When Porsche launched their first SUV back in 2004, brand loyalists howled. The idea that a carmaker rooted in building finely crafted, uncompromising sports cars would dilute the brand DNA with something so suburban and mainstream was simply too much for Porsche purists to bear. Fast forward a decade: The midsized Cayenne SUV is now Porsche's top-selling model and more than a few of those loyalists have found room for one alongside the 911 in their garage. More importantly, it opened the Porsche brand to a new breed of customer who never previously would have considered Stuttgart steel. With the Macan compact crossover, Porsche has broadened their SUV catalog. Targeted at competitors like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Macan leans more toward sport than utility in the SUV equation. With handling, acceleration, and braking performance that put most sports sedans to shame, the Macan is easily the most thrilling SUV we've tested. The 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in our Macan S delivers effortless power, mated to an automated manual transmission that fires off quick, decisive shifts punctuated by a race-ready exhaust bark. The BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5, and Lexus NX don't even come close to that thrust.
For all its commitment to performance, the Macan still manages to deliver a measure of utility. Standard all-wheel drive and all-season tires make it a viable four-season vehicle, and the split-folding rear seats add cargo versatility. There's room for five friendly passengers in the quiet, luxurious, and impeccably finished interior, with comfortable and well-shaped seats up front. So, what's not to like? The Macan doles out rear seat room with the frugality of the Bundesbank. The same goes for the cargo area. Visibility is limited by a small rear window. As you would expect for a sports-car-meets-SUV, fuel economy is a thirsty 19 mpg overall. The Macan doesn't come cheap. Then again, what did you expect? It's a Porsche. Although the Macan has a base price a few pfennigs shy of 50 large, it is pretty much impossible to find one so equipped on dealer lots. 63,290 -- considerably more than any of its competitors. Adding a few options can drive up the price almost as quickly as the Macan accelerates. Even something as basic as a rear camera, standard on many mainstream cars, is a pricey option on the Macan. Still, if you categorize the Macan as a high-performance, all-wheel-drive hatchback, rather than a weekend workhorse for lumber runs, it is a very appealing, albeit pricey, package. And compared to some other Porsche models, it may even be something of a relative bargain.
Senior car industry figures were in London last week for the annual two-day Financial Times Future of the Car Summit. But when it came to the crunch question on whether he was aware that talks had taken place between PSA and JLR鈥檚 current owner Tata, Speth鈥檚 response was limp at best. There is an increasing belief that JLR might well benefit from a switch of owner. Acquisition by PSA would lead to a brutal period of cost-cutting, for sure, but it could deliver profits for Jaguar and Land Rover just as quickly as the rapid turnaround delivered at Opel and Vauxhall during the past 18 months. A PSA deal - or, for that matter, a switch to ownership by a major Chinese manufacturer - would also open Jaguar and Land Rover to a wider pool of technologies than either brand presently gets from Tata. Discovery Sport now, at launch, instead of in six or nine months鈥?time. If anything, though, Speth鈥檚 attitude to partnerships with other brands was what drew the deepest gasps at the FT Summit. 鈥淵ou can talk about economies of scale and that鈥檚 correct,鈥?he said, 鈥渂ut on the other hand, there鈥檚 the freedom we have to develop and do our own strategy in a fast way, a structured way. His dedication to independence is admirable, in a way. But with car makers facing huge bills for developing EV technology, it鈥檚 hard to find anyone in the industry who thinks that JLR鈥檚 relative isolation makes any sense at all. Do you think Jaguar Land Rover could benefit from a change of owner?
Geely has taken a 50 per cent stake in the Smart city car brand from parent company Daimler, it has been confirmed. The pair will build a new generation of all-electric Smart models by 2022, with production taking place at Geely鈥檚 purpose-built factory in China. As part of its expansion strategy, Geely and Daimler will also broaden the Smart range into the B-segment market, producing a premium rival for the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Audi A1 Sportback, it has emerged. Until 2022, Daimler will continue to build the current Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour at its facilities in Hambach, France and Novo Mesto, Slovenia respectively. From 2022 Daimler鈥檚 Hambach plant will begin construction of a new EQ-branded compact electric car, following a 鈧?00 million investment by Mercedes-Benz. Daimler鈥檚 Chairman of the Board, Dieter Zetsche, said: 鈥淲e look forward to further enhancing the brand with Geely Holding, a strong partner in the electric vehicle segment. Geely鈥檚 new partnership with Daimler Auto Group follows its recent 拢6.4 billion investment in the German company. Over the last decade, Geely has taken total financial control of Volvo, Polestar, the London Taxi Company, Lynk & Co and Yuan Cheng Auto, as well as partially financial control of Proton and Lotus.
The Audi SQ5 has done rather well for itself scoring positive points in most reviews. Seen as how it鈥檚 a fast, techy and practical SUV, its success is easy to comprehend. It all starts with the 3.0-liter TFSI V6 unit underneath the hood, sending 354 PS to all four wheels, along with 500 Nm of torque. It can hit 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, and 96 km/h in 5.1 seconds. However, where some see handsomeness and elegance in its subdued looks, others see the need for something more accute. It鈥檚 not a bad-looking SUV, but it won鈥檛 get your attention either, unlike this version by Lumma Design. The tuner gave the SQ5 a more expressive attire, thanks to the addition of the CLR 5S body kit. It consists of a front spoiler extension, wheel arch extensions front and rear, integrated side skirt under-splitters, rear skirt extension, custom diffuser, custom door paneling, square exhaust pipes with the Lumma logo, custom wheels and an optional rear spoiler lip. All the parts are made from high quality PUR-RIM plastics and help give this SQ5 a considerably more menacing stance, from all angles.
