There are car brands that even motoring journos use as a benchmark for testing and comparing with other cars we try out. Brands that consistently deliver outstanding performance, feel that is spinal-tapped to our brains, feedback that is predictable and precise. These are the true gems. They may not be the mostest in the top trumps game, but these are the ones that will leave the single biggest and most favorable–not to mention highly pleasurable–driving experience.
Porsche’s Macan is one such vehicle that exemplifies this. Jump straight out of a modern-day 911 sorts car and straight into the Macan crossover, and you know both vehicles share the same genes, the same DNA. Feelsome steering, firm yet highly progressive brakes, a broad power band from its engine, a very composed, stable yet compliant suspension, and a rock-solid chassis as a foundation for it all.
The 2022 Macan is the brand’s latest and final upgrade before an all-new model is rumored to be launched in 2025 which will be a full electric vehicle. So for the romantics out here who believe sound is part of the overall aural pleasure of driving, the 2022 Macan is your best and probably final chance to the very last of its internal-combustion engine powered kind.
The 2022 Macan sports a revised spec for the Philippine market: new front and rear bumpers with a revised rear diffuser, standard 19-inch wheels with options to go all the way to 21-inches, a Sport Chrono Pack that provides launch control and three driving modes from fun to more fun to extremely fun, a sport response button to give 30 seconds of overboost excitement, a revised 10.9 inch LCD screen that is the brains of the Porsche Communication Module (PCM) infotainment system that has Apple Carplay. You also get 485 liters of cargo space in the back with the seats up, and a shade under 1,500 liters with the rear seats folded. Practical indeed for the school run or a weekend out of town.
Power comes from the familiar EA888 four-cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers a healthy 265hp and 400 Newton-Meters of torque to all four wheels via Porsche’s 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. It might not seem much especially for a Porsche, but trust me when I say it is more than enough to send me and three other occupants to jail, or worse, the other side.
But the Macan is a pretty safe crossover of course: six airbags are standard, plus ABS-EBD brakes and traction / stability control. You’d have to be trying awfully hard to crash the Macan. Although in hindsight, that is highly possible as the Macan is the type of vehicle that goads you to drive harder, faster and longer. I had the pleasure of testing the Macan extensively during Holy Week and the Macan was an absolute dream on empty roads. The steel sprung suspension was perfect even on choppy roads like Edsa, the engine delivering instantaneous grunt on call and the brakes bringing everything to an amazingly instant stop. With a driving position that outdoes many other sports and performance cars, the Macan, crossover or not, is a truly amazing and impressive vehicle, one worthy of carrying the Porsche badge proudly.
Fuel consumption was surprisingly good too: roughly 9km/liter in the city. This is another thing I love about Porsches. Their amazing efficiency to extract the most out of what they release. The most power, the broadest power band, and the best fuel efficiency in real-world driving conditions. It’s a wholistic approach with engine tuning, transmission gearing, vehicle curb weight and aerodynamics among other things that must gel perfectly.
And that is the secret to the Macan’s amazing prowess. Everything gels, melds and blends perfectly together. The driver will always feel in absolute control, an important part of this complex interplay or machineries and electronics, the conductor of a full symphony orchestra. Many of today’s cars feel inert, and you are a mere passenger and observer. In the Macan, you are one with it, giving you the confidence and excitement for driving on the highway, carving corners at your favorite mountain passes or attacking the apexes on the track. And driving the kids to school too.
