Porsche Macan GTS: The raging machine

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Porsche Macan GTS: The raging machine

German sports car maker PORSCHE adds a speedier variant to their compact crossover, the Macan GTS

By George Kuruvilla

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Published: Mon 2 Jan 2017, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 10 Jan 2017, 2:04 PM

Porsche was once known solely as a maker of champion sports cars. As the company grows, this dream becomes a collage of thoughts. For that reason, they've decided to diversify to nurture sales, popularity and business. With the possession of sport technology and the surprising success of the Cayenne SUV, they decided to build a car for the profitable and in-demand crossover SUV segment - and that's how the Macan came into being. Being a Porsche, it is available as a base model, followed by a more potent S model and the range topper Turbo model. Slotted between the latter two is the Macan GTS, which we had the good fortune of burning some juice in.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Porsche has a habit of reiterating design. They have been doing so for over 50 years and it works perfectly well - the 911 is considered to be perfection by some. But when replicating that bug-eyed front look and teardrop rear end in other cars of other segments, it only goes half appreciated - as seen in the Boxster, Panamera and the Cayenne.
The Macan is just a scaled-down version of the Cayenne. It's still a five-door five-seater SUV but, at 4,692 mm length, 1,926 width and 1,609 mm height, it is much smaller. Before I divulge how similar they are, I want to mention that the Macan shares the Modular Longitudinal Platform with the Q5, even if it only shares 70 per cent of the parts.
Now, back to the similarities it shares with the Cayenne. From the face, the slanted nose and light cluster, it is almost hard to distinguish between the two - the change in the bumper is as inconspicuous as ever. It is only in the execution of the haunch and the horizontal light cluster it houses - one that has an enticing 3D effect - that you can tell the difference.
The hero colour of GTS is carmine red and it goes well with the multi-spoke 20-inch wheels that are painted in black. Black is what makes this a GTS "special". You have black window trims, black inlays for the light clusters (front and back), black side blades that underline the doors and a black valance that houses the quad tail pipes. The GTS is also 15 mm lower than standard, which makes it sit better and look more planted. The Macan is a chic and sporty-looking SUV that encapsulates all the typical Porsche signatures in the details and style, which makes it a lovely accessory for you to drive around town in.
We like the sporty car-shaped key fob that goes with it. With one click or, if you prefer, with the simple pull of the door handles, you enter the cabin conveniently, thanks to the smart access tech. You can start up the V6 by slotting the key on the left of the steering column - this may seem counter-intuitive at first, but this tradition dates back to Porsche's early Le Mans racing days, when the race driver had to run to get the engine started as soon as possible to clinch an early lead. Turn the key and the engine erupts to life with a gust of exhaust gases, the quad exhausts creating a vibrant energy through the cabin.
It's only when the engine settles to an idle that you are able to focus and lay your eyes on the typical Porsche cabin architecture. And that fashionable familiarity begins with the three-spoke steering wheel, one inspired by that on the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. It's a lovely apparatus to hold and steer. The rest of the interior is dominated by the presence of the rising centre console adopted from the Panamera - an arrangement many folks seem to like. Its sequential layout makes it simple to seek buttons and use them too. And the infotainment screen that sits above has been made flush with the dashboard, which gives the upper dash a clean look.
On the exterior, there is a black-on-red theme, and on the interior, it is the opposite. The dashboard and well-bolstered, race-ready seats are lavishly lined with black leather and alcantara and everything else is black plastic. Here the details that are in red add a zing to the interior. The sporty analogue dials are red, the stitching that holds the hide together are red and you also have red seat belts. This makes sense; red is the colour of energy, of anger, of vibrancy and, even, of speed; hence, it resonates well with the GTS theme.
As for space, if perceived as an SUV, it feels as though you are sort of being squished by a sponge and that isn't necessarily comforting. But think of it as a 911 and you would enjoy the feeling of being cocooned as a driver. Of course, everyone else will find it a tad constricting.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
As you would expect from previous Porsche products, the GTS sub-brand is about upping the performance of the Macan, and there it sits decidedly, slotted nicely between the Macan S model and the flag bearer Turbo model.
Under the bonnet is an uprated twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 from the Macan S, making a healthy dose of horsepower and torque, thanks to upping boost pressure. At 6,000 rpm, the GTS makes 360 PS or 355 horsepower, and it also generates 500 Nm of torque all the way from a low 1,650 to 4,000 rpm - keeping the mid-range grunt meaty.
On the road, the tight dimensions of the GTS means you don't have the usual problems of negotiating tight spaces and traffic, as you would with regular SUVs, and visibility from the driver's seat is good - if you can ignore the triangulated rear view mirror. This makes for a good recipe for a sports car. Out on the open road, the Macan GTS really comes alive. Dig into the throttle and the car surges ahead, pulling forward purposefully, with only a hint of turbo lag observed on initiation of the gas pedal. With the Sport Chrono package, it will race from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and hit the 160 km/h mark in 12.5 seconds. Let us be reminded that this is quite quick for an SUV and would be considered well within the supercar territory.
The GTS, being a Porsche, is a willing corner-carver, thanks to its well-weighted steering that delivers on appropriate heft to the steering wheel, bringing that evasive connection between tyre and road into your hands. It is seconded by bucket loads of traction delivered by a rear-biased all-wheel drive system and technologies like PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring) that effectively reduces wheelbase.
You would suppose the brakes are good too. But they are, in fact, great! You can save yourself the salary-stealing carbon ceramic brakes and be content with the very efficient steel discs all around.
Ride is taut but nothing too intrusive, which means it can be used for daily drives and chances are you won't spill your drink or hurt your spine at every break.
The trip computer gives you a good estimation of the fuel economy and, if you were to drive the GTS the way it was meant to be driven, you would achieve nothing near the claimed near-9L/100 km mark and 200-plus grams of carbon dioxide emissions that the company claims. But if you were to navigate the city in less haste - at least once in a while - and engage functions like 'coasting' and the slightly intrusive stop/start function - which switches off and on unexpectedly - it can be appreciated for bringing a balance of efficiency and performance while saving you a few bucks.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
As a sport utility vehicle, the Macan most definitely satisfies the 'sport' part of it and it does the 'utility' bit too, at least to some extent. With 500 litres available behind the rear seat, you can take your friends or family to the airport, as well as their two suitcases, with no problems. As for general stowage, there may not be those fancy 911 cupholders that pop out of the dash, but you do have two regular ones in the centre console, fairly large door bins and a useful centre cubby as well.
For loading convenience, the optional air suspension enables you to lower the rear end of the vehicle using a button in the luggage compartment. Items in the cargo area can be held by a rail system with a slide-adjustable telescopic rod, a strap roller and four variable lashing eyelets. Best of all, the floor mats are reversible and this protects against dirt and helps prevent luggage displacement.
As for audio, forget the 10-speaker 150-Watt base unit; go for the 14-speaker Bose system, which puts out 665 Watts of good sounding decibels. If you are one for labels, you can get the 16-speaker 1000 Watt Burmester audio, but we don't think its price can be justified. The infotainment system also plays DVDs, CDs and MP3s, and you have a dedicated aux-in jack and USB ports in the centre console that charge as well as transfer data.
At the rear, kids get to fiddle with the optional 10.1-inch TFT screens, which, by the way, has touch screen functionality. Integrated to it is a DVD drive, two USB interfaces, an SD card interface, an HDMI interface and an internal 32-GB flash memory. or you can just hand over your iPad. The GTS also allows for tethering, which makes the car a mobile hotspot, if required.
But more importantly, all the on-screen menus - on the front and back - are legible, and navigating through the graphics is simple and intuitive. Big points there!
There are plenty of safety features that make it no less safe than a Volvo. The blind sport function does help and the lane departure alert and correction function - which at times made the car bounce between the lanes before settling in - are useful assistance systems, but they can't be compared to Tesla's Auto pilot system.

VERDICT
As a traditional SUV, the 2016 Porsche Macan GTS does not meet all associated purposes of 'off-roading' and cargo hauling to much extent - but view it as a chic and sporty hatchback with an elevated presence, a roof rack and some additional cargo space, and you are likely revel in its ownership. And the fact that this GTS has a throttle-happy V6 engine that loves to be revved to the redline makes it particularly special. Porsche special.

Good: Sporty styling and dimensions; power and dynamics that inspires spirited driving; quality fit and finish
Bad: Looks too similar to the Cayenne; spatially challenged interiors;
Author's rating: 8/10 stars

SPECIFICATIONS  
Body type: 5-seater; 5-door premium high-performance compact SUV
Engine: Front-engine; twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6; all-wheel drive
Transmission: 7-speed PDK (automated manual)
Peak output: 355 bhp @6,000 rpm; 500 Nm @ 1,650 - 4,000 rpm
0 to 100km/h: 5.2 seconds (claimed)
Top speed: 256 km/h (drag limited; claimed)
Price: Starting at Dh292,400

wknd@khaleejtimes.com


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