Porsche Macan introduced to the Malaysian market

The legendary sportscar maker has finally made a vehicle for the rest of us. Well, almost.

By Chris Ng

Up until now, if you want a Porsche, any Porsche for that matter, you need to spend upwards from half-a-million-ringgit. That’s a high six figure price tag before the necessary taxes, not to mention the options, which gives even the best heeled of us a pause for thought before signing that cheque. No complains though. Porsche do make great cars and the price gives it the exclusivity it deserves.

It is not as if the Porsche Macan is cheap as chips, but to price a Porsche lower than the half-a-million-ringgit mark really raises more than an eyebrow. Prices start from RM450,000 for the base Macan and goes all the up to RM750,000 for the Macan Turbo; the Macan S (RM560,000) and the Macan Diesel S (RM550,000) shuffles in between. However, you shouldn’t get all hot and excited just yet, the prices are just an estimate quoted during the SUVs preview. The official launch will only happen at the end of the year. Mind you, the wait is not too long.

Porsche states that the Macan is ‘the first sportscar in the compact SUV segment’ and you can see why. The Macan bears the wide-and-low stance that you’d expect from a Porsche sportscar, unlike the colossal dimensions of the Cayenne. It also isn’t accurate to call the Macan a baby Cayenne because the compact SUV has its own characteristics.

Although it is smaller in stature, the Macan bears lines that make it properly imposing. The front is wrapped from wheel to wheel by a huge piece of metal with the headlights neatly tucked within. It continues to the sloping roof line and ends with the broad, sculptured haunches. Yes, the Macan runs in the same design vein as all Porsche sportscars. It’s a good thing.

The headlamps’ shape shares the same DNA as the 918 Spyder; as do the taillights. The rear lights, in particular, are made up of a compact three-dimensional design and LED technology, which provides the Macan with its own unique nighttime signature.

The Macan can be had in four different kinds of engine configuration. A 2.0-litre turbo powers the base Macan, the Macan S gets the 3.0-litre V6, the Diesel S runs with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel and the Macan Turbo punches with a 3.6-litre biturbo V6 engine. The seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox should enhance the sportiness of the Macan and having an all-wheel drive system with Porsche Traction Management means it will handle most road and weather conditions.

So what’s coming here is a more modern-looking Porsche SUV. It looks cooler too, which gives the Macan the keys to the room that the Range Rover Evoque and the BMW X6 currently occupy. Time will tell if they can play nice, although history say they won’t.