The cheapest ever Porsche has just gone on sale in Australia. The midsize Macan SUV can now be ordered with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. At $76,610 it sits around $16,000 under the V6 petrol. A huge saving when you consider you’re only missing out on a couple of cylinders and you still get 185 kW of power and 370 Nm of torque. (The V6 in S trim has 250 kW.)
It seems that every second European car we road test these days has an engine that displaces 2.0 litres, has four cylinders and is turbocharged. The expertise that goes into them is therefore impressive as there’s no doubt competing engineers keep a close eye on what each other is doing.
The Porsche engine operates with up to two bar of boost pressure, has charge-air cooling, direct injection and variable valve timing. The VarioCam Plus system adapts the intake and exhaust camshaft continually and also controls the lift of the exhaust valves.
The 370 Nm of torque is there between 1600 rpm and 4500 rpm so, unless you’re really fanging’ maximum grunt is under your right foot all the time.
While the Macan engine is an in-line four, Porsche also makes a 2.0-litre V4 which can produce up to 500 horsepower, that’s right 250hp per litre. Problem is that redhot turbo-petrol engine is standard only in the Porsche 919 racing car that won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in June 2016.
Obviously some lessons learnt from the racing powerplant are installed in the road-going unit. We hope you enjoy the benefits of racing improving the breed should you go for this bargain priced porker.
Porsche Macan four has a seven-speed Porsche DoppelKupplung (PDK) automatic transmission. Intelligent gearing means the Macan can run the zero to 100 km/h sprint in just 6.7 seconds. Even better, it can pull this down to 6.5 seconds with the Sport Chrono-Package which includes launch control.
Fuel consumption is 7.4 L/100 km according to NEDC measurements, though consumption in real life driving almost invariably exceeds these official numbers.
Exterior distinguishing characteristics of the four-cylinder are side window trim strips in black and black brake calipers. The 19-inch Macan Turbo wheels are the same wheels as on the Macan S V6s.
Spec for spec the Macan I-4 and V-6 models are all-but identical. Both have Bi-Xenon head lights with dynamic headlight levelling, ParkAssist front and rear, reversing camera and Lane Departure Warning.
Inside, the Porsche Memory Package for the powered driver’s seat, Alcantara seat inserts, three-zone automatic climate control, Digital Radio and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.
The latest Porsche Communication Management (PCM) includes satellite navigation, mobile phone preparation, audio interfaces and a voice control system.
With an unladen weight of 1770 kilograms, the Macan is the lightest SUV made by Porsche, which should translate into relatively agile handling. We’ve yet to road test a Macan four but will do so asap and get back to you afterwards.
The new entry Macan model is available to order now priced from $76,610 with deliveries expected March 2017. Prices are recommended retail and on-road costs have to be added.
The complete Porsche Macan range is:
2.0: $76,610
3.0 S Diesel: $91,855
3.0 S: $92,800
3.0 GTS: $109,200
3.6 Turbo: $130,000
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Porsche dealer for driveaway prices.
