2017 Porsche Macan Review

The base Macan comes standard with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, 18-inch wheels, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, a lane-departure warning system, a power liftgate, automatic bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, foglights, automatic wipers, rear privacy glass, heated mirrors, cruise control, three-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats, partial leather and simulated suede upholstery, a 60/40-split folding rear seat and a cargo cover. Electronic features include the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) 7-inch touchscreen interface, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, two USB ports and a 10-speaker sound system with satellite and HD radios, a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack, a media player interface and 11GB of digital music storage.

The Macan S gains a bigger V6 engine, 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes, different exterior trim types and dual twin-pipe exhaust ports.

The GTS has a more powerful version of the S engine plus a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension, 20-inch wheels, bigger brakes with red calipers, unique exterior design elements, a sport exhaust, adaptive headlights, front seat memory functions and heated sport seats unique to the GTS.

The Macan Turbo builds on the Macan S with an even more powerful V6 engine, different 19-inch wheels, LED running lights, brakes and exterior styling elements, adaptive headlights, an upgraded power steering system, 18-way adaptive and heated sport seats, full leather upholstery, simulated suede headliner, a navigation system added to the PCM and a 14-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system.

Porsche is also offering a new Macan Turbo with Performance package trim that adds some engine tweaks for more power, the air suspension with a lower ride height, power-folding mirrors and a heated steering wheel.

Darkened taillights and blacked-out trim and tailpipes are just some of the Macan's many customizable elements.

Apart from the engine and styling elements, all of the Turbo's extras are available on the other trims as part of the Macan's extensive options list. Although virtually all of those options are available as stand-alone items, there are two noteworthy packages that could make ordering or selecting a Macan a little simpler. The Premium package adds the adaptive headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, heated front and rear seats and the 14-speaker Bose system. The Premium Package Plus adds those items plus a panoramic sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, and 14-way power front seats with ventilation and memory functions.

Other options include (and we do mean "include" because there are countless trim, color and material customization choices) LED headlights, different wheels from 18-22 inches, surround-view parking cameras, lane change assist, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, thermally and noise-insulating privacy glass, roof rails, an adaptive suspension (PASM), the adaptive air suspension, a sport exhaust, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (brakes individual wheels around turns to improve handling) and the Sport Chrono package (an enhanced Sport Plus driving mode and launch control). Inside you can get a heated steering wheel, rear side sunshades, extended leather interior trim, a dual-screen rear seat entertainment system, the navigation system functionality, a six-CD changer, Porsche connect smartphone apps and a 16-speaker Burmester sound system. The GTS and Turbo can be equipped with carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

We Recommend
We like the balance of price and performance you get in the Macan S. It has more capability than you'll ever need, yet it doesn't ever feel uncomfortably aggressive. If you find the endless options list overwhelming, keep things simple with the Premium Package Plus, which adds a nice grouping of desirable equipment without getting too fancy with the customization possibilities.

The new 2017 Porsche Macan base model has more power and torque than the turbo four-cylinders of most rivals.