​Porsche Macan review – still the high performance SUV benchmark

If it feels like the Porsche Macan has been around for a long time it’s because in car years it kind of has. First introduced in 2014, the Macan has been a raging success for Porsche, making the brand accessible (or justifiable) to a whole range of new buyers, while trading on typical Porsche character traits such as peerless driving dynamics and build quality. 

It’s the first element of those which is particularly telling, as the Macan’s dynamic clout is the very element which has kept it relevant over all these years, driving with genuine involvement and capability.

> Porsche Cayenne Turbo 2018 review – behaves like no SUV should

For 2021, Porsche has given the range another shake-up, dropping the Turbo model and consolidating the engine range. Visual changes are very subtle, with only the gentlest of exterior updates, joined inside by an adoption of flat touch-sensitive controls around the gear lever and an upgraded infotainment screen. 

What will come after the Macan? Porsche is in the final stages of development of its all-electric replacement, which just like the current Macan, will share underpinnings with an Audi equivalent. Rather than immediately replacing the current combustion model when it arrives in 2023, though, both will be sold alongside each other until legislation, or customer demand, eventually calls time on the petrol-powered model.

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Porsche Macan: in detail 

• Engine, gearbox and technical specs – Only petrol four-cylinder and V6 options remain, the latter now just the one 2.9-litre unit
• Performance and 0-60 time – No Macan is slow, but S and GTS models are genuinely rapid
• Ride and handling – Weight counts against ultimate agility, but the Macan’s chassis is one of the best of any SUV
• MPG and running costs – The lack of a diesel or hybrid harms efficiency. The petrols do get close to their official figures, though
• Interior and tech – While the cabin architecture is aging, tech is top-notch and it feels brilliantly put together
• Design – It can look a little clumsy in some specifications, but choose well and it’ll still turn heads

Prices, specs and rivals

Pricing for the new Macan starts at £47,780 for the entry-level 262bhp four-cylinder simply badged ‘Macan’. Move up and you’ll find £53,300 the Macan S, sporting two more cylinders.

Now sitting at the top of the tree is the Macan GTS at £64,770, which is a fair chunk more expensive than before, but now effectively replaces the previous Turbo at a near £4,000 discount. Both GTS and S feature the same 2.9-litre V6 engine; the GTS packing a higher state of tune.

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Other German rivals come in the shape of the recently updated BMW X4, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC Coupe, although none can match the Macan in terms of driving dynamics. The X4 undercuts the Macan by only a few grand at base level, while the range-topping 355bhp M40i derivative elevates the sticker price into Macan GTS territory, at £61,910. The Q5 Sportback meanwhile begins at £41,420, and rises to £60,635 for the SQ5, which is now in diesel-only form. The GLC range is nearing its expiry, but ranges from £44,925, through £55,380 for the V6-engined GLC43 and £93,400 for the 503bhp 4-litre twin-turbo V8-powered GLC63 S. 

> Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review – as good as a Porsche Macan?

Outside of the German brands the closest equivalents are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Jaguar F-Pace and Range Rover Velar. All feature high-performance variants, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio using a 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 and the other two a 5-litre supercharged V8, but of them all (and including the Germans) it’s the Alfa that gets closest to the Macan, and possibly even eclipses it.

The Macan naturally feels more sophisticated and is the better built of the pair, but the Stelvio’s startling performance, impressive ability and silly soundtrack will give it the edge for some. At £74,900 the Quadrifoglio isn’t cheap (though nor is it excessive for a car with 503bhp), but it’s a lot of fun.