As Is Visible In These Photos

What It Is: Porsche鈥檚 upcoming mid-size SUV, the Macan, caught testing wearing almost no camouflage. The Macan, which carried a code name of Cajun鈥攕hort for 鈥淐ayenne Junior鈥濃€攊s smaller than the Cayenne and designed to bring even more buyers into the Porsche fold. Our spy photographers previously captured a Macan prototype out for testing, but it had considerably more camouflage than the car you see here. We鈥檝e also gleaned new details about the Macan鈥檚 powertrain in the interim. Why It Matters: Although brand purists will cry foul, the Macan is poised to become quite the moneymaker for Porsche. Of course, this cash flow will help bankroll the cars these purists love鈥攖he excellent Cayman,Boxster, and 911鈥攊n a similar fashion to the successful Cayenne and Panamera. The smaller, more affordable Macan also gives Porsche a seat at the table in the ultra-hot luxury-crossover segment. Platform: If the Porsche Macan鈥檚 basic stance and profile seem familiar, that鈥檚 because underneath, it鈥檚 an Audi Q5. Some dimensions will be altered for the Porsche, including its width (which will grow) and height (which will shrink).

As is visible in these photos, the Macan will have Porsche-specific styling, right down to its sporty door mirrors and intake-riddled front end. This prototype is wearing odd headlight and taillight stickers intended to throw off an examination of those critical styling elements, but the cut-line for the front peepers is visible and roughly mimics those of the Cayman and Panamera. The fascia carries a heavy Cayenne vibe, as do the body sides and roofline. Out back, the rear window is steeply raked, and the fast D-pillar is stylishly thick, if detrimental to blind-spot visibility. Overall, the car closely imitates the Cayenne, but with smaller, tighter, and even sportier proportions. Powertrain: The Macan will come in two trim levels: S and Turbo. Both will be powered by versions of Porsche鈥檚 new twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which was introduced via the 2014 Panamera. Competition: Audi Q5, BMW X3/X4, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Mercedes-Benz GLK-class. 45,000. Actual transaction prices, of course, will depend heavily on how deep customers plunge into Porsche鈥檚 vast options and personalization catalog. A well-optioned Macan Turbo could pack an eye-wateringly expensive sticker.

It鈥檚 slightly unsettling in maybe the first few tight hairpins, as you might actually dial in more steering input than needed; but beyond that it鈥檚 completely intuitive and fluid. Reduced to its essence, all-wheel steer helps correct for improper lane positions on curvy roads and acts as an additional window of safety. It erases some weight and pretends the wheelbase is shorter, making this three-row model feel like a two-row crossover. There鈥檚 a very big asterisk attached to this. 70k mark with other options). Audi expects Q7s with that option to comprise less than five percent of U.S. This sounds a lot like what happened to GM's Quadrasteer, which at the time was impressive technology鈥攖hough never properly packaged. GM spokesman Otie McKinley today points to the cost of that system as being more than customers were willing to pay. Let's hope Audi finds a way to bring this system to more Q7s.

The good news is that the standard-issue Q7, with its steel-spring suspension (yes, there are plenty of aluminum alloy components underneath, too) drives nearly as well. It doesn鈥檛 tweak the laws of physics in quite the same way, or completely quell side-to-side pitchiness in quite the same way, but it鈥檚 predictable and progressive and still makes this big crossover feel quite nimble. And what you get in powertrain performance is the same across the entire model lineup, for now. The Q7 is powered by Audi鈥檚 now-familiar 3.0-liter supercharged gasoline V-6, making 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, and mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Towing capacity is 7,700, provided you鈥檝e ordered the towing package, and that capacity is the same whether you have the rear-wheel steering system and air suspension or not. The Q7 has a tremendous amount of active-safety features built in. Packaging has been rejiggered. Q7, with the second and third rows both placed farther back within the cabin and lowered slightly.

Through some other packaging magic, including a somewhat thinner seat design, the Q7 makes some significant gains in passenger space. The lower cargo floor, enabled by better suspension packaging in the new platform, help bump cargo space behind the third row up to 14.8 cubic feet. Yet in seat folding, Audi should take a long look at its Japanese and American luxury rivals, as this one offers neither convenient one-hand operation nor a space-maximizing layout that tucks the second row completely forward or down. Audi has topped off this top-notch cabin ambience with some old-fashioned noise insulation and smart sealing throughout; they鈥檝e managed to pull off such a quiet cabin without the use of active noise cancellation technology. Three-row utes don鈥檛 often bring a satisfied smile to your face during rapid driving on twisty two-laners; yet the Q7 breaks free of that third-row stigma. And it does so with plenty of tricks that parents are bound to appreciate.