THE CROSSOVER
Few would have believed a compact SUV would be Porsche’s biggest selling product, yet the Macan defied expectation to become exactly that…
The Cayenne was a colossal hit for Porsche, adding to the brand-saving efforts of the 986 Boxster in increasing appeal for the marque to drivers who previously didn’t see themselves driving a Stuttgart-crested vehicle. The Cayenne also contributed massively to Porsche sales success in new territories, enabling China to usurp the United States as the manufacturer’s biggest export market. For the lifestyles of many drivers, however, despite the 911 getting bigger with every generation, a Porsche sports car was too small and a Cayenne was too big. Enter the Macan.
Sharing its basic chassis with the Audi Q5, but packing application-specific engine, transfer case, suspension setup, interior and body panels, the Macan landed in 2014. Designed by Porsche Chief Designer, Michael Mauer (he of Taycan fame), and manufactured at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, the five-door crossover SUV was originally intended to be named Cajun (a portmanteau of Cayenne and Junior), but instead adopted the Javanese word for tiger in 2012, two years after development of the model began.
MIND GAMES
“Many people think of the Macan as expensive when compared to the Audi Q5 or BMW X3,” muses Simon Lenton, Director of performance car sales specialist, Dove House Motor Company. “It’s true to say a Macan priced equally with either of these crossover SUVS is likely to be slightly older and have covered marginally more miles, but I’d argue the Macan is, in fact, a far better value purchase, and not just because of the Porsche’s excellent specification.” He explains his reasoning. “The reality of the situation is that when buying a car or SUV of any make or model, the true cost of ownership is depreciation. A Macan will hold its value so much better than a Q5 or X3. Granted, the initial purchase price might be slightly higher, but over time, the Porsche will lose far less of its residual value. For this reason alone, the Macan is undoubtedly the sensible choice for buyer of crossover SUVS.”
The Macan is produced alongside the Panamera and Cayenne and comes with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission as standard equipment. Unveiled at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, the first production models were — in true Porsche tradition — the S and Turbo. The former is a three-litre V6 producing 335bhp, while the Turbo boasts a 3.6-litre bent-six chucking out close to 400bhp, increasing power to 434bhp with the option performance package. For Asian markets and the UK, however, Porsche introduced a punchy two-litre Macan. Powered by a turbocharged inline-four (liberated from the Q5 and a variation of VW’S EA888 Gen III unit) offering 249bhp and 273lbft, a top speed of 142mph, four-piston front brakes (all other models benefit from six-pot calipers) and significantly lower running costs, this all-wheeldrive gem was the first Porsche to be powered by a four-cylinder engine since the 968. Proving popular with Britain’s city dwellers, the format was rolled out globally for the 2017 model year.
As you’d expect, a two-litre Macan will set you back significantly less than the cost of a range-topping Turbo. Expect prices to start around £27k for a 2015 build. Dove House Motor Company is currently offering a three-litre diesel 2017 Macan S PDK finished in stealthy black on black and with just 39k miles from new for £34,900. Fuel economy is great on this variant, too, Porsche claiming an impressive 46.3mpg.
The Macan proved immensely successful, overtaking the Cayenne in becoming Porsche’s most popular product. Amazingly, it did so just twelve months after launch. The compact SUV went on to win numerous awards for mechanical reliability and overall specification, resulting in 13,209 units sold by the close of Q3 in 2020. And no, that’s not an Audi reference.
Steve Rogers, co-founder of performance car specialist, Maundrell & Co. in Wantage, Oxfordshire, takes a deep breath. “You know,” he begins, “the Panamera is a very, very good car, whether driving long distance or otherwise. It’ll carry four people in comfort and rewards with a huge amount of kit, even without the benefit of an original buyer going crazy with the Individual Equipment list. A Panamera certainly offers a more dynamic driving experience than a Cayenne, which has many of the same plus points regarding practicality, but sits significantly higher off the ground, making it nowhere near as poised as a Panamera, which is far better at high-speed cornering thanks to its low and long body.”
Available in either rear-drive or allwheel drive, the front-engined ‘more door’, which owes more than a passing nod to the stillborn 989 concept from the late 1980s, was unveiled at the 2009 Auto Shanghai International Automobile Show. The 4.8-litre V8-propelled S, 4S and 490bhp twin-turbocharged Turbo arrived first, closely followed by the entry level Panamera and Panamera 4 (rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive respectively), equipped with a 3.6-litre V6 producing a perfectly respectable 296bhp and 295lb-ft torque. Direct fuel injection featured across the range, as did Variocam Plus.
Panamera prices vary wildly, with first-generation (970) models available for half the price of later (971) examples introduced for the 2017 model year. There’s no shortage of cars to choose from, though — dealer forecourts and online auction websites are seemingly flooded with 970s of all variants. Lack of exclusivity means a low-mileage 2010 Panamera 4S, for example, can be yours for little more than £20k, while a 424bhp
GTS — introduced in 2011, alongside the 375bhp three-litre supercharged V6 Panamera S Hybrid, 247bhp Diesel (again, a three-litre force-fed V6) and range-topping Turbo S, which builds on the Turbo’s twin-turbocharged 4.8-litre V8 to produce 542bhp — can be obtained for £30k. If you love the idea of a Porsche sports car, but can’t justify a 911 due to a need to carry passengers in the back, then the 970 Panamera is an extremely tempting proposition.
SUPER SALOON
“There’s no two ways about it, the Panamera is a superb luxury sports saloon,” continues Steve. “Maundrell & Co. always has fantastic examples in stock, although we mostly focus our attention on the 971 generation, which buyers can just about creep into if they are working to the very top end of a £40k budget.” Adding to the Panamera’s appeal, a V6-powered 970 is a surprisingly economical car to run, especially in Diesel guise, a variant known for being the most fuel-frugal product in Porsche’s entire portfolio of cars at the time of production. Making use of a Cayenne-inherited powerplant, the Diesel shared an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission with the S Hybrid, while the 4, 4S and Turbo were given the then new ZF seven-speed PDK gearbox. Less than one-hundred and fifty units of all model types were fitted with a six-speed manual.
A facelift to the 970 Panamera range occurred in 2013, when a 414bhp Panamera S (powered by a three-litre twin-turbocharged V6, replacing the old S’s 4.8-litre V8) and a new plug-in hybrid, the 416bhp Panamera S E-hybrid joined the line-up. As was the case with the outgoing S Hybrid, the new PHEV made use of a supercharged three-litre V6, but also possessed a 95bhp electric motor. In electric mode only, range wasn’t brilliant (twenty miles on full charge, which took more than two and a half hours, but was perfectly adequate for town driving), but fuel consumption was reduced to a mind-boggling 91mpg.
Recognising the fact, the UK government approved a £5,000 grant toward the purchase price of the E-hybrid for eager Porsche customers.
Perhaps reflecting desirability in low running costs, a 970 Panamera E-hybrid will cost you upwards of £31k in the current climate. Most have covered few miles, but the stop-start nature of the frequent journeys many are subjected to may mean braking and suspension components have experienced premature wear and tear. Spares aren’t in short supply, but we recommend asking a marque specialist to carry out an inspection on any Panamera you’re thinking of buying, irrespective of the powertrain it possesses.