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Car Review

Porsche Macan Mk1 review

Prices from
£47,780 - £64,770
810
Published: 11 Sep 2023
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Interior

What is it like on the inside?

Here’s where the Macan extends its lead over the likes of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Jaguar F-Pace. Its cabin is more expensive (even the Range Rover Velar feels a little cheap in its company). Its materials are exemplary. It’s more solidly put together than a Mercedes GLC, too.

Very few Macan buyers will push the limits of its uncanny handling, but plenty will be swayed by the designer label ambience of this cabin. And the basics – like a decent glovebox, hidden storage cubbies and comfortable, supportive seats – are all catered for.

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What's the tech like?

Up front, you’ve got a large 12.9in touchscreen with crisp graphics and all the latest Porsche widgets and connectivity. It does feel a bit fiddly at first, but it’s a fine system once you’ve sussed it out. Apple CarPlay works seamlessly and we like the wireless phone charger that clamps your phone sideways under the armrest, so it’s out of sight while charging, but also doesn’t take up a whole cubby’s worth of stowage.

Porsche has transplanted the Cayenne/Panamera glass console into the Macan. We always liked the physical buttons for their tactility, but it was starting to look dated and a Macan not draped in optional extras always had too many blanked off buttons inside. The new look is less fussy and the haptic buttons work reasonably well, even if they do feel dirty quite quickly. Space in the central storage bin for a microfibre cloth or two...

If anything, this contemporary console only serves to date the instruments, which now look old hat (much as we love analogue dials). The digi-dial to the right now seems blocky and laggy, and the whole section could do with borrowing the 911 or Taycan’s multi-screen cockpit. Carryover switchgear like the cheapo indicator stalks really clash with the dense, expensive paddleshifters next door. In some areas this is too obviously the most attainable, ‘ordinary’ Porsche.

Is it practical?

There's decent room onboard on the Macan: the rear seats are adult friendly, and despite the Macan's clever styling that hides its bulk with a rakish roofline, it's plenty of roomy for a family. There's a big boot out back too – 500 litres with all five seats up, and triple that when you knock the seats down. There is no seven-seat option, but no performance SUVs of this size offer that. It’d be one too many contradictions in a single car.

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