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Back in 2010 I came Porsche's factory in Leipzig to review the Cayenne testing it on road,
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off road and on track. Well four years later I'm back to do the same thing with its smaller
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brother the Macan.
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Porsche's baby SUV is built on the same platform as the Audi Q5. However, its lower, wider,
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and sportier though that sloping tailgate means the boot is slightly smaller. Still,
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the back seats are sufficiently roomy even for adults.
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Wow wow wow. Sorry let's stop all this boring practicality nonsense. This is a Porsche after
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all. Let's talk about engines. There's a 400hp 3.6-litre V6 twin turbo which you get in the
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Macan turbo, a 360hp 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo in the Macan S and a 3.0-litre diesel with
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257hp in the
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The Macan S Diesel starts from £43,300 which may sound a lot. But then inside it feels
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no less posh than the bigger Cayenne. The button heavy design of the centre console
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is similar too, while the steering wheel mimics that of the 918 Spyder supercar. But what
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does it feel like to drive....
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So here we are cruising the mean streets of Leipzig, and this feels like properly special
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car to be driving in. This one has the adaptive dampers which will be an option on all but
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the Turbo and with them in comfort mode, yep it rides well. It's pretty quiet too and this
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diesel has plenty of oomph.
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The Macan S Diesel can do 0-62mph takes just 6.3 seconds and hit 143mph. Yet Porsche says
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is can return 46mpg.
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Hey I like this car -- but do I like it more than an Evoque?
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As luck would have it, there was one left at the left at the side of the road.....
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I wondered if anyone would mind if I borrowed it ...
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Okay so Evoque. Well for starters I think despite being older it stands out more than
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the Macan. The interior design, it's got more flare than the Porsche's, and it's minimalistic
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design is less cluttered. But then it doesn't feel as well made or easy to use.
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Also while the Evoque may be more of a fashion icon and its nine-speed automatic is a close
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match for Macan's 7-speed PDK, the Range Rovers grumbly 4-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel is way
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off the pace of the Macan's smooth V6. So too is it ride, handling and steering. And
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while the Evoque may have a bigger boot it feels snugger in the back seats even with
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the five-door model.
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Now I hear you all saying. But the Evoque is not only cheaper being based on the Freelander
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means it's better off road too. But does that really matter?
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I'm going to find out with this Macan S.....
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Apparently less than 7 per cent of Porsche SUV owners actually go-off road. But for those
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who do the Macan is available with air suspension. This can increase the car's ride height to
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for improved ground clearance and approach angles.
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Even then it's probably not as capable as a Range Rover. But do you really plan on doing
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this in your £40 grand SUV. You don't do you? You're just going to need to traverse
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speed humps and the odd kerb...
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Tin case you are wondering Macan S can hit 62mph in little over 5.2 seconds and tops
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out at 157mph. But if that's not quite quick enough for you, then there's always the Turbo.
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So this has a 3.6-litre twin turbo with 400hp -- which is only 60 more than the S. But out
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here on the track you really do notice that difference
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The Turbo can do 166mph and will sprint from 0-62 in 4.8 seconds -- or 4.6 seconds with
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sport chrono package. And as with all macans it can send 100 per cent of its power to the
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rear wheels and even shuffle it across the rear axle if you have the optional torque
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vectoring.
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With the suspension in it sportiest setting the Macan's the agility is quite remarkable
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for a tall vehicle which weighs 1900KG. In fact you begin to forget it's an SUV and start
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to think of it more of a Cayman on stilts.
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Despite all the track shenanigans though, it's the diesel model which is the most impressive
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blending economy performance and agility. And so while it might not be the most fashionable
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small SUV you can buy. To drive on the road -- yup it's definitely the best.
