When Porsche launched its first SUV back in 2004, brand loyalists howled. The idea that a carmaker rooted in building finely crafted, uncompromising sports cars would dilute the brand DNA with something so suburban and mainstream was simply too much for many Porsche purists to bear.
Fast forward a decade: The midsized Cayenne SUV became Porsche's top-selling model and more than a few of those loyalists found room for one alongside the 911 in their garage. More importantly, it opened the Porsche brand to a new breed of customer; one who would never previously have considered Stuttgart steel.
With the Macan compact crossover, Porsche broadened its SUV catalog. As does the Cayenne, the Macan leans more toward sport than utility in the SUV equation. With handling, acceleration, and braking performance that put most sports sedans to shame, the Macan was easily the most thrilling SUV we'd tested up to that point.
The 340-hp, 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in our Macan S delivered effortless power, mated to an automated manual transmission that fires off quick, decisive shifts punctuated by a race-ready exhaust bark. If 340 horses are insufficient for your needs, the Macan Turbo adds 60 more.
For all of its commitment to performance, the Macan still manages to deliver a measure of utility. Standard all-wheel drive and all-season tires make it a viable four-season vehicle, and the split-folding rear seats add cargo versatility. There's room for five friendly passengers in the quiet, luxurious, and impeccably finished interior, with comfortable and well-shaped seats up front.
So, what's not to like? The Macan doles out rear seat room with the frugality of the Bundesbank. The same goes for the cargo area and a small rear window limits visibility. As you would expect for a sports-car-meets-SUV, fuel economy is a thirsty 19-mpg overall.
The Macan also doesn't come cheap. Then again, what did you expect? It's a Porsche.
Even something as basic as a rear camera, standard on many mainstream cars, was a pricey option on the Macan.
Still, if you categorize the Macan as a high-performance, all-wheel-drive hatchback, rather than a weekend workhorse for lumber runs, it is a very appealing, albeit pricey, package. And, compared to some other Porsche models, it may even be something of a relative bargain.