Porsche Macan Turbo

As an instrument of driving joy, the Porsche Macan is a whole different kind of special. It’s no mean feat achieving the title of Best Driving SUV in the World, but that’s just what we dubbed it when we first drove it in India back in August 2014. It’s not so much a sporty SUV as it is a somewhat tall sportscar. Porsche has done this by taking the Audi Q5 as a base and then promptly re-engineering it to the point of no recognition. And all that praise, believe it or not, was heaped on the diesel version! Good as Porsche’s 241bhp, 3.0-litre oil burner is, if we’re going to compare this to a sportscar, it should have a petrol engine, right? In the Indian line-up, the only petrol variant is the Turbo. Yes, I know, all Macans are turbocharged, but only the most powerful versions of Porsche’s cars get the privilege of wearing the Turbo badge, so this one has a lot to live up to.


It starts by packing in a large 3.6-litre V6 with two turbochargers strapped to it, a powertrain that is unique to the Macan. 395bhp and 56.1kgm is the result, and Porsche claims that’s good for 0-100kph in 4.6sec. It may be a relatively compact SUV, but it still weighs 1.9 tonnes, which makes that time just incredible.The engine and AWD system may take much of the credit for that, but you have to also acknowledge the brilliant seven-speed PDK dual-clutch auto; no slushbox like you get in the Cayenne. Sure, you might have to put up with the odd stutter from the gearbox when you’re just ambling, but let’s face it, you’re rarely going to amble in one of these. Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus are your driving mode options, and this alters not just the powertrain, but the steering, suspension stiffness and ride height too – unlike the Cayenne, where they can all be controlled independently. At anything more than half throttle, this thing just flies, accompanied by a slightly stifled growl. In full Sport Plus, it feels properly manic, and more akin to a 911 Turbo than a Cayenne Turbo – which is really saying something!

That’s because, unlike the Cayenne which feels big and heavy despite the intense acceleration, this one just doesn’t feel its size. It’s like a chunky, AWD hot hatchback with a seemingly endless power supply. And that’s true of the way it behaves in corners too. Hunkered down as it is in Sport Plus, there’s a bewildering lack of body roll, or any drama at all for that matter. You’d have to be seriously reckless with the throttle through a bend if you want to unsettle it, so immense is the grip. The steering, at least in this mode, is just so crisp, quick and pinpoint accurate. And I’m not sure how Porsche does it, but like the Cayenne, this thing does all this while also being able to ride really comfortably. Yes, there’s a bit of a stiff edge, but you can only feel it on the worst of roads at low speeds. The rest of the time, it just steamrolls everything.


As with all its models these days, the Macan Turbo’s base price doesn’t give you a stripped out car onto which you have to add basic equipment from the options list. You do get a good amount of standard kit; in fact there’s a bit more than even the diesel car, including the amazing 18-way adjustable sports front seats. But this is a Porsche, so you can still go much further with options, like the 20-inch wheels – not necessary on a sensible diesel, but on a Turbo, why not. You also get a more aggressive front bumper and square, rather than round, tailpipes.

As before, the elephant in the room is the price. At Rs 1.11 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi), it’s Rs 11 lakh more than the already exorbitant Diesel S. When you consider that luxury SUVs of a similar size cost almost half as much, you might cringe a little. But this is the greatest handling SUV in the world, remember? And if you’re going all-out with the Turbo, it means that practicality certainly isn’t your consideration. What you’re getting for your money is a true-blue (literally, in this case) sportscar that can also go anywhere. And yes, it has earned the badge on its boot.

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Range Rover Evoque facelift

Land Rover took the wraps off the facelifted Range Rover Evoque in February 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, so you can imagine our disappointment in March 2015 when the ‘updated’ car launched in India wasn’t this one. That was a locally assembled version of the old car, with the new nine-speed automatic gearbox and a bit more standard equipment. Now, however, just eight months on, the ‘proper’ Evoque facelift has been launched.
Trouble is, since so many updates were added to the previous car, nothing substantial has been added this time around. The obvious change is the look, which has been brought in line with the bigger Range Rovers, and consequently, now looks a little more different from the lesser Discovery line of SUVs. You’ll find RR’s new signature W-shaped LED running lights, a glossy black grille and a front bumper with two massive faux air intakes, similar to the functional ones on the powerful Range Rover Sport SVR. The rear has a more aggressive looking diffuser and a new design for the tail-lamps. And finally, a new design for the 18-inch alloy wheels on top-spec cars and this fetching new Phoenix Orange paint shade round off the visual changes

The powertrain is the same too – JLR’s 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel in its more powerful 188bhp SD4 guise, mated to the new nine-speed gearbox. It’s not an exciting or rev-happy motor; instead it’s quite linear, but it does pack a pretty decent punch. The gearbox makes the Evoque an unstressed and fuel-efficient highway cruiser, but when shuffling through the bump and grind of traffic, it tends to fumble around its many ratios and is not as smooth as the eight-speed ZF auto used by the bigger, longitudinal-engine Range Rovers and Jaguars. It’s a bit better in Sport mode, where the ’box isn’t as eager to upshift as frequently.


Absolutely nothing has been changed on the inside, save for the introduction of new upholstery colour options. But don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? The soft-touch, textured leather surfaces is just sublime, and though some of the plastics could be a little more substantial, the overall sensation of luxury combined with robustness, as with any Range Rover, is abundant here too. All the great equipment from before returns too, with 360-degree cameras, ambient lighting, a heads-up display and an exemplary 825-watt, 17-speaker Meridian sound system, but nothing new. Interestingly, while the home screen of the touchscreen infotainment system resembles JLR’s new ‘InControl’ interface, it’s merely a skin, under which lies the clunky interface from before. The model range is now split into four variants rather than three, with the base Pure trim now costing a little less than before.

It’s best to think of this not as a second update, but as a completion of the first update that started in March 2015, as the Evoque now feels like a substantial improvement on the original 2011 car. It was always a good-looking SUV, but somehow, JLR has managed to make it a whole lot more attractive with very minor modifications. Also attractive is the price, which from Rs 47.1-63.2 lakh, is a world away from the full-size Rangies. There’s just one thing – the Evoque’s cousin, the Land Rover Discovery Sport, that’s also on sale. It may not have the prestige of the Range Rover badge, but for roughly the same money, you get the same mechanical package, looks that are just as attractive and a whole lot more space with the option of seven seats. However, the Evoque’s style quotient remains its biggest selling point, and to that end, it’s only gotten better.

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