Building an SUV that’s capable of both being a great everyday family vehicle and also a canyon-carving super shuttle isn’t easy. That’s why cars like the BMW X3 Competition and Porsche Macan GTS cost so much. Can they really achieve the goals of original sports utility vehicles though? This video seems to prove that they can.
Up the hill with launch control enabled, the BMW seems to have almost no slip whatsoever. It rockets up the dirt mound and leaves the Porsche for dead while the Macan struggles to find grip.
Down the hill is another story as the BMW’s hill descent control allows it to roll down at a minimum speed of 2 mph which sounds slow but is positively blazing compared to the Macan which trundles down so slowly that it doesn’t even register a speed on the dash.
Read Also: 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel Improves Pickup’s Off-Road Prowess
Granted, it’s unlikely that one would simply let off of the brake on the way down a hill. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know that in the event that one were to panic, the Porsche is going to keep things slow and steady on its own. Articulation isn’t a big problem for either of these super SUVs either.
Up an undulating hill, each one utilizes sophisticated traction control and ABS to climb easily despite sticking a tire or two into the air at times. Going down the hill is almost as seamless but the BMW loses out because it slides more than it actually drives down the same hill.
Next up is a steep embankment where the cars have to maintain traction while not slipping. Both seem to handle it without concern but by the smallest of margins, the Carwow team gives the win to BMW. That means that the posh SUVs are tied.
The final challenge is to basically do all of the challenges over again in a single trial. Ultimately, the Porsche takes the victory thanks to a deft off-road mode and better suspension. The truth is though that what these SUVs just tackled proves that a single vehicle can really do just about everything.