LA MOTOR SHOW: Macan, best on and off the road

Porsche Macan program boss, Hans-Jurgen Wohler, has defended Porsche’s newest SUV’s credentials not only on the road, but especially off it.

Speaking at today’s Los Angeles Auto Show opening and the Macan’s press debut, Wohler stated the new midsized Porsche was a “true product of Porsche” and class-leading in all dynamic respects. And yes, that means off-road.

“No other [segment] competitor that can do better offroad than Macan,” Wohler stated with clear reference to Range Rover’s very capable Evoque when quizzed.

“The off-road capability of this car [Macan] is at the same level as its on-road capability. It’s a serious [performer],” Wohler told motoring.com.au

Although sharing some basic structures and suspension designs with Audi’s Q5, Wohler was at pains to point out that the Macan is very much a product of Porsche’s own development.

“The drivetrain is completely Porsche -- from the engine to the Active All-wheel-drive system. [In fact] many concepts [designs] we take out of the 911 Carrera 4.

“We can count the parts [shared with Audi] but you have a problem with comparison when you count the gearbox as one part and the screw [bolt] with which we fix the gearbox to the body is also one part,” he mused.

“At the end we only take the body structure and the axle systems front and rear, but even then we have a discussion… At the front we have new wheel carriers to fit our Porsche brakes, for example. We [also] develop our own spring and shock absorber systems and so on.

“The initial concept and idea was to build a Porsche,” he stated.

Wohler confirmed that the Macan would offer Porsche’s own air-suspension system, claimed to be the first in this segment. That suspension will offer 50mm of lift. Although not in the same league as its big brother Cayenne, this and Porsche’s own active all-wheel drive and traction and hill descent systems deliver the car a significant breadth of capability, Wohler said.

“We feel the car in this case [offroad] is much more intelligent than human beings.”

Wohler says the Macan was benchmarked in offroad ability against Cayenne. The big Porsche’s only advantage over the Macan is by virtue of its additional ground clearance, he says. Wading depth is also in the larger car’s favour 500mm versus 300mm.

“All the other capabilities are as good as Cayenne… When we talk about the highest dune in Dakar, the Macan has no problem,” Wohler stated.

On-road, Wohler promises sparkling performance. Macan will offer the option of Porsche Sport Chrono package which will, like 911 and other models, include extra power and launch control. Already, Porsche has published a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.6sec for the Sports Chrono-equipped Macan Turbo. The 0-160km/h sprint is despatched in 10.9sec.

But for the time being, that on-road Holy Grail of measurement, a Nurburgring Nordschleife lap-time is still not for publication. There are hints that Macan is already significantly quicker that even the hottest versions of Cayenne, but they are only hints.

“Maybe we talk about that when we test drive [launch] the car in February,” Wohler concluded.

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