Porsche Macan
Porsche has a surefire winner on its hands with the Macan. The small SUV is deeply rooted in the company's sporting heritage, as is evident with even a passing glance. The Macan's steel and aluminum body has near-perfect proportions and, as Porsche says, it "embodies sportiness, dynamism, and precision, together with an elegance and lightweight construction." Taking cues from the Cayenne, 911 and even the 918 Spyder, the Macan is unmistakably Porsche.
The Macan is available in Base, Macan T, Macan S, and GTS with all three featuring active all-wheel drive and the latest development of Porsche Traction Management. The rear axle is always powered, while the front receives its cues from the available traction. In particularly unstable driving situations, such as icy roads, fully 100 percent of the Macan's power can be shifted to the front wheels through a multi-plate clutch. The Macan also benefits from an aluminum 5-arm wishbone suspension up front, with a self-tracking trapezoidal link suspension in the back. Paired with big 6-piston brakes, 19-inch alloy wheels and fat tires, the Macan is as sure-footed as they come.
Three engines are offered in the Macan. The base Macan is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder making 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Porsche claims a sprint from 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. The Macan S is powered by a turbocharged 2.9L V6, which produces 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque from just 1,850 rpm. That's enough to propel the Macan S to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 156 mph.
All three engines are mated to Porsche's PDK dual-clutch 7-speed automatic transmission, which makes for extremely fast gear changes. Paddle shifters make changing gears a snap and a selectable Sport mode allows for more responsive engine and transmission management. This equates to faster shift times, a higher redline and a sweeter sound from the exhaust.
Standard features in the Macan include 19-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlights with LED headlamps and running lights. Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with hard-drive navigation is also standard, as is an 8-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, 3-zone automatic climate control, rearview camera and parking sensors and a power tailgate.
The Macan S builds on these features, and in addition to the larger engine, it includes a dual exhaust, 20-inch wheels, and larger brakes.
The Macan Turbo commands a large premium over the S model, in large part thanks to all the performance features it gets. Standard on the Turbo model is Porsche's Active Suspension Management system which will continuously adjust the suspension on the fly to maximize handling, vastly changing the character of the vehicle. Other standard features include 21-inch wheels, even bigger brakes, an adjustable sport exhaust system, heated front seats, brushed aluminum interior accents, and an Alcantara headliner.
Macan interiors are as luxurious and ergonomically efficient in the only way Porsche knows to build. Leather abounds. The large tachometer is front and center before the driver, with the ignition on the left--a Porsche hallmark. All models feature a 3-way rear bench that, when folded, allows for 50.3 cubic-feet of cargo space.
The Macan EV lineup with the Macan 4, featuring a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system that delivers an impressive 402 horsepower, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a swift 4.9 seconds with launch control. Moving up to the Macan 4S, power increases significantly to 509 horsepower and a robust 605 lb.-ft of torque with launch control, reducing the 0-60 mph time to just 3.9 seconds. For those seeking peak performance, the Macan Turbo boasts an astonishing 630 horsepower and over 738 lb.-ft of torque with launch control, achieving 60 mph in a remarkable 3.1 seconds. While a base rear-wheel-drive model with 355 horsepower is available in certain configurations, the dual-motor versions truly capture the essence of performance. Top speeds vary, reaching 137 mph for the 4 and soaring up to 161 mph for the Turbo. The Macan Electric features an adaptive suspension, painted calipers, a rear spoiler, power liftgate, power sunroof, heated power folding side mirrors, LED headlights, 20-inch wheels, heated front seats, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, an HD satellite radio, 10-speaker sound system, 10.9-inch touchscreen, voice activated navigation, wireless device connectivity and charging, 4 USB ports, a 12.6-inch gauge cluster and a heated leather steering wheel.
The Turbo trim adds larger brakes, adaptive headlights, power front seats, sport pedals, front seat memory, a 14-speaker sound system, and a sport steering wheel.
Standard safety features include front and rear parking sensors, active lane departure, blind spot warning, forward collision mitigation, rear collision warning, front pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring and a traffic sign information system.