Porsche Macan: A blend of style and comfort

If you are willing to dish out the money, the refreshed Macan offers an un-SUV like, undiluted experience at the wheel

Looks like Porsche has taken the adage — If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — seriously since the inception of the 911 in the 60s, and to this day the Stuttgart giant follows the same ethos.

Hence, it is safe to assume that the refreshed Macan, which is also a entry to the Porsche range, will have the historic pedigree and that special feel. To discover this, we headed out to a scenic, snaking road through Maharashtra’s Varandha Ghat. In a nutshell? Porsche territory.

The Macan gets a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine making 265hp. It is essentially the same engine as the one in the Audi Q5, but you need not frown just yet. Porsche has tweaked it to be more Porsche-like. It churns out 20hp more and the engine has a distinct character and a lot more enthusiasm. There is a sense of eagerness as you accelerate off the line, but it is also linear all the way up to its 6,800rpm redline.

Ambling about in the city feels relaxed and effortless, but in the ghat section, it comes into its own. Engage ‘Sport’ mode, and the enthusiasm is further heightened with sharper responses. What the Sport mode also does is open up the exhaust valves for a raspy note with some pops and crackles. Power is transmitted to all four wheels through a 7-speed PDK gearbox, which is well calibrated. The gear ratios are spaced out, so when you engage manual mode, it allows you to fully control the gearbox with the paddle shifters.

Coming to the engine capacity or its output, one aspect that separates a Porsche from the rest is the way it handles. It is the same with this new Macan. It is a midsize SUV, but nothing about it feels SUV-ish on a set of twisties. The BMW X3, for example, is a similar-sized SUV that is also very good to drive, but it is unapologetically an SUV in the way it handles. The chassis, body control, steering ratio and suspension set-up of the Macan is all spot on. There is a lovely heft to the steering that might seem a bit iffy in tight city spaces, but it is more rewarding in the right setting. It is an EPS system, no doubt, but it is the best EPS system out there offering the most feel.

Changing direction is effortless and there is a heightened sense of what the front end is up to when you are mid-corner. Something you cannot say for many cars of the present, let alone SUVs. The Macan gets a rear-biased all-wheel drive system that further elevates its handling prowess. There isn’t any of that understeer associated with front-wheel drive or nose-heavy SUVs. Also, the fatter rear tyres make sure they claw into the tarmac, and offer optimum grip at all times.

The vechicle proves its mettle in the ghat section and is by far the best handling SUV on sale. Sure the ‘S’ and the ‘GTS’ are more powerful and get adaptive air suspension, among other things, but as far as a pure, unadulterated drive goes, even this ‘base’ Macan puts a smile on your face.