Not everyone will have the privilege of owning a sports car. These vehicles, after all, are bought purely out of emotion as opposed to fulfilling a need. Even if you could probably afford one, you’ll most likely end up with a more practical vehicle. This is why sports cars are low-volume sellers regardless of which segment of the market, and this is why Porsche, an iconic sports car manufacturer, turned the world upside down in 2002 with the Cayenne–its first SUV.
Fast forward to 2024, and we now have the latest iteration of the Porsche Macan. A recipe that should’ve diluted the sports car brand, it could be argued that these two SUVs made the brand more desirable. Along with the Cayenne, these two vehicles make up more than half of the brand’s overall sales. By making SUVs, Porsche was able to fund its sports car development, and being a sports car brand from the get-go, the Macan isn’t just another luxury crossover SUV. As clichê as it sounds, the 2024 Porsche Macan–along with the Cayenne, are SUVs that only Porsche could make.
The Sports Car Of SUVs
Let me tell you a secret first, the 2024 Porsche Macan–as new as the car sounds like, isn’t riding on a new platform. It uses the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform which dates back to the first-generation Audi Q5. On paper, it should feel less superior than the second-generation Q5 and its MLB Evo platform, right? Well, this is Porsche we’re talking about, and one thing to note is that they can never do anything wrong when it comes to the driving experience.
That MLB platform wasn’t left untouched by the Porsche wizards, not just during the Macan’s development prior to its 2014 release, but through the incremental updates they did over the past 10 years. Yes, the 2024 Porsche Macan is now a 10-year-old car, but it also comes with a decade’s worth of chassis expertise to make the Macan the sports car among compact luxury crossover SUVs.
What we have here is the Macan in base form, but saying that it’s a “base” model is doing a lot of injustice. While it’s priced a million or two higher than rivals like the BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC, that extra coin gets you a ton of chassis systems that aren’t available locally in its key rivals. These include systems like the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), the Sport Chrono package which adds not just the analog clock, but also expanded Porsche Stability Management (PSM) capabilities through its Sport mode, the launch control function when in Sport Plus mode, and also the Sport Response Button for added performance for 20 seconds.
When The Drive Keeps You Alive
Thanks to these systems, along with Porsche’s unwavering pursuit to turn every vehicle into a sports car of their respective segments, the 2024 Porsche Macan can transform from a docile compact luxury SUV into one that’s raucous and filled with so much personality. Switch the vehicle to its most aggressive Sport Plus setting, and you’ve turned the Macan into a proper track machine. The PASM lowers the vehicle ride height and stiffens the suspension, while the variability of the anti-roll bars with the PDCC further eliminates any remaining body roll. Fitted with permanent but rear-biased all-wheel drive (AWD), the system does its best to provide the best cornering exit grip as you hammer out a turn. Finally, you’ve got steering that’s filled with so much precision, response, and road feel, the Macan literally becomes an extension of your fingertips.
Now, there’s only so much testing you can do on public roads, and fortunately enough, I was able to max out these systems on track as well thanks to a recent PGA Cars World of Supercars event last month. These systems all work together to give the Macan such a huge spectrum of capabilities that’s unlike anything else in the track’s slalom course. The hunkered-down positioning that the PASM allows and how every other electronic system has been amped up to make the Macan as alive as possible on track is something you won’t feel in other SUVs at its price point.
Even in less hyperactive settings like Sport or your own custom-catered Individual setting, the Porsche Macan can turn from docile to athletic or even completely track-ready at a simple turn of the steering wheel drive mode switch. Most brands’ drive mode buttons tend to be gimmicky, but this is Porsche we’re talking about, and as I’ve mentioned, they are never wrong if the driving experience is concerned.
Left to its own devices, the Macan is comfortable, refined, quiet, and perfectly usable every day–just like its key rivals. The Macan simply fades into the background with how docile the 261-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission behaves. The sport-oriented adaptive suspension provided by the PASM and 20-inch wheels make for a ride that’s supple, though with a slightly firm edge over cars like the Mercedes GLC. The sporty exhaust tones itself down if you don’t need it, fading behind the thick sound insulation and the highly rigid body structure that Porsche and basically every other German luxury car brand are known for. It’s pretty efficient, too, averaging at 10.1 km/l when treated sensibly.
Yet It’s Still A Fundamentally Practical Luxury SUV
Finally, you have to give props to Porsche for keeping the Macan as relevant as it was ten years ago when it was first released. Even in 2024, just a few subtle updates are needed to keep the Macan looking fresh and timeless. In its pursuit of maintaining a brand identity, the Macan looks distinct and easily identifiable as a Porsche due to the LED headlights that sit slightly higher than the clamshell hood, the lovely 20-inch wheels, and the sloped rear end that tapers towards the cleanly styled rear end. As with many cars in 2024, the Macan comes with full-width LED taillights, but none come close to how the Porsche executes this design flourish. Oh, and as you can also see, all of the Macan’s vents and exhausts are functional. There’s no fakery here as everything serves a purpose.
Likewise, the interior is very timeless and distinctly Porsche with how the horizontal dash delivers a feeling of width. The build quality is also immaculate with how every panel feels premium and solid. The doors and storage areas are also extremely satisfying with how ASMR-worthy they sound. Stylistically, it won’t wow the typical luxury car buyer, especially with many brands these days transforming their interiors into something that resembles a club. Again, this is Porsche we’re talking about, and they want your eyes to be fixated on what matters the most–the driving experience.
A lot of modernization has been implemented in this interior since its inception in 2024, but thankfully, Porsche hasn’t gone overboard with ginormous screens and burying everything into the infotainment. There’s also a lovely charm with the signature Porsche analog gauges, and it’s something that I’ll miss as even the brand has decided to go all-digital with its new models. Still, the tech features like the 10.9-inch Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system work extremely well with an easy-to-use menu structure, a gimmick-free interface (BMW’s pointless Digital Art Mode, I’m looking at you), and it even comes with (wired) Apple CarPlay. Android Auto, however, isn’t available in the Macan, but is equipped in other Porsches with the newer version of PCM.
Now, the Macan is still a family SUV, and it still has to do the boring and pragmatic stuff well in order to sell in big enough numbers. Those seated at the back won’t have the most generous headroom and legroom in the segment, but it isn’t cramped by any means. The 480-liter cargo area also isn’t the biggest, but it will be enough for most people.
Lastly, I’ve never mentioned any form of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) throughout this article, and that’s because you’ve only got one–the lane departure warning and lane keeping assist. So yes, this car won’t stop for you if you’re about to crash, nor will it alert you if there is a kamote in your blind spot.
A Compact Luxury SUV That Only Porsche Could Do
As you’ll notice, the Porsche Macan doesn’t excel in terms of the numbers game when it comes to space and practicality. It also doesn’t have the flashiest interior design or the biggest screens. It can’t even be a digital art installation on wheels assuming that’s a reason for you to purchase a car in the first place. Instead, by pouring all of its research and development into developing an evocative and highly flexible chassis, tactile steering, and an engine and transmission combination that willingly obeys your every command, the 2024 Porsche Macan is the sports car of compact luxury SUVs. No other SUV in its segment manages to offer such a broad breadth of capabilities, transforming from a refined and docile family car into a hunkered-down sports car that’s ready to attack the next corner. It’s simply a compact luxury SUV that only Porsche could do. Indeed, it’s approximately under P7 million well spent as you’re essentially getting two cars in one.
Pricing and Rating
Exterior Design: 8/10
Interior Design: 8/10
Space and Practicality: 7/10
Features: 8/10
Safety and Driver Assistance Tech: 7/10
Acceleration: 9/10
Handling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10
Fuel Efficiency: 8/10
Value For Money: 8/10
0 comments on “2024 Porsche Macan Review”