Electric turbo

Hyundai dabbled with the idea a few years back, but now Audi says it is committed to bringing electric turbocharger technology to the market in the near future. The concept uses an electric motor to spin a compressor. The supplementary system helps reduce turbo lag at low rpm, providing immediate boost until the primary exhaust-driven compressor scrolls up to speed. ‘‘I can confirm we are working on the development of the e-boost definitely,’’ Audi’s head of diesel engine development, Ulrich Weiss, said. ‘‘Maybe it will be not this year. But it will be very soon.’’ Audi’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel unit is said to be capable of producing 750Nm of torque between 1250rpm and 2000rpm, propelling the S5 to 100kmh in four seconds. Macan Turbo gets leather, while other Macans allow it as an option from a list of four packages. The Turbo gets extra features, such as the standard adjustable air suspension, keyless entry and start, active headlights which turn corners, heated front seats and a Bose sound system, each of which are optional on the other models.

The Macan Turbo is the performance hero of the range, using a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 that’s just 4kW short of a 911 in terms of power output, it is a remarkably quick and nimble drive even with half-a-tonne of extra weight to carry compared to the Carrera. You’ll never need to deploy all of its power and torque, and while it’s fun to push it to its rev-limit cut-out in the lower ratios of its seven-speed PDK transmission, just to hear the crackle of exhaust when the ratios swap, the car’s sheer, easy-going flexibility is a real joy, giving the Macan a deliciously elastic nature in its mid-range.

The engine’s six-cylinder sound is pleasant and not too loud, and an accessory pack can be had to make it noisier, but there’s no need for this driver who would also have been happy with the 44kW less powerful Macan S, which is slightly more refined in its power delivery, not to mention $35,000 less expensive before add-ons, but still able to show-off the amazing grip and manageability of the car’s chassis.

Even on 20-inch rims, the Macan provides an amazing ride, pattering very quietly over bumps and holes, while staying flat and unperturbed by cornering forces and providing plenty of information through its steering to be more fun in the corners than any previous SUV I can remember.

The Macan works well on a variety of surfaces, emitting very little clamour on coarse chip, and in air suspended form, with three suspension settings, it’s the driver’s choice as to how hard or soft they want to go.

While the turbo-petrol Macans could be labelled the performance driver’s choice, the least expensive diesel car was my star of the show, with more mid-range flexibility than the other two cars, almost silly 6.1L/100km fuel economy, CO emissions levels of a mid-sized family hatch at 159g/km and a motor that makes so little clamour you wouldn’t know it was a diesel most of the time.

Porsche resisted the PDK trans- mission for its cars for many years – despite being the engineers behind the system – deciding to wait for some of the wrinkles were ironed-out by the rest of the VW Audi Group. The seven-gear system fitted to the Macan is a cracker, slurring through shifts at lower throttle openings like a conventional automatic, and slam-dunking through several slots at a time when required in the way only dual-clutch automated transmission can manage. It’s smooth, devoid of jerks and lunges and when operated through the wheelpaddles as close to instant in its responses as any unit I’ve tried.

With more than 70 per cent of New Zealand’s new vehicle sales now consisting of SUVs and utes, Porsche’s pie-chart describes similar percentages between cars and 4x4s and you do have to wonder where the sports car part of the company’s sales equation would have been without the income and customer base the Cayenne has grown for it.

Thus, just as the Cayenne was, the Macan is the right car at exactly the right time, and there’s more to come, with four-cylinder and hybrid versions due in the next few years, with the former likely to utilise the first front-mounted flat fours in Porsche’s history.

In the meantime, the Macan is likely to surpass the Cayenne as Porsche’s best-selling model, coming as it does right in the same pricing area as some pretty ordinary compact SUV competitors.

By drawing new customers to the brand as well as fulfilling the needs of those whose demand has been pent-up during more than two years since the model was signed off, the Macan has already more than 80 pre-orders.

It’s possible the Macan will occasionally be mistaken for its bigger brother, but then you’ll notice its new clamshell bonnet design, that closes snugly over the headlights, and results in a clearly defined grille and scoop area, with black side slots which are wider the more powerful the model.

From behind, the Macan has more clearly-defined ‘haunches’ than the Cayenne, with the kind of relationship between the glasshouse and its muscular rearwheel arches displayed by the widebody 911 models.

Another tell-tale is above the Macan sills – there are sideblades which can be had in body colour or what Porsche calls ‘carbon.’

Possibly the biggest difference is rear room. While the Cayenne offers legroom to burn, there will be compromises if the rear passengers are sitting behind tall front occupants, as it’s just a tad snug.

Verdict: Load space doesn’t seem to be too small, and it would be good if the rear seat could move fore and aft to help with decisions with luggage and/or people.

With New Zealand’s reputation for taking to new models from Porsche with almost embarrassing alacrity, I see this tiger burning bright for the brand.