After a year’s hiatus, 2020 sees the return of the Porsche Macan Turbo, which was so far ahead of its competitors when introduced in 2014 that a limited refresh of the entire Macan model line has helped it remain one of the best choices in a packed and ruthlessly competitive field of German and English middleweight high-performance SUVs.
Porsche’s Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch gearbox is every bit as important as the sweetly smooth twin-turbo V6—funny to give a gearbox first mention ahead of the engine, but it’s warranted. At steady-state highway speed with steady throttle, one can compose a symphony of engine and exhaust sound by paddling up and down through the gears. PDK turns the engine and exhaust system into something like a turbocharged harpsichord—or perhaps a talented brass section. Shifts are instantaneous, yet there isn’t the least bit of drivetrain snatch or shuffle-bobble, no judder or shock. Only change in pitch and volume, the tach needle imitating a conductor’s baton, jumping around the gauge. Like any orchestra instrument, PDK is a wonder of finely balanced and expertly assembled pieces. It takes deliberately ham-fisted paddleshifting and gross on-off misapplication of throttle at low speeds to cause the least balkiness, and even then, one senses the computers compensating and muttering “Dummkopf” in a thick Swabian accent, like the maestro of the Stuttgart Philharmonic much disappointed in rehearsal.
Oh, yes, and the new smaller-displacement yet much more potent engine, a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 employed in the Turbo and GTS models. Thanks to turbo boost, variable timing, and tricky electronics, it generates an impressive 434 horsepower not just at a revvy peak like in the old days, but between 5700 and 6600 rpm. More impressive and more important, it spools up 405 lb. ft. of virtually instant-on torque between 1800 and 5500 rpm, the wide swath of maximum oomph arriving without perceptible lag. It very nearly matches the power of the 3.6-liter first-generation Macan Turbo Performance Pack of a few years ago.
Macan Turbo’s torque has erased any real sprinting advantage of similarly priced European battery-electric SUVs, and readily matches comparably sized high-performance SUVs. If you’re curious about the 2.9-liter designation, it relates to higher taxation in China of vehicles over 3.0 liters. Turbo boost can easily compensate for shaving off a few cubic centimeters and selling the same engine around the globe allows Porsche to invest in other systems in the vehicle. This generation of turbos allows greater flexibility in product planning.
Optional Sport Chrono system clicked to Sport+, Macan Turbo can hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, an impressive 0.3-second quicker than a 2014 Macan Turbo, keeping Macan firmly in the hunt. For a V6-powered vehicle that weighs just over two tons and can deliver respectable highway fuel efficiency when driven with a light foot, that’s impressive. This measurable perfectly illustrates the ability of Porsche product planning to accommodate marketing’s need to maintain interest in a vehicle for seven model years, or more. Don’t be surprised if the last gasoline-powered Macan Turbo arrives with a flourish of additional power, though the slightly less potent GTS model indicates Macan sells best in a sporty and well optioned package suited to daily life.
Early 1990s Porsche 911 Turbos I drove 30 years ago could scream and violently thrash their way to similar 0-60 mph times, at risk of clutch, gearbox and drivetrain wear, and potential damage to second gear from all that slamming about. With a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox controlled through slick software, Macan Turbo can perform the deed over and over, no need for cultivated clutch-and-shifter talent. Owners might limit the number of stoplight drag races to spare any possible thrashing of the clutches, shafts and all those joints in the all-wheel drive system. Macan Turbo is a star performer in highway roll-on contests of speed.
Introduced more than a decade ago, Porsche’s Star Trek helm is exemplary, visually and ergonomically. Porsche adheres more closely to Bauhaus form follows function than any other German company, alongside VW. You sit upright, roof pillars are designed for excellent outward visibility, not just for a sexy exterior design, controls are logically placed and even a first-time buyer will understand the layout in a short time. Like middleweight sports sedans, Macan has excellent seating up front. Second-row seating is pretty good for kids and acceptable for adults on shorter stints. The cargo hold is roomy enough for day trips with small children strapped in matching Peg Péregos. Toss in the Bugaboo, the canvas bags, and off you go.
My highly optioned test car had Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), a $4660 option—worth every penny on my mountain route. If the vehicle will serve as daily driver, the standard 15.35-in. metal brakes will lead to a happier long-term relationship and help keep the price below $100,000.
For many, fantastic dynamics, enough headroom and Apple CarPlay to jibe with the iPhone are enough. Porsche Connect Plus includes an LTE telephone module, an integrated SIM card and a slot for an external SIM card, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Options include a smartphone tray with Qi-standard inductive charging. The standard 665-Watt BOSE system has 14 speakers. For those of us old enough to remember 1950s and ‘60s sports cars with a single speaker in the dash, it’s impressive, and anything more in a vehicle of this sort might seem like overkill. Again, smart product planning.
Traffic Jam Control has been available on Porsches for several years and was added to the Macan in the 2019 refresh. Using radar to monitor nitwits in slow-moving traffic, it can speed up or brake to maintain safe intervals with other cars, including those in lanes to the left and right. It does not include the “lane centering” function of the Cayenne’s system, but it’s a huge help when slogging along in a “moving mass” of traffic placing morning calls. Parking cameras and proximity sensors are mandatory in the supercars that arrive in my garden, allowing easy maneuvers, and that technology is just as useful here. I’d never buy another car without this system.
Macan Turbo can tow up to 5291 lbs., enough to travel with a high-quality, lightweight and nimble Bowlus trailer, its Art Moderne design a wonderful compliment to Macan’s crisp Bauhaus. In daily driving, the lower air suspension setting can manage parking garages and steep driveways—it’s an SUV with excellent break angles for a high-performance vehicle thanks to minimal front and rear overhang. It’s not a Jeep. Like all such vehicles now bringing excitement to the middleweight SUV market, it’s a tall sports sedan.
If you’re not among the default Porsche faithful and cross-shopping is required, the field of high-performance SUVs has burgeoned since the Macan Turbo debuted in 2014. Jaguar F-PACE SVA or its alter ego, the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography, both with a gorgeous 5-liter supercharged V8, have comparable acceleration and fine dynamics. BMW’s potent X3M is a more recent arrival that can slug toe-to-toe with Macan Turbo thanks to its sweet 503-horsepower straight-six twin-turbo engine. The larger twin-turbo V8 BMW X5M warrants a look if you need more rear-seat legroom and cargo for longer pleasure tours, though its starting point is many, many thousands more than a heavily optioned Macan Turbo. Any of these vehicles will serve faithfully, and also exhilarate on the sort of mountain roads I’m blessed with a few minutes from home.
The next Macan will be a battery-electric vehicle (BEV), or at least that was Porsche’s announcement last year. Macan Turbo will continue for several more years, with Porsche committing to 50 percent battery-electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025.
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