Porsche Macan Turbo Review

Those who prefer to blaze a trail of their own don't need to follow the lead of others. We're thinking specifically about cars known as compact SUVs, characterised by five doors, five seats, all-wheel drive - and, of course, a higher sitting position. But aren't they lacking a certain something? Something that adds a little life, lets us enjoy a more intimate relationship with the road and delivers intense driving pleasure. A concept that boasts plenty of space for hobbies, leisure and sport. But no room for compromise. Compact, concentrated and intense, but still powerful. Practical but never ordinary. It is by these standards that we created the new Macan, and saw it emerge with three distinct guises. Each one a sports car. Each one unmistakable in its own segment. Each one a genuine Porsche - from design and driving dynamics to equipment specification. From the ultra sporty S variant to the Turbo - which sets new performance standards in its vehicle class. All Macan models were developed, tested and built in keeping with the Porsche philosophy. That's where we take sporty style and performance from the racetrack and inject it into everyday driving.

We make it as efficient as possible - and, of course, just as safe and comfortable. No efforts were spared until our engineers achieved their overriding development objective: the first sports car among compact SUVs. The new Macan - built for an intensive life in which the thirst for experience and thrills and spills are ever-present, and in which new challenges are a permanent driving force. Built for a life that refuses to be hemmed in by conventions and feels all the more authentic for it. A sports car that gives us what we're looking for, even in our everyday life: that feeling of being alive.The new Porsche Macan. A visual highlight of the new Macan is the side blades. Not only do they set a sporty accent, their design pays homage to the 918 Spyder. They make the proportions of the doors appear narrower and the flanks seem much sleeker and sportier. Side blades are available with a Lava Black paint finish, in the exterior color of the vehicle or - for a particularly exclusive statement - in carbon. In sizes of up to 21 inches, the wheels of the Macan are equally eye-catching. The particular Macan model that you see before you is recognisable by its brake calipers: silver-colored on the S variant and red on the Turbo.

Elsewhere, the Micra gets a new infotainment unit as part of this early-life update. It鈥檚 still not the sharpest system in the business, but a welcome upgrade nonetheless. The seven-inch unit mounted in the middle of the dashboard is slightly more responsive than before, and the search function has been streamlined. There鈥檚 a new dedicated smartphone app, and voice recognition appears, too. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all but the base Visia grade car. Inside, the Micra remains a fairly proportioned thing, though headroom is clipped a little by the low roofline. A 300-litre boot is strong though, and eclipses most rivals - even beating the latest Mazda 3, which sits in the class above. As for the cost, the N-Sport鈥檚 拢19,005 list price offers up no real incentive over the similarly powered Volkswagen Polo R-Line, while a Fiesta ST-Line EcoBoost 125 is ever so slightly less. Furthermore, like most mid-spec sporting superminis, it strays dangerously close to the starting price of full-fat hot hatchbacks like the Fiesta ST. To sweeten the deal, Nissan is offering zero per cent interest on monthly PCP deals, however. Given that the chassis tweaks are linked to the 115bhp engine and not the trim, you could save more money and still bag the best driving Micra by opting for this setup in better value Acenta trim. It鈥檚 拢1,700 less, but you鈥檒l have to forego the sporty styling touches.

However, luggage and passenger room in the Porsche is far from pokey, and should be sufficient for most buyers most of the time; it鈥檚 just that the F-Pace can go the extra mile when you need it to. Elsewhere in the cabin there are places for drinks and possessions, plus USB points to charge gadgets. The driving position feels even loftier than in the Porsche, where you sit more 鈥榠n鈥?the car than perched on the seat. This gives the F-Pace great visibility out. A shortage of owner respondents meant Porsche didn鈥檛 rank in our Driver Power 2018 poll, but Jaguar was 10th out of 26 in the makers鈥?chart, a solid result for the brand. It scored well for ride and handling, as well as safety. The F-Pace gets a full five-star Euro NCAP rating, with six airbags, lane-keep assist and autonomous braking all fitted as standard. You can add blind-spot warning as part of a 拢1,350 option pack, which also brings adaptive cruise control and raises the top speed at which the emergency braking works.

It鈥檚 no surprise that, with strong performance and big, heavy bodies, both of these cars returned only average fuel economy. The Jaguar just edged out the Porsche, though, returning 28.2mpg, which means annual fuel bills of 拢2,317 based on this figure. The Macan managed 27.7mpg, so it鈥檒l be only 拢42 more expensive to fuel over an average 12,000 miles of annual motoring. These models are in reach for many company car drivers, but they鈥檙e still pricey. The 179g/km Jag sits in the 36 per cent BiK band, and will cost higher-rate earners 拢6,501 to run; the 185g/km Porsche (37 per cent) will set them back 拢6,859. Testers鈥?notes: 鈥淛ag鈥檚 All Surface Progress Control system comes as standard to match the Macan鈥檚 Off Road mode. The Macan is as good to drive as ever, and the 2.0-litre engine doesn鈥檛 feel underpowered. There鈥檚 enough performance for most people, while it helps economy, too, even if the Jaguar will be a little cheaper to run.