of customers nonetheless.

That the overall look achieved here was done so with the help of some tricklooking 21-inch Sport Classic wheels, which are a £3,363 option on the way to an overall price that takes the standard £46,344 all the way to over £60,000 is something of a drawback, though.

Elsewhere, Porsche’s styling changes have been quite subtle, but new all-LED head- and tail lights have had an impact.

While the headlights feature what Porsche describes as a “sculptural interior”, with its three-dimensional light modules, a new 911-like LED light strip joins the light clusters to add a new design element to the Macan’s unfussy rear-end design.

Inside the Macan interior quality remains high and, while the air vents have been slightly re-arranged, the architecture is familiar to all the brand’s models, with its broad centre console flanked by buttons to control everything from “Sport” mode to traction control and air conditioning.

The latest Porsche Communication Management system now features a 10.9-inch full-HD touchscreen, up from 7.2 inches, while full connectivity is now standard, the new system offering improved online navigation.

The new Macan looks and feels every bit the premium SUV and is very much a Porsche product out on the road.

That two-litre engine soon reveals itself not to be the characterful boxer unit from the Boxster and Cayman, its overly civilised soundtrack adding little to the drama of the drive, but the Macan handles.

A squat, foursquare stance is matched by impressive traction and, even with the entrylevel car’s fairly limited power, its four-wheeldrive system still feels decidedly rear-biased — bringing with it at least a taste of driverfocussed adjustability.

Accelerate hard out of a junction and the rear tyres will break traction first, if only for a moment as the system shuffles a little torque to the contact points with more grip.

The Macan will reach 62mph in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 139mph (down from 143mph) and a new seven speed dual clutch gearbox is not only capable of shifting gears with barely-pausing accuracy, but a new coasting system which reduces revs to an idle to save fuel has helped at least mitigate the impact of the strict new WLTP emissions on fuel consumption an emissions.

The result is claims of 34.9mpg and 185g/km (down from 38.7 and 171 under NEDC).

To my eyes Porsche’s Macan is the best-looking SUV that money can buy and the new colour and subtle styling tweaks have only added to its appeal.

That the German brand’s options list remains a thing of terror to most Yorkshire-based potential buyers is worthy of note, but so is the fact that — even with its subdued entry-level engine option — it remains family car that feels worthy of the Porsche badge, new colour or no...