Porsche Macan S 2021 UK review: Compact SUV is a brilliant all-rounder, but so refined it almost hides its more eye-catching capabilities
The Macan S is a very simple car to drive. Visibility is good, it feels compact, the engine is smooth and docile at low revs and in the automatic shift mode you choose most of the time its changes are imperceptible, far more seamless than dual-clutch ’boxes a few years ago. Give the car its head and it also displays a big but effortless turn of speed, the V6 turbo engine emitting a growl-whine that says high performance but not too loudly.
The Macan is beautifully stable, a quality that combines with sensitive, perfectly weighted steering and reasonably compact dimensions to make it easy to punt briskly on back roads. In contrast to many Porsches, road surface noise is acceptably well controlled . Perhaps that’s because the S runs 20in wheels as opposed to the GTS’s 21s and thus has taller, more flexible tyre sidewalls.
It probably sounds a perverse kind of criticism, but if anything the Macan is a little too refined, a little too easy to drive, hiding its capability too well. If you drive a lot in town and fail to exploit the outer reaches of the longish-travel accelerator, you could believe that you’re driving a much more basic member of the Volkswagen Group family. We’re not sure that’s what Porsche buyers really want.
There’s a pretty good remedy, of course. The Macan is one of a very few SUV models whose maker has performance driving experience centres dotted all over the world, notably in the UK beside the Silverstone grand prix circuit. Go there in our Macan, climb in with an instructor and you’ll pretty soon find yourself unleashing capabilities that can match those of decent, purpose-built sports cars.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered 2021 long-term review | AutocarPeugeot 508 PSE 2021 long-term review - what will our first extended taste of Peugeot Sport Engineered be like?
Read more »
2021 Ford Bronco Wildtrak review | Car Reviews | Auto123Auto123 puts the 2021 Ford Bronco Wildtrak to the test to find out just how practical the new off-road-geared 4x4 is in everyday life, on paved roads.
Read more »
Record number of migrants crossed English Channel last yearAt least 28,395 people reached the UK in 2021 – more than triple the figure for 2020, according to PA news agency's figures.
Read more »
AC Schnitzer ACS3 Sport review | AutocarThose of a squeamish disposition, avert thy gaze. The latest BMW M3 is hardly the most elegant creation, and this AC Schnitzer interpretation escalates the thuggery. First drive review:
Read more »
Self-Driving Cars 2021 Year In ReviewHere's a countdown of the 10 1/2 big stories of 2021 in self-driving cars — Cruise, Waymo, Apple, China, San Francisco, Delivery, Trucking — it's all here and more.
Read more »