KOUMPOUNOPHOBICS will positively hate the Porsche Macan.
For people with a fear of buttons, the German-built 4x4 is a positive nightmare.
Stretching out between the front seats are no fewer than 23 elegant switches, controlling everything from climate and traction to suspension and seat heating. Glance up and there are another 10 in the roof console.
All these, to be honest, are best left to the passenger to fiddle with, because the driver’s focus needs to be firmly on the road ahead. For the Macan, despite its macho 4x4 looks is a true sports car and demands respect.
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Under the bonnet of the test car sat a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine delivering a mighty 340 horsepower – and that is not the most powerful of the three six-cylinder engines available.
Its profile is flat and broad with styling hints of the iconic 911 sports car and the technological benchmark 918 and it is simply packed with equipment.
- The luxurious interior
From its seven-speed automatic gearbox and multi-function sport steering wheel with shift paddles, to a high-performance audio system and an electrically-operated tailgate this is a thoroughly upmarket vehicle. And its style, luxury and power is wrapped in a taut, sharp-handling and superbly responsive package.
With a low centre of gravity and precise feel, the all-wheel-drive Macan is brilliantly accomplished as a comfortable long-distance cruiser on the road. With optional air suspension it is also more than capable if you venture off-road.
The list of optional special equipment is extensive, with the test car’s list ranging from a £3,299, 16-speaker, 1,000-watt Burmester sound system to £2,671, 21-inch alloy wheels and a host of other items pushing the car’s on-the-road price to more than £63,000.
- The 4x4's profile
Porsche’s £1,060 dynamic light system continuously adjusts the headlight level in keeping with the traffic ahead and any oncoming traffic, and the optional £1,789 air suspension includes a levelling system and height adjustment.
In comparison to the steel-spring design, the Macan with air suspension sits 15 millimetres lower and offers both better driving dynamics and improved comfort. The ground clearance can be adjusted to three different levels. A touch of a button lowers the vehicle which, when combined with Sport Plus mode, delivers maximum performance and stability thanks to the lower centre of gravity.
A touch of another button in the luggage compartment drops the rear end to 50mm below normal to allow the luggage compartment to be loaded more easily.
So while the Macan would not have suited that renowned koumpounophobic, Apple co-founder and touchscreen genius Steve Jobs, the Macan is right on the button.
AT A GLANCE
- Insurance group: 45E (1-50)
- Fuel consumption (Combined): 32.5mpg
- Top speed: 157mph
- Length: 468.1cm/184.3in
- Width: 192.3cm/75.6in
- Luggage capacity: 17.6 cu ft
- Fuel tank capacity: 14.3 gallons/65 litres
- CO2 emissions: 204g/km
- Warranty: Three years/100,000 miles
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