CALGARY — Porsche has uncaged its tiger.
Late last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show the automaker debuted its Macan, Porsche’s first foray into the compact sport utility vehicle market.
Macan is the Indonesian word for tiger – and Porsche Centre Calgary is taking full advantage of the wildlife connection. The local dealer is debuting the Macan at the Calgary Zoo on May 29 and 30.
“The Macan is our second SUV,” says Lawrence Romanosky, sales manager at Porsche Calgary. “The vehicle is positioned for people who want an SUV and all-wheel drive, but don’t need all of the space of the Cayenne.”
According to Romanosky, Porsche aims to have the most sporting vehicle in whichever market segment they enter. He says the Porsche Cayenne, which is a midsize SUV, and the Porsche Panamera, a full-size sedan, are the sportiest vehicles in their respective classes.
“In the smaller SUV class, which is really the compact utility vehicle or CUV class, the Macan is also the most sporty,” Romanosky says. “And, that starts with the stance of the car – it’s lower and wider than other vehicles in the segment, and has staggered wheels and tires.”
On the Macan, the rear tires are wider than the front, and Porsche maintains the setup assures rear axle traction and increased driving stability while ensuring precise and sporty steering.
Two models of Macan are available – the Macan S and the Macan Turbo. The Macan S comes with a 340 horsepower 3.0 litre V6, while the Macan Turbo features a twin turbo, 400 h.p. 3.6L V6.
Both Macan models feature an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system set to favour the rear wheels 90 per cent of the time. A seven-speed transmission, which Porsche refers to as the Doppelkupplung, or PDK, is responsible for sending power to the wheels.
“Handling in the Macan is more akin to a rear-wheel drive sports car,” Romanosky says.
At the time of our conversation, Romanosky had just returned from test-driving the Macan on the racetrack at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. He says the Macan remains graceful even under intense handling situations, and doesn’t lose its composure in extreme braking or cornering manoeuvres.
“A Porsche should always be true to its roots – and our roots are sports cars,” he says, and adds, “Porsche is billing the Macan as a larger 911 (perhaps one of the automaker’s most famous two door high performance sports car) rather than a smaller Cayenne.”
Although the Macan is based on the Audi Q5 platform of its corporate partner, only 15 per cent of components are shared between the two vehicles. That means 85 per cent of the Macan consists of pieces unique to Porsche. Those include engines, transmission and driveline parts, and, of course, the unmistakable Porsche body with some of its design elements directly attributable to lines found on the 911.
“Porsche engineers have worked hard to ensure the Macan delivers the goods on a race track,” Romanosky says. “While many owners might not put that performance to use on a track, it’s good to know the car has terrific reserves of grip and handling for emergency situations.”
The Macan comes well equipped in standard trim. However, there are options available to boost performance beyond the expected. For example, there is a class-exclusive optional air suspension system. Also, there is Porsche’s own Torque Vectoring Plus, or PTV Plus system that distributes varying levels of drive torque to the rear wheels working in conjunction with an electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock.
“Really, it helps rotate the car into a corner,” Romanosky explains, and adds, “the Macan is a serious engineering effort true to its DNA.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca
