Marhaba Motoring was recently invited to the reveal of the new Porsche Macan and Macan S in Spain
The weather was indeed changeable and the mercury was dropping, but we didn’t mind all that when we were introduced to the New Macan at the Porsche unveiling in Mallorca, Spain.
Apart from the pure sports cars, Macan is the most compact of the Porsche family of sports saloons and SUVs. Yet inside it’s amazing interior you wouldn’t know that. It’s surprisingly generous and commodious and, yes, need I say it, luxurious. You don’t feel in the least restricted, both in front and in back, and indeed the feeling is ‘enjoyable’.
All the more amazing when you look again from the outside and savour those sleek, coupé-like, sporty lines. Porsche dominated the large SUV class with the all-round capable, on-road off-road über performing Cayenne and it has put on another masterclass in design and performance with the new Macan. Other manufacturers take the Macan as their benchmark and try to get as close as possible to matching it but the Macan’s mix of desirability in sporty design plus five-door practicality and peppy performance is very hard to emulate.
All the above in the ‘basic’ Macan which is also, as we must say in this ecology-conscious age, more economical and environment-friendly than ever. The other royal baby, known simply as ‘S’, lets you express yourself even more joyfully due to powerful three-litre six-cylinder lungs accelerating and cruising even more rapidly when needed.
The proof was in the driving. I didn’t know that the island of Mallorca has wonderful and picturesque mountains inland, away from the beautiful beaches on the coast. In fact, I could add that the mountains were daunting and vertiginous with the cliff side narrow roads twisting around the rocky outcrops between hairpin bends. All the better when you’re in a Macan!
It was joy, it was fun, it was exhilarating, zipping along with instant acceleration and smooth powerful braking available instantly on demand. My co-driver was even more adventurous, attempting to slide the rear round corners and braking as late as possible, and using the gear change paddles of the silky seven-speed transmission to great effect. But the all-wheel-drive Macan and Macan S were as sure-footed as mountain goats, and as long as I kept my eyes on the screen I could keep off the vertigo.
Even the most outrageous of Porsche sports cars are equally well known for their civility in town. The New Macan is no exception. It is indeed quiet, cool and so easy to manoeuvre. You have time to appreciate the sports car steering wheel, the commanding panoramic view of the road, the easy-access switches and controls and that beautiful, colourful screen.
And what a screen! To me, one of the best feature of the New Macan – and all 2019 Porsche models – is the fabulous new wide screen, the centrepiece of the state-of-the-art information, communication and entertainment system (called Porsche Connect). This could keep me happy even in the car park. Everything is at your fingertips, so comprehensive and so HD clear and bright.
And I can guarantee (because I’ve seen it with my own eyes on the production line) that each and every piece of every Macan is exquisitely designed and painstakingly put together. Yes, art and craft can still be found in the modern automobile, when it’s a Porsche, of course!
To learn more about the new Macan, and all things Porsche, pop into the Porsche Centre Doha at Medina Centrale on The Pearl-Qatar. Telephone 4459 6666 or visit their website
Author: Terry Sutcliffe
Copyright © Marhaba Information Guide. Reproduction of material from Marhaba Information Guide’s book or website without written permission is strictly prohibited. Using Marhaba Information Guide’s material without authorisation constitutes as plagiarism as well as copyright infringement.