Video Review: The Macan, a Lively Crossover From Porsche

When Porsche added the Cayenne sport utility vehicle to its lineup in 2003, loyalists reacted as if Beelzebub himself would ride in to usher in doomsday. Funny how it became the best-selling vehicle the company makes.

This encouraged the executives from Stuttgart to produce a smaller crossover, the Macan. Enthusiasts should be thrilled because high-profit S.U.V.s generate funds that make better Boxsters, Caymans and 911s.

Porsche says Macan is the Indonesian word for tiger, which is more exotic than the German word — tiger. It’s also an improvement on the name many expected — Cajun.

More petite than the Cayenne, Macan is chuckable fun with the feel of a rear-drive car. The S model tested goes from 0 to 60 miles an hour in five seconds flat. The brakes are stout, and tire grip is sticky and predictable. Shifts from the 7-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox make eye blinks seem slow.

These lofty capabilities that keep drivers out of trouble are also the kind to lure them north of the speed limit. A practical all-wheel-drive S.U.V. that performs like a sport sedan makes one giggle. Optional air suspension provides up to nine inches of ground clearance, and Porsche claims that moderate off-roading is no sweat.

The Audi Q5 and Macan share a basic architecture, but there are no common body panels. The front and rear subframes are different, as is the engine cradle. About the only thing carried over from the suspension are the control arms. This all puts the sport in sport utility vehicle. It is a Porsche, after all, and feels every bit of one.

Base Macans get a turbocharged 4-cylinder. The S models get more spunk in the form of a 3-liter twin turbocharged V6 with 340 horsepower and 339 pound feet of torque. (The Turbo model bumps power up even more.)

It will take a week or so for Porsche newbies to get used to the ignition on the left of the steering column. As equipped, dampers, throttle and transmission response can be fine-tuned.

Fighter jet cockpit aficionados will find the Macan’s cabin mighty appealing (and valet attendants will park it more efficiently than an F-15). The materials look and feel suitably rich. Perhaps the flurry of switches in the cabin is there to compensate for the small, dated touch-screen interface. All body types should find a supportive position in the very adjustable seats.

The Macan returned about 17 miles for every gallon of specified premium fuel under my hard right foot. The government rates it at 17 city and 23 highway.

The back seat can be summed up with the phrase “two’s company, three’s a crowd.” It’s comfortable for a couple, and the seat backs drop 40-20-40. Useful cargo space is a bit shy of the competition’s but far better than a 911’s.

A base Macan starts at $48,550. Smothered in options like a panoramic glass roof and upgraded wheels, my S model tester closed in on $71,000. The Macan is not a budget-minded appliance; it’s about wringing high performance out of a practical shape. Far from being the end of the world, S.U.V.s with Porsche DNA make the world a better place.