2015 Porsche Macan S
Porsche's newest compact SUV debuts at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Porsche styling
The 2015 Macan wraps the automaker's design language around the proportions of a compact SUV. It's no surprise that the Macan looks a lot like the Cayenne with cues borrowed from the newest Boxster, Cayman, and 911 sports cars.
S or Turbo?
The Macan will be available in Macan S and Macan Turbo trim levels.
Engine options
Under the hood, you'll find either a 3.0-liter or a 3.6-liter aluminum V-6 engine. Twin turbocharging, the PDK dual-clutch transmission, and all-wheel drive are standard on both the Macan S and Macan Turbo.
LED taillights
The rear end makes use of LED tail lamps that Porsche says are evocative of the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar.
Sweeping curves
But I think that the rear view is actually more reminiscent of the Porsche Panamera.
Headlamps
The active headlamps are standard and swivel with the steering to illuminate corners. LED daytime running lights are also standard.
Three suspension options
The Macan S features a sport-tuned, but fixed, suspension. The Turbo model comes standard with an adaptive suspension. Porsche also offers an optional air suspension with auto leveling and adjustable ride height levels.
Interior
The interior is well put together, but I grimace every time I see that massive bank of buttons on a Porsche's center console.
Instrument cluster
The tri-gauge instrument cluster puts the tachometer front and center and uses a small LCD for the rightmost gauge. This display can show the driver a variety of information, the most useful being a live-updating map for turn-by-turn navigation (if equipped).
Sport Chrono
An optional Sport Chrono package adds this analog chronograph to the dashboard, but you're probably more interested in the package's sharper Sport programming and launch control.
Buttons
On vehicles equipped with the air suspension, the ride height can be adjusted using these center console buttons.
Touch screen
The 7-inch touch-screen display is standard, but to unlock its full functionality, you'll need to spec the optional PCM with navigation.
Interior customization
Porsche gives the owner a wide range of customization options. This Turbo model's carbon-and-white finished interior is a bit too outlandish for my taste.
Dual exhaust
Turbo or S, the Macan's rear end is finished with a dual exhaust, though the design of these exhausts is unique to each trim level.
19-inch wheels
These 19-inch wheels with staggered sizes are standard on both the S and Turbo models. The rear wheels are wider by just a few millimeters.
Turbo wheels
The Turbo and S models' standard wheel and tire packages are identical in dimension, but feature unique designs. Optional wheels up to 21 inches in diameter are available.
Turbo fascia
The Turbo model also features a unique front fascia treatment that is ever so subtly more aggressive.
Forward sensor
This optical sensor enables the optional adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning systems to do their thing.
2015 Porsche Macan Turbo
In its hottest Sport Chrono configuration, the 400 horsepower Macan Turbo will be able to hit 60 mph from a stop in as few as 4.2 seconds.
Little SUV a big win for Porsche
The larger Porsche Cayenne SUV is the automaker's best seller by a whole order of magnitude. Can the more compact, more affordable, and more high-tech Macan duplicate or exceed its big sister's success? We'll find out next year when the 2015 Macan hits the road.
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