Introduced in 2014 and facelifted last year, the Macan is Porsche’s premium compact SUV that slots under the Cayenne and comes with very rewarding engines in the upper specs.
Topping them all is the Macan Turbo, which retired the old 3.6-liter engine for a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. It develops 440 PS (434 HP / 324 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque, rocketing the compact premium model to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.3 seconds and up to a top speed of 269 km/h (167 mph).
The six-cylinder engine is very refined on the go, with plenty of pulling power across the board, and is paired to a smooth-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Ranging between 11.4 and 12 l/100 km (23.5-24.8 mpg UK / 20.6-19.6 mpg US), the average fuel consumption has been improved, so you get more oomph, as well as less frequent gas station stops.
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Despite the genuine sports car levels of power and performance, the facelifted Macan Turbo feels very calm and relaxing. It’s a comfortable car with great steering feel and traction that’s loads of fun to drive. The turbo lag is barely noticeable and the build quality is excellent.
However, when you think of it, it may be a bit overkill. It starts from for £68,530 (equal to $88,332 / €81,814 at current exchange levels) in the UK, but it can easily reach insane levels when you start piling up options like the Sport Chrono package, Torque Vectoring Plus, air suspension and carbon ceramic brakes, but also heated front seats, smaller steering wheel and visual accents such as the grey seatbelts. Fortunately, things like the infotainment system, front electric adjustable sports seats, three-zone climate control, Bose premium audio are standard.
So, do you really need a Macan Turbo in your life or would it be smarter to opt for the GTS or even the S? The former starts at £58,816 ($75,811/€70,217) and the latter at £49,300 ($63,546/€58,857), and they bring 380 and 354 PS (375-349 HP / 279-260 kW), respectively. Even the £46,913 ($60,469/€56,007) base spec model would get you to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.7 seconds, so which one would you get?