As you may be aware, along with giving each model its own individual engine, they also come with their own trim levels.
Standard equipment on the entry-level Macan includes 18in alloy wheels, a twin exhaust system, lane departure warning, cruise control, a powered tailgate and folding electric wing mirrors as standard on the exterior. Inside, there is tri-zone climate control, electrically adjustable driver's seat, an Alcantara upholstery and Porsche's infotainment system complete with a 7.0in touchscreen display, sat nav, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, and a DVD drive.
Upgrade to the Macan S or S Diesel and you'll be greeted by more aluminium interior trim, a quad-exhaust system, automatic wipers, and tinted, thermally insulated side windows. The Macan GTS comes with a sports exhaust system, lowered sports suspension, 20in alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, swathes of Alcantara, electrically adjustable front sports seats, a sporty bodykit and access to Porsche's online services.
The range-topping Turbo models may come with different power outputs, but come with similar equipment levels. Expect to find 19in alloy wheels, steel spring suspension, a unique quad-exhaust system, LED fog lights, adaptive and electrically adjustable front seats, an Alcantara headlining, a Bose sound system and a leather upholstery.
Porsche’s marketing department would prefer you to think of the Macan as a high-rise, super-practical 911, not a downsized Cayenne – a concept that you’ll probably be inclined to meet with some scepticism, just as we did.
However, this cabin lends the idea at least a glaze of credibility. It’s more intimate feeling and quite a bit less rugged looking than you might expect but still retains a lot of what makes a typical premium-branded family 4x4 an attractive ownership proposition.
You sit farther above the car’s shoulder line and transmission tunnel but lower overall than you would in a Cayenne, in a fairly recumbent driving position with arms and legs outstretched and backside, thighs and back amply supported by an excellent sports seat. The Porsche Macan's all-round visibility is great, except where the wide B-pillars intrude on it, and the pedals and wheel are well placed too.
The dashboard architecture – comprising a rising, button-packed lower centre console and a foreshortened centre stack of sat-nav screen and audio controls – is very similar to a Panamera saloon’s. But being free of the oversized grab handles and drivetrain management controls of the Cayenne makes the Macan’s interior seem quite discreet.
