Porsche Macan 2.0 PDK Review: It's Basically Good

What we like:

Still fundamentally a great car to drive. You'd be hard pressed to find anything disagreeable.

What we dislike:

High fuel consumption and meagre updates (versus its larger engined siblings) mean the base Macan doesn't seem as attractive as before.

Porsche is already showing prototypes of its all-electric Macan, which makes for an uncomfortable truth: the current Macan is a little old and nearing the end of its model life cycle.

For the most part, one can’t really tell. The car, which has actually undergone its second facelift, still looks modern on the outside, having a 911-like roofline and successfully pulling it off even before the Cayenne spawned a coupe.

On the inside, all physical buttons have been replaced by the haptic touch buttons so familiar now from the Panamera and 911, which certainly looks modern but is functionally an arguable regression. The infotainment has also been updated to keep up with the times, while a conventional gear knob has been mercifully retained. It is still a luxurious, comfortable environment to be in, with a surprising amount of room despite its compact shape.

Out on the road, the base Macan is more effective than engaging with its 2.0-litre I4 turbo engine, but one would never call it slow for sure. It’s still plenty on tap to have fun with this tyke, which is bewitching in the way it sniffs out every turn. Steering, braking and throttle responses are precise and clear, having a clarity that’s familiar from other Porsche cars. It also achieves an almost perfect blend between comfort and sport, being firm but never jarring over bumps.

Amazingly, Porsche has kept its ageing Macan more than competitive in the segment. It’s no exaggeration to say it is still one of the most engaging drives for a high-riding car. I’m just not sure if the base car is the one to go for though, as even with a tax-friendly engine it seemed to consume more fuel than expected (I averaged around 6-7 km/l with mixed driving). For the full fat experience, the Macan S would probably be a better proposition, but for most, the base car will do, really.

Credits: Text and Photos by James Wong