A compact SUV sounds sensible. But in this case it is also a Porsche. A driving report from FOCUS online explains how the sports car manufacturer manages this balancing act.
“Today another Porsche Macan will be delivered” – the receptionist reacts differently to this neutral sentence with a friendly “All right”. “A Porsche,” she says. “Yes, but only a little,” I reply. She remains stubborn: “It’s a Porsche, after all.”
This small example shows the fascination that the sports car brand triggers. And not just because it can now be traded separately on the stock exchange and has even overtaken its parent company VW in terms of market capitalization.
But to the vehicle itself: From the outside, the Macan T looks compact and bulky at the same time. With a little imagination, it even has a marginal resemblance to the VW Beetle, if the front had been a little shorter. What does the T stand for? This abbreviation is actually reserved for sports cars like the 911 or 718. T stands for “Touring” and thus for sportiness.
This is expressed in numbers: A two-liter turbocharged in-line four-cylinder with 265 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Newton meters accelerates the Macan T to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. The top speed is 232 km/h. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the all-wheel drive system PTM (Porsche Traction Management) are standard.
The sportiness is underlined by a lowering of 1.5 centimeters and an optimized tuning, which should enable agile handling. The car is really agile, and the GT sports steering wheel with roughened leather (Race-Tex) of the 4.72 meter long, 2.097 meter wide and 1.606 meter high Porsche is a feast for the eyes and feels great.
The basic price of the Macan T is just under 69,500 euros for the 2022 model year, with amenities such as the assistant (lane change, distance control, automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors, smartphone holder with inductive charging, etc.), the price of the test car adds up to 75,531 euros .
Porsche exerts a special fascination, that is undisputed. In times of e-cars, which shine with enormous acceleration, 6.2 seconds, which are achieved thanks to the additional boost (mode switch), sound rather normal. If 20 years ago a vehicle of this size had reached 100 km/h in 6 seconds, the most normal reaction in the world would have been to say “Wow”. Nowadays, it is accepted benevolently, but nothing more. But there is hardly a car in which you feel so safe when you drive faster through the corners. Everything seems playfully easy, which is also due to the direct steering.
The interior also looks extremely high quality. It’s in a different league than VW or Skoda, and Audi is the closest they can keep up. A little more puristic, let’s put it that way, is the Porsche with Keyless-Go etc. The car did not automatically recognize the key, it had to be inserted into the lock as normal in order to drive off. For everyone who is first behind the wheel of a Porsche: the ignition switch is to the left of the steering wheel. A sign for “always in the left lane?”
A short digression to explain: The position of the ignition switch is a relic from the past and can be traced back to the beginnings of the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. The drivers stood a few meters from their car before the start clearance and then started running. With a start button on the left side, the racers could start the car as soon as they got in, saving valuable time. Nowadays it’s just prestige.
The speedometer is also still analogue, with the rev counter being arranged in the middle, as is typical for Porsche. The center console has a modern and very high-quality design. The sat nav is functional, but at times had directions ready that didn’t feel like the best.
Porsche is and will remain a fascinating brand. The Macan is a compromise between sportiness and comfort – you sit high, the trunk is pleasantly large, which is somewhat at the expense of legroom in the rear row of seats. But all in all, a car from Zuffenhausen is still something special.
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